The Easter Idea Place

by Margaret Rench

Easter is right around the corner. Soon the kids will be out of school for spring break. Prepare yourself for their cries of “I’m bored” by having some craft projects planned. Here are some easy to make and fun crafting projects to keep them busy.

Bubble Photo Frames:
Supplies needed: a short wide mouth cup, dish detergent, water, food coloring, paper photo frames, a straw.

You can find paper photo frames in the scrap-booking section of any craft store and some grocery stores. Fill the cup with water and add a drop or two of dish detergent. Color the water with food coloring. Blow into the water using the straw until bubbles form and start overflowing the cup. Press the photo frame lightly into the bubbles and pull it away. You now have some nice designs transfered to the frame from the bubbles. Continue the process until you have the frame coated in a pleasing way. You can use more than one color on the frame by making cups with different colors in them.

Grass Basket:
Supplies needed: basket with plastic liner, potting soil, rye-grass seed, gravel, charcoal(optional)

Line the bottom of the basket with the gravel this allows for drainage. Add a layer of charcoal on top of the gravel. The charcoal keeps things fresh smelling in case of over watering. Put your topsoil into the basket up to about 1/2 from the rim. Sprinkle the grass seed liberally onto the soil. Top the grass seed with a sprinkling of topsoil, just enough to cover the seeds. Sprinkle water onto the soil and keep moist. Set the basket into a sunny warm area away from drafts. Rye grass seed usually sprouts in 4-7 days. When the grass gets taller than one inch, you can trim it back with scissors. If you start the project early enough, you will have a nice basket to lay Easter eggs into for Easter.

Indoor Basketball:
Supplies needed: styrofoam cup, tissues, tape, scissors

Cut the bottom out of the styrofoam cup. This is your basket. Tape it to the wall, onto a door or on the side of a bookcase. Wad up some tissues to use as your basketball. You might make three per person. Each person gets three tries at making a basket. If you make a basket you get a point. Play until someone gets 25 points.

For more fun crafts visit Easter Crafts
About the Author

Margaret Rench is the webmaster of Theme Party Palace. A mother of two and grandmother of one. They have taught me the joy of parties.

by Rachel Webb

Easter marks the start of spring and is a sacred holiday for Christians throughout the world as it signifies when Jesus Christ was resurrected from the grave to live again. But where did the Easter bunny and eggs fit into the Easter tradition?

The rabbit and eggs were actually symbols of fertility, immortality and new life to commemorate Christ’s resurrection. In Germany, colored eggs were left in children’s baskets and the custom was brought to America with German immigrants in the later 19th century.

Easter can be a fun time of year to celebrate the renewed growth of spring no-matter what religious beliefs you may have. Here are some idea’s to use for an Easter celebration party.

TABLE DECORATIONS

Turn a recycled white sheet into a spectacular Easter tablecloth by sponge painting bunnies, baskets and eggs in bright spring colors. Be sure to use textile paints so the tablecloth can be washed and used another year. Fabric paints are also available in squeeze applicators with glitter colors for decorating the sponged Easter eggs. Paint will need to dry at least 24 hours prior to use.

Make a festive napkin ring by threading a sewing needle with narrow elastic thread and stringing jelly beans onto it. You may need to put a little vegetable oil on the needle to help it slide threw the candy. Tie off the ends to form a circle and slide it over the rolled napkins for a cute way to dress up the table. Add a solid colored doily under the plates for a festive way to dress up the table.

You can serve creamy lemon pie or light strawberry custard, strawberry almond pastry or let the kids decorate personalized tulip cookies. The menu options are endless but I suggest you keep the choices light and festive. Tableware does not need to match but keep to a color theme of bright spring colors or soft pastels.

EASTER CRAFTS

Little girls love making their own Easter bonnets. Cut a large 12 1/2″ circle out of heavy artist poster board using a compass as your guide. Attach a wide satin ribbon to the middle of the circle with hot glue, leaving long trailing tails to tie the bonnet on. Have lots of decorative options available for embellishing the hats. Kids can make flowers colored miniature cupcake baking cups or doilies. You can also use adhesive dots, paint, glitter, pleated paper ribbon, lace reminates or tulle to make decorate the bonnets.

Each child can make their own gingham Easter bunny or duck out of fabric, yarn and cotton batting or fiberfill. Have the shape of the animals pre-cut for the children and place the right sides of the fabric out. Let the kids stitch yarn around the edge of the shape leaving a 1″ opening to stuff the cotton filling. An adult can blind stitch the hole closed and help glue on buttons for the eyes and pom-poms for the nose. Use pinking sheers to finish the edges.

Adults can also enjoy a Easter garden party. Invite friends to bring perennials for their gardens to exchange with other plants. Provide each guest with labels, paper bags or plastic nursery containers. Let them take home the same amount of plants that they brought getting an affordable start on beautiful blooms.

by Sherry Frewerd

Pastel colors and cotton balls, Easter grass and yellow peeps – all bring to mind baskets of eggs, bunnies and pretty little girl dresses. Ah Spring. After a long cold winter, it’s fun to start planning spring-time and Easter projects with your kids. Here are a few fun ideas for Easter crafts and yummy snacks that your kids can help make and of course – eat!

Paper Bag Easter Bunny

1 lunch sack for 1 paper bag
Pink, white, and black construction paper
Scissors
Crayons
Paste

Cut a V notch at the top of each lunch sack. Start at the top center and bring your notch down. This will form the ears. Close the bag and lie flat. Then cut your notch with both sides of the bag together. This will be the bunny ears. Cut out ear shapes with the white construction paper and glue onto “ear” of the bag. Cut a smaller piece in pink for the inside of the ear, or reverse the colors. Cut out a small triangle of pink for the nose and paste it in the center where a nose would go. Draw in your eyes or you could cut them from paper or even add wiggle eyes. Cut out a rectangle piece of black paper – about mustache size. Then make cuts from each side of the short end towards the center of the paper without cutting all the way through. Do this several times on each side to create whiskers. Paste this above the nose. Now draw two circle cheeks and connect the mouth from the cheeks to the nose like a kitty mouth. Open up bag and it can now be a bag to collect eggs from your class egg hunt or to take crafts home in and then use for center piece at home!

Easter Jelly Bean Fudge

2 cups white chocolate chips
1 (16 ounce) container vanilla frosting
2 cups miniature jelly beans in pastel colors

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and grease lightly. Melt the chips according to the package directions or in a heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add the frosting and stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Fudge mixture should still be easy to stir, but not hot enough to melt the jelly beans.) Add the jelly beans and stir well. Spread the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove the foil and fudge from the pan together and place on a cutting surface. Carefully remove the foil and cut the fudge into small pieces. Makes 3 dozen pieces.

Edible Easter Baskets

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup miniature marshmallows
3 Shredded Wheat biscuits, crushed
Jelly beans

Place butter in medium bowl. Microwave at 100% for 30 to 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows, stirring to coat. Microwave at 100% for 30 to 60 seconds, or until marshmallows puff and mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in crushed cereal. Shape into Easter baskets and when cool, fill with jelly beans. Makes 4 to 6.

About the Author: Sherry Frewerd publishes several kid and food related websites filled with fun and delicious ideas for kids and adults alike. Stop by “Family Play and Learn” http://familyplayandlearn.com and “Toddler-Birthday-Party-Ideas” http://toddler-birthday-party-ideas.com and find something fun to do with your kids today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Frewerd

by Margaret Rench

Easter is right around the corner. Soon the kids will be out of school for spring break. Prepare yourself for their cries of “I’m bored” by having some craft projects planned. Here are some easy to make and fun crafting projects to keep them busy.

Bubble Photo Frames:
Supplies needed: a short wide mouth cup, dish detergent, water, food coloring, paper photo frames, a straw.

You can find paper photo frames in the scrap-booking section of any craft store and some grocery stores. Fill the cup with water and add a drop or two of dish detergent. Color the water with food coloring. Blow into the water using the straw until bubbles form and start overflowing the cup. Press the photo frame lightly into the bubbles and pull it away. You now have some nice designs transfered to the frame from the bubbles. Continue the process until you have the frame coated in a pleasing way. You can use more than one color on the frame by making cups with different colors in them.

Grass Basket:
Supplies needed: basket with plastic liner, potting soil, rye-grass seed, gravel, charcoal(optional)

Line the bottom of the basket with the gravel this allows for drainage. Add a layer of charcoal on top of the gravel. The charcoal keeps things fresh smelling in case of over watering. Put your topsoil into the basket up to about 1/2 from the rim. Sprinkle the grass seed liberally onto the soil. Top the grass seed with a sprinkling of topsoil, just enough to cover the seeds. Sprinkle water onto the soil and keep moist. Set the basket into a sunny warm area away from drafts. Rye grass seed usually sprouts in 4-7 days. When the grass gets taller than one inch, you can trim it back with scissors. If you start the project early enough, you will have a nice basket to lay Easter eggs into for Easter.

Indoor Basketball:
Supplies needed: styrofoam cup, tissues, tape, scissors

Cut the bottom out of the styrofoam cup. This is your basket. Tape it to the wall, onto a door or on the side of a bookcase. Wad up some tissues to use as your basketball. You might make three per person. Each person gets three tries at making a basket. If you make a basket you get a point. Play until someone gets 25 points.

For more fun crafts visit Easter Crafts
About the Author

Margaret Rench is the webmaster of Theme Party Palace. A mother of two and grandmother of one. They have taught me the joy of parties.

Easter slide shows at Better Homes and Gardens present ideas for Easter crafts, Easter eggs and baskets, Easter recipes, centerpieces and more.