A Very Special Kind of Surprise Egg

Hello dear everyone,

Easter is coming soon, and I wanted to sew balloon covers for the grandchildren. You can take the cover and a balloon anywhere, or even give them as a gift to young parents. Just put the balloon in, blow it up, and you’ve got a light but sturdy ball that’s really fun to play with. I was impressed and would have loved to play with it myself right away.

Patterns and instructions are available for free online. So I sewed one of these from cotton fabric scraps:







Then I had the idea of sewing a ball like that for my grandson out of the fabric scraps I’d already used to sew things for him. That way he can recognize the motifs and enjoy them. BUT they’re all jersey fabrics, and jersey is stretchy.

When I had blown up the balloon at the end, the surprise appeared: a surprise egg. Well, of course you can play with that too, but it’s really more of an Easter decoration than a ball.

Afterward it was clear to me why it could only look like that. You live and learn. Now I still have to sew a round ball, otherwise there’ll be arguments.

Best regards, Ina

Wow, Ina, your surprise eggs look great! So colorful, and your grandson will definitely be thrilled with such a special balloon that matches his T-shirts perfectly.

You really come up with some great ideas—I’m just amazed.

Dear Ina,

I also sewed those balloon covers a few years ago for a Facebook friend who’s a kindergarten teacher. The kids were really happy about them back then.

I think your “Easter eggs” are great—they’re just as much fun to play with as balls.

Warm regards

Danie

That’s great, Monika, that you like the ball covers. That would be something for your grandchildren, too. You could put them in an envelope—even a very small one—and send them as a surprise. Of course, you’d have to include a balloon, too. Greetings from Grandma :-))

Dear Danie, I can definitely imagine that the daycare kids would love to play with balls like these. We’re all familiar with balloons themselves, and they do tend to pop quickly. But wrapped up so colorfully and protected like this, they look much nicer. If, for example, you wanted to do something nice for your daycare center on Children’s Day, an anniversary, or a child’s birthday, you could give them a package like this with balloon covers. Oh, my to-do list just got longer again.

Best regards, Ina

Yeah, Ina, that’s a great idea—I just need to have some fabric scraps first. :))

But that’ll come soon; I’m about to start, and I already have the fabrics lying around. You’ve really motivated me!

Great, Monika. Just don’t let me rush you. Here on the internet, no idea ever gets lost :-)

Love, Ina

Dear Ina,
your covers look great. My daughter sewed some just like these 10 years ago for her son. Since the balloon is inside the cover, nothing can go wrong even if it happens to pop.
And I, as an old-school knitter, got right to work and knitted some covers. I still knit lots of them today as little gifts for young children.
My grandchildren (ages 7, 9, and 11) absolutely love using them as water balls in the summer. The knitted ones are perfect for that.

Best wishes, Ingrid