Easter Basket Surprise

By: Edwin R. Smith for STYROFOAM Brand Foam

Sponge painted eggs and pussy willow handle aren't the only surprise - treat guests to tasty sweets nestled in this centerpiece basket.

Easter Basket Crafts

Materials:

STYROFOAM Brand Products:
- 12" x 2" x 2" wreath
- 9" x 1-1/4" disc
- Eggs: 2-1/2" x 1-7/8" (hen), six; 3-1/16" x 2-15/16" (duck), four; 3-13/16" x 2-13/16" (goose), two
- 12" x 4" x 2" block
Acrylic paints: fuchsia; purple; hydrangea pink; mint green; spring green; sunshine yellow
1" foam brush
Small natural sponge
Silk flowers and greenery: pansies; assorted small spring blossoms; pussy willow stems, six; green ivy, one bunch
Artificial yellow chicks, four
1-1/4" pink plaid wire-edge ribbon, 4 yd.
3" wooden floral picks
22-gauge floral wire
Yellow shredded paper filler
Jellybeans or candies of your choice
Craft sticks
Drywall compound (available at home improvement centers)
Fine sandpaper
Paper towels
Disposable palette
Water basin
Pencil
Cardboard, 12" square
Scissors
Wire cutters
Jellybeans or candies of your choice
Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks or thick white craft glue

Steps:

Insert a wooden pick into the wreath and each egg to serve as a temporary handle. Use a craft stick to apply a coat of drywall compound, covering the wreath and eggs. Place wooden handles from eggs into foam block while compound dries. When dry, sand eggs until smooth, wiping with damp paper towel to remove excess dust. Continue to apply drywall compound to eggs and then sand until a smooth surface is achieved. Do not sand wreath to retain its uneven texture.
Apply two coats of paint to foam shapes as follows, letting dry after each coat: wreath, yellow; one goose egg and four hen eggs, mint green; one goose egg and two hen eggs, pink; four duck eggs, purple.
Use a damp sponge to sponge paint eggs as follows, letting some of the basecoat color show through: one pink goose egg, one pink hen egg, and four purple duck eggs with fuchsia; remaining eggs with spring green. Let dry.
Trace outside of wreath onto cardboard and cut out circle. Glue cardboard circle to bottom of wreath to form a basket. Glue a foam disc to bottom of cardboard circle, elevating basket. Glue ribbon to cover edges of disc.
Shape pussy willow stems into a semicircle, inserting and gluing the ends into top of wreath for a basket handle. Wire ends of stems to wreath for added reinforcement.
Using photo as a guide, insert and glue a wooden pick in each egg, then eggs to wreath. Position some eggs around top of wreath and others in clusters around front outside edge.
Tie an 18" length of ribbon to top of pussy willow handle slightly off-center. Spot glue ribbon and trim Vs in ends. Cut 1 yd. of ribbon and form into a 4-loop bow with 3" loops. Wire center of bow to secure and attach to a wooden pick. Insert and glue bow to left side of basket at base of pussy willow handle.
Using photo as a guide, arrange and glue flowers and ivy around eggs and top of basket handle.
Cut remaining ribbon into short lengths, forming some into individual loops. Insert ribbons tucked around eggs and flowers as desired. Trim "V's" in any ribbon ends.
Insert and glue a wooden pick in each chick; glue chicks in and around eggs as desired.
Line bottom of basket with yellow shredded paper and place candy on top.