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NEOHOME BACKYARD- With Easter right around the corner I can imagine that most
of you Neopians out there are busy decorating your Neohome with fresh spring
flowers and little plastic trinkets fit for the season. For many of you, buried
beneath that cheery expression on your face is probably a fear that you won't
be able to afford any Easter neggs this year. Just in case you are one of those
folks I have come up with this guide full of alternative options for making
your very own, unique, Easter negg.
Make Your Own
Let's start with your first option. If you're pocket book is too thin for you
to purchase honest to goodness neggs go for something a little cheaper.
Substitute the real thing for your own unique creation. You aren't following?
Well, let me explain.
What's the closest thing to a negg? An egg! Needless to say, eggs are cheaper
than neggs by thousands of Neopoints, so their purchase will leave your wallet
feeling much happier. "Well," you say? "a negg is not an egg." While
that is quite true, you can easily turn you egg into something just as pretty
as a negg. Being the kind owner that you are, I'm sure you've bought your Neopet
a set of paints at some time or other. In order to make your own negg, simply
pull out that old kit and drown the egg in paint! So to speak… most people probably
want to be a bit more creative when painting their eggs.
Egg painting is a simple craft. Just grab a paint brush; any size will work-smaller
for more intricate designs and larger for a tie-dye effect, and slap some paint
on the egg. Personally, I like to use medium sized eggs and paint a geometrical
design around the exterior, but different people like different things and when
creating your very own negg look-alike it's all up to you.
Once you've painted your egg and are pleased with its appearance, be sure to
leave it out to dry for at least a good twenty-four hours. This will insure
that your pet won't get paint on their paws when they go to hold their Easter
"negg".
Paper Mache Neggs
On the other hand, if you're looking for a long lasting Easter negg, one that
you will be able to keep for multiple years, I suggest making one out of paper
Mache. A relatively simple tactic, this will be a fun and leave you with a beautiful
finished product.
The first thing you need to do is find some kind of small circular item. A
bouncy ball or a ball of yarn should do nicely. From there you need to cut strips
of paper (perhaps old issues of The Neopian Times) and smother them in
a mixture of glue and a bit of water. I suggest that you keep a tray of this
concoction and dunk your paper strips in as needed.
To begin making your negg, wrap a strip of paper around your selected item.
Make sure to smooth out any wrinkles or lumps of glue that may form. (Unless
that's the effect you're looking for, of course.) Continue to add more coats
of paper on top until the figure is the desirable size and shape. Keep in mind,
your negg doesn't have to be elliptical, it can be circular or any other shape
you decide to make it. However, if you are trying to make it an oval like a
negg, it will require a bit more haggling with the paper Mache. To avoid trying
to fold the paper to get the shape, I suggest starting with an oval object.
It makes things much easier in the long run.
The good thing about paper Mache neggs is that they're relatively easy to make,
not terribly time consuming, and they last for years. The bad thing is that
you can't eat them. But after all that work to create the perfect negg would
you really want to eat it?
Cut-Outs Are Just As Good
If painting an egg or making one out of paper Mache is too difficult for you,
try making one out of paper. Even a one dimensional cut-out of a negg can serve
as an excellent replacement. Anything to bring a little Easter cheer is sure
to brighten up your Neohome.
Cut-out neggs are also relatively simple to make. All you need is a variety
of construction paper, a pair of scissors, and some glue. A little imagination
wouldn't hurt either. Then all you have to do is snip, snip, snip, paste, paste,
paste, and there you go: one genuine cut-out of an Easter negg. Yes, it's really
that simple.
If you're lacking a dose of inspiration take a little stroll on over to the
Neggery. The Negg Faerie is always trading neggs with people, so you're bound
to get a glimpse of at least one thing or other that will inspire you. And in
any case, it's always nice to drool over what you can't afford.
The actual process of putting a cut-out negg together is a breeze. Use one
larger, negg shaped piece as a background. This can be whatever color you like.
Then cut out the design you wish to use and glue it on accordingly. The result
will be a wonderful, one of a kind, Easter negg. (But I wouldn't recommend eating
one of these either.)
Leave A Note for the Easter Cybunny
If worst comes to worst and your Neopet just can't live without an Easter negg
(although I highly doubt that) try leaving a note for the Easter Cybunny. The
Easter Cybunny is a kind and extremely understanding creature. If he sees that
your Neopet wants one bad enough I'm sure he'll try to work something out. After
all, he is the Easter Cybunny. But I'll warn you, don't go begging him for an
Easter Negg. Just leave him a small sweet note that says something like this:
"Dear Easter Cybunny,
I hope your Easter is going well. Ours is great, but we're rather tight on
Neopoints and enter your pet's name here was really hoping for an Easter
negg, but I just can't seem to swing it this year. If you can find one to spare
somewhere in that big basket of treats you have I'd be eternally grateful.
Much love this Easter season,
Your username"
I think the Easter Cybunny will understand and try to help you if you are considerate
and ask politely.
Enjoy Easter
Please take this little tip from me: Neggs aren't what make Easter. It's the
spirit of it all. It's the excitement of waiting for the Easter Cybunny and
finding a basket full of candies and chocolate goodies Easter morn.
Remember that not everything is about Neopoints. So what if you can't afford
an Easter negg? You know what? They're not really all that good anyway. The
time that you spend with your pet as you make these negg look-alikes is far
more special than watching them scarf down a real one. So take the time to enjoy
the companionship of your Neopet and whether or not you have neggs or negg look-alikes
this year, have a great Easter!
Author's Note: Happy Easter everyone!! I hope you all have fantastic holidays!
I'd love to hear what you thought of my article, so feel free to send a Neomail
my way J
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