Easter's coming and it's a great excuse to decorate the house to really celebrate the season. We go big for Christmas and fall, with lights and trees and pumpkins all bringing a feeling of fun to our homes and a smile to the faces of visitors (or a scream if your Halloween haunted house is really convincing), and Easter is another chance for some gorgeous themed looks.
For Easter, it is all about eggs, animals, flowers and beautiful spring colors as we freshen up the furniture, craft eggs for rolling and create beautiful table displays ready for Easter Sunday dinner.
We've rounded up some ideas that will give your home a lovely spring lift. You can also see our spring decorating ideas for looks that will work throughout the season.
1. Create a hanging seasonal centrepiece
If you're feeling creative and don't want to spend a lot on your Easter decorations, see what nature has to offer.
Decorative boughs are a brilliant way to make a real impact over a table while leaving plenty of space on it for food.
First find a long and sturdy but interesting looking branch from your garden, local woods or park (but only choose branches that have fallen from trees if it's a public space). Wrap a garland and lights around it like this Speckled Egg Garland from Lights4Fun (taking care to hide the battery pack) and hang with eggs or freshly picked flowers. Hung from the ceiling, it makes a striking focal point above the table, and you can leave it up for the whole holiday so everyone can admire your handiwork.
- Discover a new hobby this Easter with our easy craft ideas
2. Mix and match plates for a colorful table
For a pretty Easter tablescape, take out your special occasion china and lay it for a dinner party. Or find Grandma's best floral tea service for a daintily decorated scene. Alternatively, mix and match plates in different pastel colors, like this blush pink and cerulean blue combo from Cream Cornwall. Add posies of flowers and scatter a few candy eggs or egg-shaped decorations, and if you are baking a cake, see if you can tint the fondant or frosting in the same hue for for a coordinated touch.
See Cream Cornwall's step by step guide to making a stunning hanging table bough with faux cherry blossom and painted eggs for more inspiration.
3. Go outside for a garden party
If the weather is good, why not celebrate outside with egg rolling in the yard followed by an alfresco lunch? If you haven't got an outside table, move the dining table to the patio or the flattest bit of the lawn. Add a tablecloth, sprinkle with spring flowers and painted eggs, and hang Easter wreaths from the backs of chairs. Then inflate the giant chick and eggs for a bouncy backdrop. This big outdoor chick and oversized eggs from Lights4fun are waterproof and light up when it's evening, and are just great for bringing some Easter vibes to the yard. And with that bow tie, Chicky is dressed in their Easter Sunday best.
4. Put the (Easter) tree up
Trees aren't just for Christmas! Once stripped down to the branches, they can be adapted for all kinds of holidays. You could actually get away with leaving it up all year (and not have the job of putting it back in storage).
We like this beaded Heirloom Tree by Welcome To The Woodshop at Etsy for its Scandi simplicity. Pared back to wooden rods sticking out from a beaded trunk, you can dress it up in whatever festive style you'd like. For Easter, small baskets are perfect for holding miniature eggs.
5. Hang a wreath for a welcoming home
Make a seasonal statement on your front door with an Easter wreath. Decorated with pretty flowers and and colorful eggs, this wreath from Next is a real burst of brightness. If you want to keep it up through spring, try making your own Easter wreath and decorate it with faux or dried flowers.
Want something to see you through spring? Why not check out how to make your own spring wreath.
6. Drape a pastel garland for a rainbow touch
Pastels are the perfect color for spring – think of the soft shades of blossom and dainty daffodils. You can create your own rainbow in muted shades with pretty tasselled bunting.
A boho piece like this twisted tassel garland by PomPomElle at Etsy is ideal for hanging on the walls to add a cheerful feel, and the best bit is you can keep it up even when the last chocolate egg or bunny has been eaten.
7. Create Easter decorations with things you already have
Work with what you've got and make an adorable table display with some clever napkin folding. While origami-ing the material into a swan or duck might be a little advanced, you can easily fashion one into a floppy eared Easter rabbit. Just take a decorated egg – or a hardboiled one if you want to eat it later – roll the napkin into a flat tube, wrap round the egg and secure at the top with piece of ribbon or string and arrange the ears. Cute!
If that still feels too fiddly, we recommend some bunny ear napkin rings from SeashellsToHayBales on Etsy. Simply roll up the napkin and slip it through the ring.
8. Put spring time ceramics on display
For a slightly more subtle approach, and to keep things clean when you are enjoying a coffee with Easter breakfast, or a chocolatey pudding or dessert, lay out an egg-shaped spoon holder. We think these coffee and teaspoon holders by SamanthaBoothArt on Etsy are just darling, and add a pop of color to the table while stopping splashes from marking it. You can also place them on shelves for an eggy display that hints at the new season without going all out. And because they are ceramic, they can be used year after year.
9. Use fairy lights for Easter charm
Lighting is an integral part of our Christmas and Halloween decorations, so why not Easter? Fairy lights can add charm all year round, but you can also find sweet little lights with a seasonal twist. Wrap them round artfully round your other decorations, like these from Marks & Spencer, or just run them along the length of the table for some extra twinkle.
Placing delicate copper wired lights inside a glass bell jar or Mason jar is a Pinterest-worthy trend that'll warm up a space. If you like this idea, you'll love the rest of our Mason jar DIY ideas.
10. Get the family making eggs
Painting eggs is a craft project that the whole family can try. You can paint them your favourite colors, create a signature design or even do an egg-head self portrait.
Target sells kits with everything you need for your works of eggy art, including 12 plastic eggs (so they don't smash), paints and two paintbrushes. They come in a realistic egg carton that you can use to dry them in or to display your mini masterpieces. What will you paint on yours?
For more, try these fun family projects ready for the holiday weekend.
11. Add seasonal style with soft furnishings
Have a hoppy Easter with soft furnishings with a bunny motif. There are rabbits, eggs and chicks on everything from tablecloths to towels, oven gloves to serving boards, table runners to wall prints, that you can use to give your home a mini makeover. We especially love this Hoppy Easter Bunny cushion from Next for the pom-pom detailing, right down to the bunnies' bobtails.
12. Branch out with an Easter tree
Spring is usually that in-between time when the twigs on the trees might have blossom or catkins but aren't yet covered in leaves. Take advantage of the beauty of the nearly bare branches and arrange in a vase like you would a bunch of flowers. Cut some twigs with nice fresh buds on them, place in a pretty jar and then decorate with eggs from Marks & Spencer, or other Easter ornaments.