Easter falls at the end of March this year. And I’ve got a bunch of good ideas for things you can do to get ready for this spring holiday. (Don’t celebrate Easter? Several projects are more Spring-focused than Easter-focused — like growing wheat grass, and a mini carrot-cake for two.)
Here are 15 pretty ways to prepare for Easter. Take a look. Most of these are super simple.
Salt Dough Egg Ornaments
Have you ever made an Easter Tree? It’s an easy tradition to start and it looks so pretty. And it’s not really a tree at all. Instead, you take bare branches (or blossoming branches if Spring has arrived where you live), and put them in a vase or container. Then hang simple salt dough ornaments that bring some color to your home. Here’s the easy DIY.
This is my most famous Easter project and it goes viral on Pinterest every year.
Grow Wheat Grass as Decor
This is easily one of the most satisfying things you can do to bring a little spring-time to your home. It’s inexpensive and super easy too. Plant a thick layer of wheat grass seeds in pretty much any container. Keep the soil wet, and within a couple of weeks you’ll have thick grass that makes a happy accent in your holiday displays. You could even plant your Easter Baskets with wheat grass. Directions here.
Easter Egg Dye For Bright Colors
Do you like your Easter Eggs to be super bright? With really intense colors? Skip the Easter Egg dye kits, and use food dye instead. You’ll find it in the baking aisle at the grocery store. Get the 4-pack of basic colors (red, blue, yellow, green), and the 4-pack of florescent colors, and you’ll be able to make the full spectrum of brightly colored dyes. Find the dye-bath “recipes” here (meaning: how many drops of each dye you’ll need to get the bright colors).
Natural Easter Egg Dye Recipes
Maybe you’d prefer something more natural for your Easter Egg dye? Head to the produce department to find everything you need. Ingredients like onions and cabbage and beets will make magic! Here are instructions for Reds, Oranges & Yellows, Greens, and Blues.
Fool-proof Hard-Boiled Eggs
Before you get started with the dye, here’s a refresher course including five secrets for perfectly hard-boiled eggs.
Confetti-Decoupaged Easter Eggs
One more egg decorating idea. Amp up your dyed eggs by adding a little confetti to the mix. Use a small hole-punch to cut out shapes using scrap paper (origami sheets work too). Then apply the shapes to dyed eggs using a brush and thinned out school glue. It’s a no fail project and they look so good. More details here.
Pretty Painted Egg Cartons
We’ve covered dyeing the eggs, so now let’s make something pretty to put them in. Pull out your craft paints and decorate your paper egg cartons! I like to think of these as an Easter Basket Alternative. Paint an egg carton, add some fake grass in pink or green, and then instead of eggs, fill the carton with Easter treats. Tie it up with a bow and gift it. It’s sure to make someone’s day. Ideas and directions here.
Bunny Pillow Pocket
Here’s another basket alternative. Make a Bunny Pillow with a little pocket where you can keep slip a few chocolates or a small gift. These adorable creatures are small enough that you can hang them from a door knob, or even add them to your Easter Tree. Full instructions here.
DIY Wire Geometric Bunny — Big & Small
To decorate your door or wall, skip the spring wreath and make a modern wire bunny instead. Or you can make them tiny-size to be used as napkin rings. Either way, they’re modern, cool and fun. The full photo tutorial is here.
Little Farmer Easter Basket
If you’d rather skip the sugar-filled basket this year, try this idea: Pick a basket theme based on an interest of your child. For example, you could make a Little Farmer Easter Basket (details here), or a Budding Artist Basket, or a Mini-Chef Basket. The possibilities are endless.
10 Great Easter Picture Books
That reminds me, a book is a great no-sugar addition to an Easter Basket. And books are so affordable too! Here are a whole bunch of gorgeous picture books you’ll love. Or you could choose one of these ten book picks that are perfect for spring and Easter.
Felted Spring Chicks
Have you ever tried a “felted” project? This is a perfect one to start with. It’s small and satisfying, and the little chicks you create are basically the cutest thing ever. Perch them around the house like little spring wishes, make them into place cards for your Easter feast, or add them to an Easter Basket. Find the full DIY here.
DIY Linen Napkins with Mitered Corners
Are you planning an Easter Feast? How about sewing some gorgeous linen napkins to add to your table. This project can feel intimidating, but wait till you see how it’s all spelled out in the photos. You can totally do this.
Mini Carrot Cake Recipe
Don’t forget dessert! A carrot cake feels appropriate, right? I love how tiny it is.
Adorable Easter Baskets
Last but not least, need help finding a good Easter Basket? Here’s a roundup of 10 of them.
P.S. — Do you ever wish the holidays had a regular schedule?
Thanks for all the cute ideas! Adjusting our Easter celebration is totally fine with me because then I can use Easter to just focus on the Savior.
Have to put in a plug for my all-time favorite Easter book, from my childhood and now, The Country Bunny. A beautiful story of a mommy bunny’s amazing skills and talents being recognized through her mothering abilities… and then her getting the opportunity to be an Easter bunny with a enormous challenge. I adored this book as a child and still do!
I dye eggs with my kids using regular food dye but I do NOT hard boil them! None of us likes to eat that many hard boiled eggs so we just dye raw eggs (I’ve been doing this with them since they were about 3 and we haven’t had a broken egg over 5 years) then put them back in the fridge. It’s fun baking with colourful eggs!
How about making cards/pictures or care packages for people in your neighborhood, extended family members, or elderly people in your church congregation? It’s definitely something that can be done by all different age and skill levels. And right now, a little outreach to show connection and care is so lovely!
Someone in my neighborhood has anonymously been leaving pretty ribbon-tied flower poseys on doorsteps. It’s really touched the several people who have mentioned it!
A lovely idea! I have several elderly neighbors who are stuck in their homes…alone. I think they would enjoy a pretty handmade Easter card almost as much as I will enjoying making them! Thank you for sharing a perfectly wonderful idea!
Thank you for sharing your creative ideas! I always make an Easter “decoration” for each of my grandchildren to display in their bedrooms. Out of ideas, short on supplies and stuck at home, I was sad they would not be receiving their much anticipated Easter surprise. As soon as I saw your brightly colored salt dough easter eggs, my spirits were buoyed. I will make 7 medium size easter eggs and paint and personalize each one. I have the ingredients, at least 30 colors of craft paint, sealer and dozens of rolls of ribbon. I’ll wrap each one and leave them on my front porch bench for their parents to pick up and take home to each one of my little sweethearts! Thank you! Happy Easter!