These eggs will be a hit at your next Dragon party.
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I love a theme party, I really do. Creating a magic space for a few hours brings me joy. My son loves the Dragon Masters books by Tracey West, so this year we decided the theme for his birthday party this year was DRAGONS! You can read all about the party plans here. So. Much. Fun. Plus it gave me the perfect excuse to make these DIY dragon eggs.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, I like birthday themes that aren’t available at party stores. It’s a great chance to stretch your creative chops with very little stress. Kids are easily wowed, so a little effort – some paint and a handful of balloons – goes a long way.
For kids parties, I think party favours (aka loot bags) are a great way to take a little memory of the party home. I do my best to make sure they aren’t filled with junk that will end up in the landfill within days or even minutes of walking in the door. Everything needs to be consumable, re-useable, or recyclable. I thought dragon eggs filled with treats was a fantastic idea. Not only did the eggs serve as a re-usable “bag” for the party favours, we made a game out of them as well. Towards the end of the party while the kids were busy eating snacks, the adults hid the eggs in the forest. The last game of the party was a great dragon egg hunt. (Hot tip! Label the eggs with each of the children’s names so the faster kids don’t find them all and want to keep their bounty).
How to make DIY Dragon Eggs
I watched a few YouTube videos (this one is really helpful) and decided I was up for the challenge. I have to say, the process was so easy, fun, and rewarding, I think they might be one of my all-time favourite DIY crafts.
Here are the supplies you will need:
- Sand paper – any fine to medium grit will do
- Jumbo easter eggs (regular size, or wooden eggs, will work as well)
- Glue gun and lots of glue sticks (assume 2 to 3 sticks per egg, depending on the design)
- Acrylic craft paint and brushes
- Paper towels
- Sealant (optional)
I was lucky with my timing, and was able to source big 6″ plastic eggs on sale at Michaels just after easter. They are available on Amazon or from party supply stores in packs of twelve if you are out of season.
Step 1 – Raised Design
Begin by giving your plastic eggs a bit of a scuff with sandpaper. This will help the glue and paint stick to the plastic. Admittedly, I skipped this step, and saw some chipping once the kids started playing with their eggs. I really wish I’d taken the time to sand.
Next, use your glue gun to create a design of your choice on the eggs. I used hot glue, so please let me know in the comments if cold glue works for you. My personal favourite was a large leathery texture made from lots of clustered dots of various shapes and sizes. Diamond scales, rounded scallop scales, dots, squiggles, swirls, cross-hatching, even blobs all make great designs.
Step 2 – Paint
After some trial and error, I discovered that layered paint creates the best effect. I used craft acrylic paint, some from the dollar store and some from Michaels. Start with the darkest colour as your base. It may take a couple of coats to hide the original egg colour. Then, using a wadded up paper towel, dab on lighter shades to created a mottled look. I tried tone-on-tone and contrasting looks, and really liked both. Allow the layers of paint to dry between coats or you may end up with chipped paint. Finally, using either a wadded up paper towel or a paint brush, add metallic accents for some shine as the final layer.
Step 3 – Protect
This last step is completely optional. Since we were going to be hiding them outside in the forest, I thought it would be best to give these DIY eggs a quick couple of coats of sealant. There are lots of eco-friendly options for non-toxic varnishes, waxes and shellac (not vegan), so I would ask at your local hardware or craft store. Better yet, check at your nearest Re-Store or recycling depot to see if they have any cans of leftover sealant. Make sure you work in a well-ventilated area, and allow a good amount of time between coats.
Step 4 – Fill
Depending on the size of your egg, there are so many fun things you can put in them. We added dragon stickers (I ordered these stickers by Rebecca Golins), a mini MadeGood birthday cake flavour bar, and a (gluten free) dragon sugar cookie. You could also add packages of dragon gummies, make dragon chocolates, or a small dragon figurine.
Voila! I hope you enjoy making these easy and fun DIY Dragon Eggs as we did. If you like these eggs, make sure to check out the rest of the details from our Dragon Masters Party.
