© Kris Coronado/Kris Coronado Leftover eggs from an Easter egg hunt can become a robot in an afternoon. |
By Kris Coronado, The Washington Post
Wondering what to do with all of those Easter eggs once they have been hunted and emptied of their goody greatness? Make an egg robot, of course. This easy-to-build gizmo will stick around longer than the Easter Bunny. Hop to it, inventors.
Hands-on time: 1 hour
Total time: 3½ hours
Adult’s help: No
SUPPLIES
● Three plastic Easter eggs
● Paper plate
● 8 ounces of metallic silver chalk paint (available in select stores or sites online)
● Sponge paintbrush
● 9-inch (or longer) paper straw (craft stores, online sites)
● Ruler
● Scissors
● Adhesive tack (craft stores, online sites)
● Clear washable glue
● Two 7-millimeter wiggle eyes
● Jewel stickers (craft stores, online sites)
● Permanent black marker
1-STEPS
Step 1: Open all eggs, then stand three egg tops and one bottom on a paper plate. Stir chalk paint with sponge brush, then dab paint on the outside of egg pieces. (Don’t worry if it goes on clumpy at first.) Let set a few minutes, then smooth paint with gentle brushstrokes, applying more as needed. (This gets messy.) Return eggs to standing position on plate, dry 2½ hours.
2-STEPS
Step 2: Wash paint off your hands, then cut and measure straw into two 3-inch and two 1½ -inch pieces with scissors.
3-STEPS
Step 3: Firmly press a penny-size piece of adhesive tack onto the top of two painted oval egg tops. Push one 3-inch straw piece into the center of each, adding more tack around the straw bottom as needed to keep it in place.
4-STEPS
Step 4: Push a quarter-size amount of tack inside the remaining oval egg top, then add another tack layer over it for extra thickness. Gently, but firmly, press the top of the leg straws under the egg into tack. Add extra as needed around straw tops for stability.
5-STEPS
Step 5: Glue two wiggle eyes just to the left and right of the center top of the remaining painted egg piece (the round bottom).
6-STEPS
Step 6: While the eyes dry for 20 minutes, press two dime-size pieces of tack on the top left and right of the egg body. Next, push an inch-and-a-half straw into each.
7-STEPS
Step 7: Place three jewel stickers down the center of the body, then two more on the sides of the head in line with the eyes.
8-STEPS
Step 8: Draw a mouth on the robot face with a black marker.
9-STEPS
Step 9: Press a penny-size amount of putty on the top of the body, then firmly push the bottom of the robot head into place. You’re done!