Have you ever made Easter baskets? We loved making these fun and simple tissue paper bowls that were perfect for storing our Easter sweets.
Materials
- Tissue paper (precut squares, circles, or cut your own)
- Paper shapes (or cut your own with Paper Craft Punches)
- Construction paper
- Bowls
- Foil
- Modge Podge or liquid starch
- Thick paintbrushes
- Trays
Step 1: Set up
Toddlers love working independently as they are discovering their own autonomy (and limitations). They love doing things themselves and we can help them do that by providing the right set up with materials they can choose from and are able to handle without major help from you.
Set out trays with foil covered bowls, place a paintbrush and a little container with Modge Podge on each tray and invite the children to go “shopping” for their own materials. On a separate table I’ve set out little containers, left over tissue paper shapes, sequins, feathers and glitter. The children would come over and fill a container with materials of their choice. On another table I set out colored construction paper with Paper Craft Punches that the children visited frequently during the process to make their own shapes or to simply do something different and take a break from working on their bowls. This kept it fun and exciting enough for everyone to stay engaged and focused.
Step 2: Layer paper with Modge Podge
Apply a layer of Modge Podge to your bowl and cover with paper of different shapes and colors. Add feathers, glitter and sequins or your own cut paper shapes to your heart’s desire. Repeat until you have at least three layers of overlapping paper. The children loved the squishiness and messiness of applying their papers with the Modge Podge which ensured lots of giggles! Make sure to keep it out of the mouth. Let dry overnight.
Step 3: Cut edges
You can leave the ragged edges or cut the paper along the edges of the bowl for a more even finish which is what I did.
I placed a photo of each child in their bowls (so they’d know which one is their bowl) and we set out for our Easter egg hunt which by the way was a perfect way to practice sharing and a little early math. We collected all found sweets in a big bowl before discussing how to distribute them. Eventually the children suggested we’d count them out into our bowls clockwise to make sure everyone had the same amount of sweets :).
Happy Easter!
♥ Claudia