Egg-Cellent Easter Egg Tulips

• 3 Eggs per pot: We used styrofoam eggs since they're very durable. You can also use blown eggs or plastic eggs.
• Craft Paints - white and your choice of color (or Easter egg dye if using blown eggs)
• Green pipe cleaners
• Green fun foam or construction paper
• Clean soup can
• Spray paint, fabric scraps, ribbon or decorative paper for can
• 2 Cups dried beans -- OR modeling clay or floral foam
• Green raffia, Easter grass or paper shreds
• Tools: Scissors, Toothpicks, Paintbrushes or Sponge, Craft Glue or Hot Glue

Step 1 -- Paint or Dye Eggs: We used styrofoam eggs and painted them to resemble tulip petals. To paint this finish, insert a toothpick into the bottom of the egg, swirl (don't mix completely) white paint with your chosen color and use a brush or a sponge to apply, starting at the bottom, pull color up to the top. Repeat until you have a slightly striated petal texture.

Step 2 -- Affix Pipe Cleaners: To make a sturdy, realistic stem, twist two pipe cleaners together, then spiral the top around a pen or pencil to create a circle to attach the egg. Glue the large end of each egg to its stem. From the green fun foam or construction paper, cut 1-2 long, thin tulip leaves per stem and attach.

Step 3 -- Decorate your "Pot": Decorate the soup can with spray paint, fabric, ribbon and/or paper embellishments. We spray painted the can white and glued a strip of fabric and ric-rack around the middle.

Step 4 -- Plant your Tulips: Arrange the tulips at varying heights and twist the stem bottoms together to anchor them in the pot. Hold stems upright in can while you fill the can with beans. (**If you have babies or toddlers, anchor stems with modeling clay or floral foam instead of beans since the beans can be a choking hazard if spilled.) Top with raffia, Easter grass or paper shreds.

Step 5 -- Enjoy!: Create several for a tailored centerpiece or mantle decoration, or use alone to accent tabletops or shelves.