A re-make of the old ball-in-a-cup game.

This is the Spring craft project I made for the twins to give their little preschool friends.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Egg cartons
• Paint: 2 colors
• Knitting needles: Size 5 and size 3.5
• Knitting yarn: 2 colors
• Yellow felt
• Orange thread
• Hot glue
• Wiggly eyes
• Stuffing

HOW TO MAKE:

Cut out the cups from the egg cartons.

You want these to be as large/wide as you can so although most people would cut them down to avoid the holes, use the remainder of the egg carton to cut out pieces and glue them into the gaps, then paint.  Note:  I did not do this step first as you will see from the photograph.  Initially I had a slightly different idea of how I wanted these to look, but changed my mind after making up a few prototypes.

Paint your egg cups.  I used a teal paint on the outside and a shiny champagne on the inside.

Knit your surround for the top of the cup:  Cast on 28 stitches.  Knit 5 rows garter stitch (knit).  Cast off.  Stitch the ends together and slip it over the egg cup (from the bottom).  Attach with hot glue.

Next, make your bird: Cast on 7 stitches.  Knit 27 rows garter stitch (knit). Cast off.  Stitch the cast on / cast off edges together.  Using a large sewing needle (for wool) gather the stitches around one edge and pull tight.  Sew a couple of stitches so it doesn't come loose.  Turn inside out.  Fill with stuffing (not too much), then using the sewing needle gather stitches around the opening and pull tight.  Leave a long end. You have a little ball.  Now add on your wiggly eyes, cut a small beak from yellow felt and hand-stitch it on with orange thread. 

Using the long yarn end and the sewing needle run the yarn back through the center of the bird to the tip of the head, form a few loops (loose stitches), but make sure each one is secure.  Run the yarn back down through the center to the bottom.

Keeping the yarn threaded into the sewing needle pierce a hole in the base of the egg cup (nest) and pull the yarn through.  Remove the needle and knot the end of the yarn.  To ensure it stays in place put a little hot glue over it.

Viola.  You are done.  All that's left to do is to watch your little ones trying to get their birdie back in its nest.