These Easter Surprise Eggs make the cutest DIY gifts! Ours are stuffed with Easter chocolates and novelties, but you can also stuff them with recycled newspaper to make paper decorations.
Use our printable template set to create arty designs so every surprise egg is unique.
Q: What’s better than a yummy chocolate egg at Easter time?
A: Hand-decorated paper surprise eggs!
These DIY paper egg packages are fun to make and even more fun to open. Each egg is special because there’s only one of them and they’re not just full of treats— they’re packed with love too.
Because we all know homemade gifts have that little something extra you can’t buy in a store.
In each egg, I put a handful of Easter chocolates and 1-2 “surprise” items. A cute pen just fits. So does a pair of crazy socks. You could also add Easter squishies or small fidget toys, kids’ jewellery, lip gloss, stationary items, matchbox cars or hair accessories.
OR you could stuff them with newspaper and make decorative paper-stuffed eggs instead.
Who wouldn’t want to be gifted one of these this year? I know I’d love one.
I’ve used brown Kraft wrapping paper and regular drawing paper to make the examples. You could switch this out for any paper large enough as long as it’s also strong enough not to tear when wet with paint (eg butchers paper might tear). The reverse side of recycled brown grocery bags works too. If you can’t be bothered with the painting step, you could even make them from scrapbook paper.
This craft has 2 stages; the painting and the stuffing. You’ll need to account for drying time in between. I love that this activity invites kids to use their creative licence.
It’s suitable for anyone aged 7+, but younger kids could do this with adult help. It’s very easy.
Let’s get started …
How to make Easter Surprise Eggs
You will need:
- Kraft wrapping paper or large sheets of art paper (A3 or similar)
- Acrylic paint
- Sponge rollers – it works well to have more than one width
- A kitchen sponge cut into stamping shapes supplied in the template
- Q tips/cotton buds
- Painter’s tape
- Scissors
- Stapler
- Paper clips
- Card stock – Paper will also work but card stock is easier to trace around and also less likely to slip or tear when it’s soaked in paint
- Small Easter novelties / mini chocolate eggs – or use newspaper for paper-stuffed egg decorations
- The Easter Surprise Egg template, available from our printables store and TPT store
How to:
Print the masking shapes out as per the instructions in the template.
Fold the egg shapes and cut along the dotted lines to create masking shapes. Cut around the outer rectangle and sticky tape the 2 masks together along one verticle edge.
Take a piece of kraft wrapping paper or art paper large enough to fit two matching egg shapes on. Fold it in half horizontally. If the paper curls, stick it to the table with painter’s tape, shiny side up.
Place the masking shapes over the paper so the joined edge is directly over the fold in base paper. Hold in place with 2 paper clips.
Decorate the eggs. Trace the shapes supplied onto a sponge and cut them out to create sponge stamps. Also use sponge rollers, brushes and q-tips to add to your patterns.
Remove the mask to reveal your egg pattern. Allow to dry before removing the masking tape that holds the paper to the table.
Once dry, fold your painted eggs along the fold line you made earlier. They should line up so one is directly on top of the other in reverse. Use your outer egg template to trace a blank border around the edge of one patterned egg in lead pencil.
Cut it out to get two matching patterned eggs.
Staple the eggs together, leaving a gap at the top to stuff them.
Pack the baubles with treats, Easter novelties or newspaper.
Staple the gap shut.
Happy Easter to all our readers and their families!
More Easter crafts for kids
- Make pattern art egg that twirls and whirls in the breeze
- Here’s a set of paper pastel bunny baskets
- These washcloth bunnies are another cute DIY Easter gift kids can make
