Posts made in April, 2012

Easy Easter Placecards

Posted by Deanne Marie on Apr 1, 2012

From the Entertaining for Busy People blog …

It’s a throwback to more formal times for sure, but using placecards to seat your guests at Easter dinner is a fun way to encourage conversation and add some color to the table. Here are three super easy creations.

Dyed egg: Write the name or initial of the guest on a dyed egg (you already have them on hand; why not use them?). Place the egg in an egg cup or, as here, a liqueur glass. Or, look for paper egg stands where you purchase dye kits.

Candy carrot: Cut orange tissue paper into 8 inch squares. Place a scant handful of jelly beans or chocolate candies in the center of the paper, gather into a loose cone shape and tie with green curling ribbon. Cut a piece of green paper and a piece of velum into leaf shapes; write the guest’s name on the velum leaf. Layer them together, punch a hole and attach to the ribbon. Curl the ends of the ribbon for carrot tops!

Bunny buddy: Who can resist a solid chocolate bunny on Easter? Simply write the guest’s name on a white tag (available at office supply stores) and tie the tag to the bunny’s neck with curling ribbon. Your guests can take their treat home to enjoy later, or indulge (ears first, of course!) right at the table.

5 Alternatives to an Easter Basket

Posted by Deanne Marie on Apr 1, 2012

My parents loved making us Easter baskets (or at least it seemed like they did!). Just before Easter my dad would go up into the attic and bring down our baskets: big, wicker creations with enormous handles and pastel colors. The plastic grass was re-used from year to year, and at some point, the baskets started getting past their prime.

Reusing items year to year is great, and my parents certainly got their money’s worth from our baskets. But today another great tradition is repurposing items for something other than what they were originally intended. In that spirit, here are 5 ideas to ditch the wicker basket this Easter and create a “basket” where the vessel becomes part of the gift and can be used by your recipient every day—not stored away and used once a year. As a bonus, several of these ideas are less expensive than a traditional handled basket.

Sand bucket – Include beachy accessories like sunglasses and sunscreen among the Easter fare.

Paint can – Most home improvement stores will sell you clean, empty gallon-size paint cans. They’re lightweight yet sturdy, and with their simple, strong lines they’re a great alternative for little boys. After Easter, they can be used to store art supplies, toy cars – really anything small collectible that seems to multiply. Hang them on the wall with a coat hook, screw them right into the wall, or simply place on a shelf for easy organizing.

Organizing basket or tote – This is oh-so-practical and great for any age group!

Printed storage box – Like the organizing tote idea, but this one has a lid to keep the contents under wraps. This would also be a good alternative for creating a gift basket for Mother’s Day.

Garden pot – This idea is a huge hit with boys and girls alike! In addition to traditional Easter candy and toys, include seed packets, small gardening gloves and a few garden tools. After Easter, children will have a fun activity that teaches them about nature and responsibility (they have to water their plants!).

In each instance, continue to fill the vessel with paper shreds, excelsior or plastic grass, just like you would a basket, and include the same goodies and gifts. Each of these may even be wrapped in cellophane (use a clear cello gift bag for greater ease) and tied with a bow.

But don’t stop here. Wherever you’re shopping this week, look around for more alternatives. There’s no need to rush around looking for an “Easter basket.” Think about photo boxes, metal pails, or even a wastepaper basket. Pretty much any container can become an Easter basket!