Happy Easter!

Courtesy of Sassy Cats

Happy Easter Friends!

May the simple joys fill your day, hope light your path, the many blessings of Easter stay forever in your heart, and the Origin of The Easter Bunny make your day.

Origin of The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny is a symbol that originated with the pagan festival of Easter. The goddess, Easter, was worshiped by the Anglo-Saxons
through her earthly symbol,
the hare or rabbit.

The date of Easter is determined by the moon whose symbolism is strongly tied to that of the hare. In fact, the hare is the symbol for the moon. Ever since the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., Easter has been celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21st.

The Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve. The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs.

The children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the
garden. Boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests . The use of elaborate Easter baskets came later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread through out the country.

Happy Easter from your friends at Interior Design!

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Live well,
Yvonne

Heirloom Easter Egg Topiary

Courtesy of Melissa Caughey

Happy Easter Friends,

Topiaries date back to around 40 BC when the Romans first began to garden. Topiaries are beautiful, versatile and are often the focal point of gardens. It's no wonder why they have been around for so long and endured in popularity. I have topiaries in my gardens and I love when I can enjoy them indoors. I also love putting fun and unique twists on them during the holidays.

Keeping backyard chickens provides me with a constant supply of eggs. I love incorporating chicken eggs into crafts. I'm also lucky to have friends willing to trade colored eggs with me. Their heirloom chickens naturally lay eggs that are chocolate brown and blue in color. Some eggs are even speckled. The best part about working with these eggs is that they don't require any coloring! For this egg topiary, I combined some Copper Maran and Easter Egger eggs with other chickens' eggs in various hues. If you don't keep chickens or know anyone with chickens and would like to purchase some heirloom eggs, check out your local farmers' market or supermarket. Some are beginning to carry these eggs based on the community's demand.

The eggs on this topiary were blown out, meaning a small hole was pierced in the top and the bottom of each egg and its contents were removed. There are many techniques and videos showing the process online.

Supply List:

• Assorted blown-out eggs
• Styrofoam cone
• Birch tree slice (check in the wood-burning section of the craft store)
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Moss
• Two mini-grapevine wreaths
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Two floral pins
• Small chalkboard sign
• Chalk pen

Now take a peek at the photo gallery below for the entire tutorial and instructions in the captions.

Tabletop Topiary How-To...

Easter Egg Topiary

Add a topiary with natural elements to this year's spring tablescape.

Gather Your Supplies

Fresh eggs from heirloom chickens make this topiary pop! You will also need: assorted moss / a styrofoam cone / a slice of birch tree (look in the wood burning section of the craft store) / hot glue gun & glue / ribbon / scissors / 2 floral pins (optional) / 2 mini-grapevine wreaths / a small chalkboard sign /and a chalk paint pen.

Prepare Your Eggs

Blow out the eggs. Techniques can be found online. I used a Dremel rotary tool with a small drill bit. Once the contents of the eggs are blown from the shells, soak them in a bowl of soapy water and rinse them clean. Set them aside to dry prior to use.

Create the Base

Hot glue the styrofoam cone to the center of the birch tree base.

Cover with Moss

Starting at the bottom, hot glue moss onto the styrofoam cone.

A Blank Canvas

The entire styrofoam form should be covered with moss to create a blank canvas for your egg topiary.

Add the Eggs

Randomly place and hot glue the eggs onto the topiary.

Cover Up

Strategically add moss to camouflage the holes in the eggs. Glue it in place.

Unfurl the Wreath

Next, carefully unfurl the mini-grapevine wreath like so.

Twisted with Grapevines

Starting at the base of the topiary, gently wrap the unfurled grapevine wreath around the topiary. Repeat the process with the second wreath.

Embellish with Ribbon

Next, starting at the base, glue or pin your ribbon into place. Then wrap and twist the ribbon around the topiary. Pin or glue it to the top.

Add a Message

With the chalk paint pen, add a spring time message to your sign and stick it into the top of the topiary.

Top it Off

Insert a chalkboard message sign into the top of the topiary.

Have fun crafting this garden and backyard chicken inspired topiary for your spring table...

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Live well,
Yvonne

Outdoor Easter Decorating Tips

Courtesy of Felder Rushing
Image courtesy of Felder Rushing

Happy Easter Friends,

It has been said that human life, and our mortal fall, happened in a garden. But for over two thousand years, Christians worldwide have celebrated Easter as a rebirth - and how appropriate it is for all of us to celebrate this season as a reawakening of our own garden!

Throughout all parts of the country, by the end of March and early April most seasoned gardeners have spring bulbs, flowering shrubs and wildflowers to kick-start the unfurling of spring. Some have already had azaleas come into full bloom, while others are just seeing blankets of crocus, early daffodils, snowdrops and hellebores peeping through what is hopefully the last snow of the season.

But any garden, even a normally-manicured suburban one, can be quickly transformed into a temporary celebration of Easter and the coming of spring.

First off, there is no rule saying this sort of garden has to be outdoors. No matter the weather, you can easily fill a lined wicker basket with a small pot or two of flowering bulbs from a garden center, florist or supermarket flower center, and adorn it with ribbons and small Easter or spring-themed accessories for a really cheerful display. Some accessories can be used to create even a religious theme.

By the way, in many areas of the country, potted Easter lilies, which are grown in specially-lighted greenhouses to get them to bloom on time, can be set out in the garden later. With deep, well-drained soil and plenty of mulch, they often become reliable garden perennials, though in subsequent years they naturally flower later in the spring.

Take It Outside

Even very small cottage gardens will have spots to hide a few painted Easter eggs for children to find; if you have no children at home, why not invite those of neighbors or friends? Just make sure you let them know how many there are to find, and hide them in plain sight so the youngsters don’t trample all your other flowers in their excitement. While you are at it, include a foil-wrapped chocolate bunny or two as well, and tuck in a little of that fake grass that is so ubiquitous in store-bought Easter baskets.

Fill some of the plastic eggs with candy, but try to also include a few with garden seeds inside, so the young gardeners will be encouraged to plant something of their own.

One of the most common yet unusual Easter garden accessories, which I have seen from coast to coast in every kind of neighborhood, is the Easter egg shrub or tree. Reminiscent of Christmas or Halloween garden adornments, they are seen as a bit tacky by some folks, but to me are pure joie de vivre - an exultation of seasonal spirit!

An Easter garden can be planned well ahead of time, with fall-planted bulbs and cold-hardy annuals that flower soon after the spring equinox, and accessorized for Easter. Or it can be thrown together at the last minute for a garden party or as a place to thrill children with an Easter egg hunt.

Don't leave the chocolate bunny out in the sun for too long…

Follow the advice of a longtime gardener for easy Easter decor in your garden.

Happy Easter Egg Hunting...

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Live well,
Yvonne

11 Fun New Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs

Courtesy of HGTV
Photography by Marko Metzinger

Happy Easter Friends,

HGTV Magazine asked some of their favorite experts to dress up a plain ceramic Easter egg. See what they came up with. The HGTV Star Easter Egg Challenge begins; no dyeing allowed! Seen on the featured eggs here: Water Slide Temporary Tattoo Paper, $20 for 5 sheets, decalpaper.com.

How Each Egg Started

The HGTV stars all used these ceramic eggs. Eggnots, $16 for a set of 12, eggnots.com.

Piñata by Chip Wade

Use a glue stick to attach a small crepe paper circle to the bottom of the egg. Cut different colors of crepe paper into 7" x 3/4" strips, then fringe one long side of each strip. Starting at the bottom, glue the strips around the egg, overlapping them until the whole egg is covered. Trim excess paper. Crepe paper: 81' crepe streamers in kiwi green, buttercup yellow, hot pink, and orange, $1 each, partycity.com.

Color Block by Jonathan Scott

Use electrical tape to section the egg in half vertically. Paint one half, then remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Once the paint is dry, reapply the tape, adding a horizontal piece. Paint the top quarter section of the egg, then peel off the tape. Repeat for the egg’s bottom quarter. Paint: Martha Stewart Crafts multi-surface satin crafts paints in summer haze, poodle skirt, and jonquil, $2 for 2 ounces, Michaels stores.

Marker Drawing by Emily Henderson

Use a black marker to draw graphic doodles all over your egg.

Confetti by Jillian Harris

Use a small hole punch to make confetti from colored paper (bright Post-it Notes work well). Cover the egg with crafts glue using a foam brush. Sprinkle on confetti to cover it. Hole punch: 1/8" circle hole punch, $8, paper-source.com.

Ombré Glitter by Meg Caswell

Use a foam brush to apply crafts glue to the top third of the egg. Spoon gold glitter over the glue. Once it’s dry, apply glue and a mix of gold and pink glitter to the middle third. Let dry, then apply glue and pink glitter to the bottom third. Glitter: Martha Stewart fine glitter in yellow gold and tourmaline, $5 for 1 1/2 ounces, dickblick.com.

Daises by Hilary Farr

Snip daisy trim (you’ll need about half a yard) into individual flowers. Use a glue stick to attach the daisies to the egg. Trim: White and yellow 7/8" daisy trim, $6 per yard, mjtrim.com.

Gold Leaf by David Bromstad

Use a crafts knife and a straight edge to trim a long piece of electrical tape to 3/8" wide. Wrap the tape around the egg a few times, then apply gold leaf following the instructions on the packaging. Remove the tape. Gold leaf: Speedball Composition gold leaf kit, $11, dickblick.com.

Bunny by Drew Scott

Cut ears out of white and pink felt, and glue the pink felt to the white. Attach the back of the ears to the sticky side of white sticker paper and cut them out, leaving tabs at the bottom. Bend back the tabs, then stick the ears to the egg so they stand up. Glue on thin white ribbon for a headband. Make eyes with beads and a nose with washi tape, and draw the mouth with a fine-tip marker.

Polka-Dot Fabric by Sabrina Soto

Cut out five petal-shaped pieces of fabric. (In order for the fabric to stretch around the egg, cut it on the bias.) Use a foam brush to apply crafts glue to one section of the egg, attach a petal, then repeat, overlapping the fabric slightly until the egg is covered. Fabric: Yuwa Honeycomb in yellow, $4.50 for 1/4 yard, purlsoho.com.

China Pattern by Tiffany Brooks

Use small scissors to cut designs from a blue and white napkin. (They don’t have to be perfect.) Separate the top layer of the napkin from the bottom. Use a paintbrush to apply a little matte Mod Podge to the egg, then attach the cutouts. Smooth with the paintbrush. Apply a topcoat of Mod Podge. Napkin: Try Caspari Bali paper napkins, $7.50 for a set of 20, amazon.com.

Stencil Letter by Cortney Novogratz

Put a sticker letter on the front of the egg, then use a foam pouncer to paint the entire egg. Carefully peel off the sticker while the paint is still wet. Letter: Headline 1" stick-on vinyl letters and numbers, $2.50 for a set, dickblick.com; Paint: Martha Stewart Crafts multi-surface satin crafts paint in raspberry ice, $2 for 2 ounces, Michaels stores.

Thanks to our favorite HGTV celebrates we will awe our guest on Easter morning...

Check back for more great Easter ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Make an Edible Easter Terrarium

Courtesy of Melissa Caughey

Happy Easter Friends,

I thought that it would be fun to craft something garden inspired for the Easter table. I was inspired on a trip to a local retailer where I discovered edible Easter grass! Who knew such a thing existed? My creative wheels began to turn: a completely edible Easter terrarium would be perfect. Now, if only those bunny ears will last until Easter.

Supplies:

• Decorative glass jars
• English toffee-chopped into small pieces
• Oreo cookies-creme centers removed and broken into fine pieces
• Edible Easter grass
• Chocolate bunnies
• Ice cream cones
• Jelly beans
• Candy eggs

You can also create smaller personalized edible terrariums such as a hen on a nest to use as party favors, place settings at your Easter table, or treats for family and friends.



What will you create?

Below are the step-by-step instructions for these edible terrariums.

Easter Terrarium How-To...

Easter Centerpieces

These charming centerpieces make for a wonderful holiday centerpiece or a delightful alternative to an Easter basket for a child.

Layer Your Terrarium

Add the chopped up English toffee to mimic gravel. Next add the crushed Oreos for dirt.

Plant the Grass

Add a bit of the edible Easter grass. This variety tastes like green sour apple.

Decorate

Small speckled caramel candies are perfect for robin's eggs.

Get Creative

An ice cream cone with the bottom removed looks like an Easter basket. It is just the perfect size to fill with candies.

Choose Your Bunny

Keep in mind the size of your glass jar when you are selecting the perfect bunny.

Choose Your Flavors

With so many varieties of Easter candy available, the sky is the limit. Get creative!

Nesting Hen Easter Treat

For a spin on the edible terrarium, make a smaller version featuring this sweet nesting hen, a great option for a party where you need to make multiple treats.

Gather Your Supplies

For each treat you will need: 1 wide mouth pint canning jar/ 1 large chocolate covered peanut butter egg / edible Easter grass / malted milk candy eggs / 1 sugar chick / garden twine / scissors / label / and a marker.

Add Dirt

Place the chocolate peanut butter egg into the bottom of the jar.

Build a Nest

Form a small clump of edible Easter grass and add that to the jar.

Add Eggs

Top the grass nest off with a few colorful malted milk eggs.

Mama Hen

Top the nest off with a hen to sit upon the eggs.

Tie it Up

Cut a length of garden twine and tie it around the rim of the jar. Next tie on the label with the wording of your choice.

A Peeping Treat

Your sweet treat is now ready to share with friends and family. I wonder how long they can resist the temptation?

Delight your family and friends with an entirely edible Easter arrangement...

Check back for more great Easter ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne