Holiday Crafts & Ideas Blog

So, lazy Sunday, one week before Easter day. I’ve blown out so many eggs I’m a bit dizzy, but it’ll be worth it when I decorate them tomorrow. Which brings me to the first thing I love this Easter:

1. Martha Stewart Crafts Egg Dress-up Kit

Does anyone do it better than Martha? This little kit makes 12 decorating eggs, and includes everything you need to create little carrot tops, bunnies, birds and chicks. So sweet!

2. Classic Little Golden Books

They’re the perfect vintage-style addition to a young person’s Easter basket. The reissue of some of our favourite childhood stories with their distinctive artwork and gold spines is fabulous. I stock up at Wal-mart when I see them and they end up being a present for both child and parent!  I’m giving two away this holiday, to a friend’s little girl. The Kitten Who Thought He Was a Mouse, and, of course, The Little Red Hen.

3. Artisanal Hot-Cross Buns

I bought Ace Bakery’s version, and they are divine. Sort of halfway between scone and hot-cross bun. Too bad there’s only six in the package…

4. Easter Lilies

There’s absolutely nothing like the delicate fragrance of one of these beauties to bring spring celebrations to mind. Choose the ones that aren’t quite in bloom and they’ll be perfectly perfect on Easter morning, filling the house with a heavenly scent. (Remember, though, they’re toxic to cats if eaten, so be careful with them.)

5. Fred Astaire

The classic movie Easter Parade is sure to be playing this week, and I have to say, I still love watching Fred Astaire. Christmas may belong to Bing Crosby and Jimmy Stewart, but I think spring and Fred go hand-in-hand. Most of my favourite Fred Astaire movies are on in the spring—Funny Face, Royal Wedding, The Gay Divorcée, Top Hat, You Were Never Lovelier—they all seem to have that carefree feeling.

Whatever you do this week, take time to enjoy one of the little pleasures that make the most of the season!

I’m not sure it’s totally due to its proximity to spring that I fall more in love with the Easter holidays each year. Of course, the arrival of spring lifts the heart and the spirit, but as a separate entity, Easter has its own charms. I love the idea of pastel colours mingling with fragrant spring flowers like hyacinth, lily of the valley, tulips and crocus. I love the idea of a fresh new season of sunshine and warmth. I love the idea of the return of yummy traditional foods for the holidays like ham and asparagus. And who doesn’t love a good Easter egg hunt, bunnies, and chocolate?

As a child we always had an egg hunt at home, and there were always five Easter baskets lined up on the piano in the morning, one for each of my sisters and me. They each contained a new skipping rope, a chocolate bunny and a new pair of socks. Hot cross buns were on the breakfast menu, and I remember most Easters we went to my grandparents’ house for a dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes (I now have the Corningware dish my grandmother made her potatoes in, and it will grace my table this year).

These days Easter is a more informal holiday, but don’t let it go unheralded. So start thinking about ways to glam up your rooms, and stock up on some eggs to decorate. First up, I’m thinking about a colour scheme for this year. What do you think about pale orange, yellow and pink? I’d also love to know some fun ideas for decorating eggs. What’s your tradition?