Concrete Easter Eggs

Handmade concrete eggs with a natural textured finish, displayed outdoors in a garden setting

04/09/202004/29/2026 | canvas22creations

It was the week before Easter 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic, when my kids asked if we were going to decorate eggs. We were quarantined in NYC due to COVID and didn’t have many eggs to spare, so I had to get creative. Luckily, I had some fast-setting concrete in the shed and a few balloons in the cabinet and just like that, a new idea was born. (This works just as well with Plaster of Paris, too.)

What you need:

Quick set cement
Balloons
Stick for Mixing
Bucket
Funnel
Somewhere to hang filled balloons

Mix the quick-set concrete with water in a bucket until it reaches a smooth, pourable consistency—not too thick and not too watery. It should be easy to stir and pour through a funnel.

Insert the funnel into the balloon and carefully pour in the concrete. Fill the balloon to your desired size, then tie it off and hang it to set.

To help speed up the drying process, I gently poked a tiny hole near the top of the balloon with a pin. Mine took a little over an hour to fully harden.

Once the concrete is completely set, cut the top of the balloon and peel it away to reveal your concrete egg.

If the tops come out a bit too pointy (like mine did), you can sand them down. Tying the balloon more evenly before it sets can help avoid this step, but if you do need to sand, be sure to wear a mask and gloves.

Once fully dry, apply a few coats of gesso or primer to create a smooth white surface.

Now they’re ready – perfect for the kids to decorate. Problem solved.

How to Make Homemade Play-dough (Playdoh)

Child playing with homemade playdough at a table, shaping and molding dough with hands

11/14/201704/28/2026 | canvas22creations

Making playdoh was daunting at first, but I bit the bullet and found it was pretty easy to do with the kids. My daughter helped every step of the way and even took the video.

This recipe makes approximately 4 “play doh” containers worth.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt (fine not coarse)
4 teaspoons Cream of Tarter
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
food coloring

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl – Flour, Salt and Cream of Tarter. Then in a saucepan, add water, oil and food coloring. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the saucepan, mixing as you pour. Cook over low to medium heat until a solid ball forms (3-5 minutes). Remove the play dough from the saucepan and let it cool. Do not undercook because it will be sticky and do not overcook because it will crumble.

Be sure to store the playdoh in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Toddler boy playing with homemade play doh — Toddler playing with homemade playdoh

How to Mold Crayons

Colorful molded crayons in different shapes made from melted crayons, displayed on a table

10/24/201704/28/2026 | canvas22creations

Molded crayons are an easy, fun craft to do with the kids. You can mold crayons into any shape using a tin cupcake or cookie pan. I’ve tried using silicone baking pans, but this method didn’t work very well. The kids can participate every step of the way which makes it an easy craft to do with them. These crayons are wonderful class gifts for Holidays and birthdays.

Items needed:

Crayons (Crayola melts and writes the best)
Tin cookie or cupcake pan

First, take the paper off all the crayons and place the crayons into your pan. Be sure to put enough crayons in the mold so they are not too thin (2-3 crayons in each mold). I use a razor blade to cut the paper which makes it easier to remove, but when the kids help, they enjoy ripping into the paper.