Is there any springtime family activity that’s more fun than decorating Easter eggs? Probably not — but you can expand upon the typical vinegar, water and food-coloring treatment to keep the kids entertained and your table stylish. Martha Stewart offers no less than 64 ideas to shake up your egg-decorating game. You can use chalk paints to make polka-dot eggs, for example, or decoupage them in gingham; you might even make them shine with an application of copper or gold foil. Whatever you choose, the project will help get the weekend off to a fun and crafty start.
Tag: Easter
Decorate for Easter With a Little DIY
Thrift, dollar and party-supply stores can all help you get your home in shape for a festive Easter brunch. But when you want to re-create a designer look on the cheap, there is often no substitute for DIY, says 3 Little Greenwoods blogger Ashley Greenwood. After seeing Pottery Barn market a moss-covered basket filled with glittery eggs as an expensive Easter accessory, she reproduced the look at home with a trip to the thrift store and some quick handiwork with a hot glue gun. And since many thrift stores are supplied by donations to ClothingDonations.org, you can get creative while contributing to a good cause.
Thrift Your Way to an Elegant Table
Decorate for an Easter brunch on the cheap by shopping at your local thrift and secondhand stores, many of which are supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org. For inspiration, check out the holiday table Redhead Can Decorate blogger Julie Fiato was able to stage with a few fortunate thrift-store finds such as rose china, champagne flutes and pink plastic eggs. Donation pickups keep thrifts supplied with new items constantly, and when you buy and repurpose lightly used goods, the proceeds help fund veterans’ programs nationwide.
Easter Brunch on a Budget
Taking the family out for an Easter brunch can get costly, with restaurants competing to offer the most lavish seafood towers, made-to-order omelets and carvery plates. It’s simple to stage a family feast on a budget, however, if you shop wisely. Watch for deals on mainstays like ham and leg of lamb; crowd-pleasing sides such as deviled eggs, asparagus and scalloped potatoes are in-season and inexpensive to prepare. Check out sites such as the Food Network for seasonal ideas, and you’ll be able to create a spring banquet for a fraction of what you’d spend at the local buffet.
Menu Plans for a Perfect Easter
A complete Easter feast often means more than just a spiral ham and scalloped potatoes. Cooking Light offers 11 complete meal plans depending on whether you’re in the mood for brunch bites, want to host a hearty traditional dinner, are grilling for a garden party or visiting with an all-vegetarian crew. Follow a single menu or mix and match delicacies such as deviled eggs, asparagus and leg of lamb; guests will leave satisfied even before they break into their Easter baskets.