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Egg carton Christmas ornaments for preschoolers
Age: 3+ · Time: 40 min · For:
An empty egg carton is a treasure for crafting. Each little cup becomes a Christmas ornament, a bell or a tiny tree. They are light enough to hang on any branch, cost nothing and are perfect for little painters.
What your child does, where you help
- Your child: paints, decorates and threads the ribbon with help.
- You: cut the cups and make the holes.
Tips
- Add a little white glue to the paint so it sticks better to the cardboard.
- Paint the inside too for ornaments you can see from every side.
Safety
The needle and scissors stay with the grown-up. Use non-toxic paint and glue.
You need
- an empty cardboard egg carton
- scissors, for the grown-up
- paint in Christmas colors (tempera paint) and a brush
- markers, stickers or circles of colored paper
- a glue stick or white school glue
- ribbon or string, for hanging
- a thick needle or skewer, for the grown-up
Steps
- A grown-up cuts the individual cups out of the egg carton and trims the edges neatly.
- Let your child paint the outside of each cup in a bright color. Leave to dry for about 20 minutes.
- Decorate the dry cups with dots, stripes, stickers or small paper circles.
- For a round ornament: glue two cups together at the open edges.
- A grown-up pokes a small hole in the top of each ornament with a thick needle or skewer.
- Thread a ribbon through the hole and tie a knot inside, or a loop on top, so it can hang on the tree.
Questions
Can I use a plastic egg carton?
Cardboard is better because paint and glue stick to it. Plastic cups need acrylic paint and are harder to pierce.
What else can I make?
Paint cups green for little Christmas trees, white with an orange nose for snowmen, or turn three cups upside down for bells with a bead clapper.
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