DIFFICULTY RATING: EASY (BUT MESSY!)
DIY Easter wreaths are everywhere on Pinterest at the moment - especially these crafty ones. They're really fun to make - dipping embroidery thread in a mixture of spray starch and PVA glue before wrapping around blown-up water balloons to make egg 'nests'. Once dry, you pop the balloons and you've got yourself some eggs ready to glue-gun together into a wreath. It's that simple!
ORIGINAL PIN
MY ATTEMPT
- A mini version (for those who are short on time!).
Scroll down for my Top Tips...
Apply some olive oil to your water balloon before wrapping glue-dipped thread to make balloon removal easier once popped.
Mix PVA glue with spray starch, then dip thread into the mixture until fully coated.
Peg balloons to a makeshift washing line to dry.
Once fully dry, pop the balloons!
Lay out your balloons into a wreath shape before glue-gunning together.
This is a really messy craft so make sure to put a protective surface down (I opted for old oilcloth).
TOP TIPS
- This is ideally a two-person craft. Mama B and I held a prosecco crafternoon on Mother's Day, with one dipping the thread and the other wrapping it around the balloons with glue-free fingers (much easier).
- There's lots of tutorials out there - we took inspiration from a couple but ended up adding our own twist e.g. Mama B's idea to add olive oil to the balloons before the thread was applied to make the balloons easier to remove once popped.
- While this is really fun and looks pretty, it's also very delicate and probably won't stand the test of time or store well until next Easter.
- It looks great on windows, mirrors and walls (why not replace a picture frame for a few weeks?).
- Make sure you give yourself a week to gather supplies / order online: embroidery thread (pastel colours are perfect for Easter), spray starch, PVA glue, a glue gun and water balloons.
- For weekend crafters, wrap balloons on a Saturday, allow to dry overnight, then assemble Sunday.
- Wrap lots of thread around each balloon, to ensure you get the egg shape. It needs a strong structure to hold its own within the wreath.
- Cut a number of threads ready to dip in the PVA/spray starch mix, it's not easy doing this with gluey fingers!
- Think about the ribbon or string you want to use to hang it - a big bright yellow bow, some rustic garden string or raffia will look great.
- Once dipped, get your thread onto the balloon as quickly as possible - it dries fast.
- While a mini version is quick and fun, a bigger one with two layers (as featured in the original pin) will help give it stronger structure (depends how much time and thread you have!).
Visit my Easter Pinterest board for more crafty ideas and recipes.
