Painted Easter Chicks
- Hofcraft Unfinished Papier Mâché Small Eggs (DC280041), 4”x2-1/2”, four
- Plywood sheet, 1/4” thick
- Wooden dowels, 1/4” thick, 5-1/4” lengths, eight
- Raffia, small amount
- DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paints: Calypso Blue, Cocoa, Hauser Light Green, Heritage Brick, Lamp Black, Moon Yellow, Peony Pink, Pistachio Mint, Spa Blue, Warm White
- Loew-Cornell La Corneille Golden Taklon Paintbrushes: Series 7350 Liner #0; Series 7400 Angular Shader 1/2”; American Painter Series 4300 Shader 1/2”; Series 2014 Round Scumbler #8
- DecoArt: Americana Matte Acrylic Sealer/Finisher, Walnut Gel Stain
- Drill with 1/4” bit
- The Original Super Glue Corporation Super Glue
scissors, ruler, fine-grit sandpaper, palette, newspaper (to cover work surface), transfer paper
- 1. All chicks are painted in same manner just using different colors.
- 1. Print out patterns. Cut two feet from plywood for each chick. Drill 1/4” holes in feet where indicated on pattern; do not drill all the way through. Drill holes in bottom of eggs for legs, spacing holes approximately 1/2” apart. For legs, cut 5-1/4” lengths from dowels. Stain feet and legs. Let dry. Sand feet with fine-grit sandpaper to remove some paint from edges.
- 2. Transfer basic pattern lines onto eggs.
- 3. For green chick, basecoat egg (body) Pistachio Mint using shader. Randomly float wavy Hauser Light Green feather lines around body, eyebrows, wings, and on beak. Stipple Warm White over entire egg, allowing green to show through using scumbler. Let dry. Basecoat beak Moon Yellow; shade Cocoa and highlight Warm White. Float Heritage Brick cheeks. Dot eyes Lamp Black using handle end of liner brush; paint lashes, nostrils, and stitch lines around beak and wings using thinned Lamp Black. Let dry. Highlight dot eyes and above cheeks Warm White. Randomly dot body Hauser Light Green using handle end of liner brush. Let dry.
- 4. For yellow chick, paint in same way as green chick. Basecoat body Moon Yellow and float random wavy Cocoa feather lines around body, eyebrows, wings, and on beak. Scumble Warm White. Let dry. Paint beak, cheeks, and eyes in same way as green chick; randomly dot body Cocoa. Let dry.
- 5. For blue chick, paint in same way as green chick. Basecoat body Spa Blue and float random wavy Calypso Blue feather lines around body, eyebrows, wings, and on beak. Scumble Warm White. Paint beak, cheeks, and eyes in same way as green chick; randomly dot body Calypso Blue. Let dry.
- 6. For pink chick, paint in same way as green chick. Basecoat body Peony Pink and float random wavy Heritage Brick feather lines around body, eyebrows, wings, and on beak. Scumble Warm White. Paint beak, cheeks, and eyes in same way as green chick; randomly dot body Heritage Brick. Let dry.
- 7. For head feathers, cut several 4” lengths from raffia; bundle together and knot in center. Repeat same for tail feathers, cutting several 8” lengths. Fold raffia ends up from knots. Adhere tail feather knot to center back of body and head feather knot to top of head. Adhere legs to bottom of body and top of feet. Let dry.
- 8. Apply several coats of sealer. Let dry.
- 1. For ease when painting eggs, insert dowel length in hole on bottom of body. Hold dowel in one hand and paintbrush in other when painting bodies.