Follow these instructions and make a tiny Easter tree to decorate.

• Age Guideline: 6 Years and Up
• Time Required: 45 minutes (Does not include drying time)

The above age and time guidelines are estimates. This project can be modified to suit other ages and may take more or less time depending on your circumstances.

 

Materials Needed:

• Clay Pot
• Plaster of Paris
• Stick
• Paint
• Miscellaneous Craft Supplies

• Paint Brush

Instructions:
The size of the pot you make and the amount of Plaster of Paris you use will depend on how big of an Easter tree you want to make. The first thing you should do is hunt for a nice stick. You want to find a stick with many small yet fairly sturdy branches. Find your stick on the ground don't pull it off a tree!

The next step is to decorate your pot. There are no rules here! You can paint the pot white and use felt to make bunny ears, nose, mouth etc. and glue them on the pot; you can even add large wiggle eyes! Another idea would be to paint Easter egg shapes on the pot, or make some out of felt and glue them on; or paint designs on the clay pot using pastel colors. You are limited only by your imagination! What kind of Easter design can you think of?

Once your pot is decorated, you can plant your stick! Mix up the Plaster of Paris and fill the pot about 1-inch from the top. Place the stick in the center of the pot pushing it down through the Plaster of Paris. Here is the trickiest part - Make sure the stick stays straight while the plaster dries!

While you are waiting for the plaster to dry, you can make little tree decorations. You can make little bunnies and chicks out of pom-poms. Buy tiny styrofoam eggs or plastic eggs and decorate them! Cut Easter egg shapes out of craft foam and decorate them with glitter. You just want to make sure the ornaments are very lightweight. Attach thread or fishing line to your home-made ornaments for hanging.

Once the plaster is dry you can decorate your Easter tree! Use your home-made ornaments or you can purchase small ones. You can also use Easter grass, Spanish moss, or even a piece of green felt to cover the plaster.

The Easter tree pictured here was made a little differently by Brigitte Hoffmann. She decorated her tree with painted eggs.