When I was a kid, ok, I’ll admit it, even as an adult, one of the most fun traditions of Easter was doing an egg hunt.  I really really enjoy them.  And they hold a special place in my heart, because when I was a child, it was at a neighborhood Easter egg hunt that I first chose Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior– I also wanted a popsicle, but that is a longer story.  In my own family, we used the eggs we dyed for the egg hunt, and to make sure none were left behind, my dad made a map every year diagramming where those eggs were hidden.  Egg hunts were  a serious business.

With this DIY craft we take the timeless fun of egg hunts and hop into making a play mat for kids of all ages to enjoy, and perfect for indoor fun.  (Spring weather isn’t always conducive to outdoor egg hunts after all.)  There is room for a field, flower garden, pond, vegetable patch, and more, to have an “egg-stra eggs-citing” egg hunt (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun).  Create more hiding spaces than eggs and enjoy the look of delightful surprise every time your child finds an egg.  I loved that my children, regardless of age, were so excited to play with the finished craft and that it sparked their creativity well beyond the egg hunt.  When you are done simply roll it up and you are ready to go.  It is portable– and no need for a map to make sure you got all your eggs.

MATERIALS

• Felt Pieces (9×12 Rectangles; colors of your choosing)
• Pom Poms (For cotton tails on the bunnies.)
• Hot Glue Gun
• Hot Glue Stick Refills
• 1 1/2- 2” wide green ribbon
• Fabric Scissors
• Template (optional)
• 1/2 yard Green Felt Fabric Piece (72” wide)
• Marker (to trace shapes on felt)
• String or ribbon, 18-24” long

STEPS

CREATE

Field Hiding Spots

Take the 1/2 yard of green fabric and fold in half, lining the edges together.  If you need to trim to even out, do so now.  Crease the felt so you know where the fold is.  Unfold and lay out over a pad or surface that you can craft and cut on.  On the bottom of the green felt, away from the fold, plan your “field” hiding egg spots.  To create these use a rotary cutter to either cut or indent hiding flaps.

To create the “flaps”: Leaving the top of a 5cm wide rectangle in tact, cut the length to be 7cm on either side, and bottom also at 5cm.,  This will create a flap to hide the egg under.  Cut as many squares as you’d like.

(Tip: I used a rotary to mark and then scissors to cut my rectangle flaps.  Make sure your fabric is open and not folded while cutting flaps.

CUT IT OUT

Gardens, Ponds, and Patches

Using a brown piece of 9×12 felt, cut a rectangular vegetable patch and then cut 2-4 flaps to hide eggs in the garden and to also “plant” vegetables.

With a piece of blue felt, cut a rounded shape for a pond, and add 1-2 flaps for hiding eggs.

With a brighter green piece of 9×12 felt, create a flower garden.  Add 1-3 flaps for hiding eggs.

Using the remains of the brighter green fabric, use the lily pad template to cut out lily pads for the pond.  (as pictured)

Trees and Carrots

Cut a 5×1-inch brown rectangle for the tree trunk.  (You should have brown left over from the vegetable garden.)

Cut a rounded bright green felt for the leaves.  Add a flap for an additional hiding place.

Using a glue gun, glue the trunk and leaves together.

To create the carrots cut the orange felt in oblong triangles.  Trace and repeat for 6 carrots.  For the stems, cut the stems out of green ribbon.  Glue on the back of each carrot.

Bunnies & Flowers & Eggs

Use the template to cut out a bunny.  Make one for each child.  Glue a pom pom as the tail.  (Tip: pom poms can be cut down to a smaller size– just trim all over to keep it round.)

Use the template to cut out flowers.  Choose a variety of bright spring colors.

Cut out small pink hearts or circles to add to the tree for spring.  (Use red circles for an apple tree in the fall.)

Using beige felt, cut a rectangle and then cut out small horizontal rectangles to create a ladder for the tree and/or a bridge for the pond.

Use a lighter blue to cut out a 1” wide stream.

Using the egg template, cut 6-12 eggs out of felt.  Choose a variety of colors.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Fold your 1/2 yard of green felt in half again, at the crease, and glue the remaining three edges with a hot glue gun.

Determine your play mat lay out, and place the garden, vegetable patch, and pond where you want them. Hot glue the edges down of each of these pieces on top of the larger mat.

You are ready to set up your spring play mat and hide the eggs. Plus, place all the pieces on top of the mat, roll it all up, and tie with a ribbon or string, and easily take it with you.  It is portable!

Make it your Own: Decorate your eggs with ric rac and ribbon, and enjoy spring indoors or outdoors, regardless of April showers.

If you don’t have 1/2 yard of green felt, make several smaller play mats using the 9×12 felt pieces (readily available at craft stores), cut the flaps for hiding, and glue two pieces back to back, even making it reversible.

Make your egg hunt color specific, or create a golden egg to be the ultimate find.

Make it seasonal by adding fish in the pond in the summer, and pumpkins and apples in the fall or fall foliage trees.