Easy, Cheap Spring Craft: How to Make an Egg-Shaped Luminaries

These cheerful dyed-eggshell looking luminaries burn cheerfully on the eve of the Equinox, or at nights over your Easter holiday. They're fun and inexpensive to make with easy-to-find materials. They look great lining a walk way or along the porch, on the mantle or as a table centerpiece.

For each luminary, you will need:

1 medium-sized oval balloon

5 to 6 sheets of vellum paper

3/4 cup Elmers glue

1/4 cup of water

Old container

Plastic spoon

Plastic tablecloth or dropcloth

Cup

Tea or Votive candle

1) Cover your work area with a cheap dollar-store plastic table cloth, or even a leftover shower curtain or drop cloth. Don't use newspapers or scrap paper- the glue will soak right through it as you work and get on the table anyway.

2) Blow up your balloon (use your breath, not helium- you don't want it trying to get away from you). It doesn't matter what color the balloon is, as long as it is oval so that it resembles an egg. Tie it off.

3) Purchase your vellum based on how you want your "egg" to look. For example, if you want a yellow egg with pink spots, buy pink and yellow vellum. Using paper with patterns will work as well, but don't expect the pattern to be recognizable in the finished project. You will be layering the vellum paper on top of each other, so any distinction of the pattern will be lost and it will just look mottled or speckled. That can look great, too, though. Remember also that when you layer colors they will "bleed through" each other. If you put a yellow spot over a blue egg, it's going to look green when the light shines through both of them. But just like dying eggs, this is a pretty simple craft where there is no "right" or "wrong" color or design. Don't be afraid to experiment.

4) Cut your vellum paper that you want to be the base colors into one to two inch square or rectangular pieces and strips. It doesn't have to be exact measurements. In fact, if you prefer the more hand-made look, you can just tear the vellum. In my sample photo, I used a white speckled with colored "confetti" for the top and bottom, and purple for a stripe through the middle.

5) If you want any specific designs, such as lines, polka-dots, or any specific shapes in a certain color, cut (or tear) them into the shapes as well. These come out much more distinct if you use a darker shade than the rest of the egg. I just tore strips of a dark violet I had and made zig-zag lines around the purple stripe, and I outlined the top in a ring of the violet.

Tip: keep all your colors or patterns in separate piles as you work so that you can pick the one you want without digging.

6) Make your paper mache glue mixture. I like to stay away from flour for this one because it dries cloudy. Instead, I mix 3 parts Elmers white glue with 1 part water. Elmer's glue dries clear enough to not change the color. Mix the glue in a disposable container, such as an old clean margarine tub.

7) Start papering. There are a couple of different methods you can use for the paper mache:

a) You can dip the paper into the glue, wipe off the excess between your fingers, then layer it on the balloon.

b) You can also just dip your fingers into the glue, rub some on the spot you are working on, lay the paper strip on it and press it down on the glue. You can rub a little more on top of it if it is not fully absorbed.

Start at the bottom of the balloon (the part opposite the stem, or the knot). Begin with a first layer of the base colors, each piece partially overlapping the last. Remember that paper mache is not an exact science. Just keep covering until there are no holes.

Go almost all the way up to the top of the balloon, but leave a circle of space around the top. Think of it as a bowl- you'll want to be able to get your hand in the top opening.

8) Do three to four layers of vellum strips over the balloon for the base color. This will ensure that the vellum will be strong enough to retain it's shape when the balloon is removed. If you only do a layer or two, you risk the vellum "egg" collapsing in on itself.

9) Do a final layer of the darker colors with the shapes that you want to be distinct. If you like, to really strengthen it, or to subdue it if your colors are bright, you can do a final coating of plain white vellum. This is optional, however, and if you're using light colors it will really wash them out.

10) Turn it over and place it stem-side down on a cup to dry. The cup will act as a holder. The paper mache parts must not dry by sitting on anything, or they will flatten and dry mis-shapen. Allow the paper mache to dry for 12 to 24 hours. If you live somewhere that it is very humid, and it is a humid day, it could take even longer. Be patient so that it hardens thoroughly.

11) Pop the balloon, which will shrink and pull away from the vellum shell you have made. Remove and discard the balloon. If you don't like the way the "top" opening of the shell looks, if it is uneven or too small, you can trim it back with a scissor.

12) On the very bottom of the "egg," push the vellum inward to form a dent. This will give it a flat surface to rest on.

13) Fill the very bottom of the luminary with salt or sand. If it's windy out, use pebbles. Put a votive or a tea candle into it and light it. If you prefer, you can use a battery-powered light, or an electric light if you're willing to cut a hole in the bottom for the cord to run through. These luminaries will glow prettily, but never leave a candle or electric light burning in them unattended.