Easter Crafts:

You need: yarn; cardboard; scissors; wire (for feet, not shown); wire cutters; needle-nose pliers; orange acrylic paint; small pieces of orange and black felt; small doll clothes and accessories; tacky glue.

Making pom-poms: Cut two circles from cardboard, each slightly larger than desired size of chick body. Cut two small circles slightly larger than the size of chick's head. Cut a pie piece from center out to edge of each circle. Cut a small circle in the center of each circle. Hold two of the same size circles together. Beginning at outside edge, wrap yarn around cardboard from center circle to outside edge until pom-pom is desired thickness. Slipping scissors between circles, cut through yarn at outside edge. Holding yarn pieces on cardboard, slip a longer piece of yarn between cardboard pieces through to center and tie tightly around yarn pieces to secure. Remove cardboard. Trim uneven ends of yarn to make a neat pom-pom. Make one pom-pom for body, leaving several loops uncut for tail, and a smaller pom-pom for head. Glue head onto body. Cut a small beak from orange felt and glue on head. Cut eyes from black felt and glue in place. Glue doll accessories and clothes on chick. Cut a length of wire, twice enough for chick's leg including three toes and one spur. Fold in half and working from folded end, twist three toes and one back spur, then twist remainder together for leg. Bend "foot" at right angle to leg. Make two legs. Paint legs with orange paint and let dry. Glue legs onto chick. —Designed by Susan Hinckley

The project makes a cute toy, but you could also make a bunch of them to place in a vase as a faux-flower bouquet to grace your table.

You need: dowel; acrylic paint in desired pastel colors; paintbrush; card stock; permanent spray adhesive; 2 pieces of coordinating decorative paper; wood dowel; glue; acrylic paint in desired colors; 2" nail; 2 small wood beads; 1/8" hole punch; drill with drill bits; hammer; penny.

Preparing: Paint dowel desired color and let dry. Drill a small pilot hole 1" from top edge of dowel for pinwheel. Using spray adhesive, attach decorative paper to one side of card stock. Attach a contrasting piece of paper to other side of card stock. Enlarge and transfer pinwheel pattern to plain cardboard and cut out to use as a template. Trace two pinwheels onto decorated card stock and cut out. Punch a hole where indicated by dot in center and tip of each spoke. Trace penny on scrap of decorated card stock and cut out. Punch a hole in center of circle.

Assembling: Layer two pinwheels together with same pattern that will be inner pattern facing up. Turn top pinwheel one-quarter turn from bottom piece. Slip pinwheel spokes under previous one so pieces are meshed. Glue pieces together in center circle. Slip one wooden bead onto nail. Bending spokes towards center, slip spokes consecutively onto nail until all are in place. Slip nail through center hole of pinwheel. Slip second bead onto nail. Nail into pilot hole on dowel. —Designed by Susan Hinckley