artful thursdays #10....paper mache egg tutorial

this week candice and i put together our very first nesting kits for spring. all the lovely goodies to make your own paper mache eggs here in the art nest shop, just opened up today! other big news, we are working on a quarterly magazine, can't wait to show you how it is turning out... and the art nest summer retreat will be up next week.

i have always adored these paper mache eggs made in germany. one year i decorated a whole nest of them. this year i had the idea to cut out the back of one of the eggs to make a little window. then i found these little glittery white birds and my artful thursday project just flew together....

gather together a paper mache egg, tinsel for the nest, glittery bird, silver dresden paper scrap, ribbon, and a few millinery bits.



step #1. draw a window on the back of one half of your paper mache egg. cut out the window using an exacto blade.


step #2. use a finger nail file to smooth the edges of your window.


step #3. paint the outside of your egg with acrylic paint. i left the inside plain so the pretty pink floral pattern would show.


step #4. punch a hole in the top of your egg using a 1/8 inch punch.


step #5. glue a strip of dresden paper daisies or small trim around the edge of your egg.


step #6. glue some millinery stamens and a spun cotton mushroom to the bottom of the egg.

step #7. shape the tinsel into a nest and glue in place. glue in some flowers and a glittery bird.


step #8. thread a glass currant on a chenille stem through the hole in your egg and twist it into a curlicue.


step #9. tie some ribbon and stamens to chenille curlicue

hang your lovely little paper mache egg where the sunlight can shine through the back onto the little nest. see candice's egg she made today here. and a peek at the new nesting kits.



hope you all had a happy thursday, julie