I have 12 adults and 4 kids coming to my house on Sunday for Easter lunch. I really should be thinking about what to feed them, but my thing is decorating. I like things to look pretty. So instead of doing up a menu or planning the shopping around public holiday operating hours, I’ve been surfing for pinspiration.
Now, I don’t have unlimited income (code for no money honey) so I can’t do anything fancy. Sorry Pottery Barn, I’d love to be all up in you, but it’s not happening this year. So it has to be cheap, quick and thrown together using things I have lying around the house.
Here are my ten favourite ideas for your Easter table
Carrot vase
Well I have carrots, and I have vases (dusty, sad, unloved vases that are never given lovely surprise bunches of flowers). I guess I could even go and buy a few bunches of cheap and cheerful carnations for myself. Like a loser.
Egg place cards
Except for the fact eggs in Australia are all RUINED with the stupid batch number printed on them, this would be gorgeous. Simply poke a hole in the top and bottom, blow the junk out and give them a rinse. Thread with some ribbon and write your guests names. Adorable! Except for the fact that I have four small children coming and they would crush these like the Hulk. And my eggs are a deep brown colour, not this pure Aryan white. But I think I’ll do something similar on sunday.
More egg placecards
This one is so simple it hurts. Just the initial on the egg. Together with some fresh tulips and a spring of greenery on the plate and you’re so refined and understated it HURTS.
Planter box centrepiece
Of course, none of my plants are this pretty (alive) and they’re mostly still shoved in the plastic pot they came in… BUT if I had some amazing daffodils in a gorgeous handmade planter box (presumably made out of a wooden pallet – because Pinterest) then I would totally bring that bad boy inside, plonk it in the middle of the table, throw in some eggs and have an instant centrepiece.
Cake display centrepiece
Something I’ve learnt from endless hours watching The Block and other assorted renovation/ decorating TV shows, is that you need to have different heights in your displays. I’m sure there’s some technical term. I could probably Google it….
Meh, you know what I mean. So, stack your cake tiers up and throw some egg stuff on there (tiny little birds nests optional, but would totally be amazing if you could find them) and voila!
Flowers with eggs
Ok, well that’s descriptive, but what else would you call it?
Again, you’ll need to hit up your florist (unless of course you have someone lovely who buys flowers for you all the time. That must be nice….) but just whack some posies in small vases and throw some eggs on top and you’re done. Instant Easterfication.
Of course, you might want to blow the googy out of these eggs as well. The clever lady who has put together this centrepiece has also glued some sticks into the eggs to help position them in the posy. Probably much smarter than “throw some eggs on top”
Baby’s breath centre piece
Ok, I know baby’s breath is like the official flower of the eighties bride and but I kinda love it. How pretty and delicate is it? And CHEAP. Naturally, if you are any sort of respectable person you will have a set of vintage Mason jars, painted in mint, pink and lemon… No? FOR SHAME. I suppose a regular old jar would do. If half-arsed is your thing…
Easter Tree
If you’re superwoman, have time up your sleeve or a simple determination to out smug Martha Stewart this Easter, you could whip up an Easter Tree. Like a Christmas Tree but with no presents underneath, which makes it kind of pointless, but it will certainly distract from the burnt leg of lamb you’ll be serving up to the family on Sunday.
I think I’m going to try and make one of these. I’ll go stick hunting tomorrow and stick (pun intended) my sticks in a vase and stick some hanging pretty things* on the sticks to make a pretty Easter stick tree.
* note to self: will also need to source some hanging pretty things.
Glittery eggs
Paint and glitterfy some eggs and stick them on candlesticks. Genius!
Let the kids do this. Or don’t. Maybe don’t. There could be a glitter massacre and then your kids will be sparkly ’til Christmas.
PRO TIP: You can get those bastard flakes of glitter off by pressing on it with a piece of sticky tape. You’re welcome.
Bunny napkins
If you do nothing else for your Easter table this weekend, please please make some bunny napkins.
So, I’ve already made a start, and you should too! You’re running out of time!
The felt animals were unplanned. And they’re now my most favourite thing in the world. It’s like my own povo Sylvanian Families set.
16 comments
[…] Easter Sunday. Trust me, there was a lot of food, but I didn’t care about any of that. I was all about the pretty. I spent way too long trying to set the […]
Great post!! The planter box is delightful! Next year I will come back to this. Hope you had a great Easter Lauren xo
How gorgeous are all these table settings! I love the so simple it hurts tulip table… elegant much! I’m a baby’s breath tragic so yes please that one too! Have a lovely Sunday lunch and enjoy the decorating! Xx
I love all of these, but I confess I’m a bit of an Easter decorating failure. I don’t think I’ve ever managed to blow the egg out of the little hole without breaking the shell. One day, I will and then I’ll be able to decorate for Easter with abandon. Happy Easter! I hope you and yours have a fabulous (and very pretty) weekend x
Never thought I’d say this about baby’s breath…. But gosh it looks so damn pretty!
And carrots in a vase! Who woulda thought! Xx
Please please please put the felt bunnies on sale at Rocket and floss – I want some!!! :):)
Okay, I actually love the carrot Vases. I kept trying to think of other pictures that I liked better, because, well, they are carrots in a jar….but I just kept coming back to that one.
Love it!!
Aren’t they cute!? So simple but effective.
Can I have a felt bunny
Maybe if you’re good.
Lauren, I think if you buy your eggs free range from a local market most of them have an egg person you won’t have to worry about the batch number. I don’t think I I have ever seen them on the farmers market eggs. They all look lovely I’m sure your table will egg-cite the kids and crowd. We banned glitter here a long time ago.
You are very smart Sue. Glitter is the devil. The beautiful, sparkly devil.
Great tip about the local markets. We have a farmers market here every saturday that I should check out. Should probably get some other stuff as well. You know, to feed people with…..
I’m sure people don’t get this eggcited about Easter in the Mother Country. Indeed, I’ve never seen an Easter table of such epic proportions! I love the carrot vases, we did something similar at our wedding but we filled the vases with marshmallows. We were too tight to add flowers to the vases and besides, keeping them flower free meant we could have a marshmallow feast when we got the munchies later! I love your felt family – the cutest. I’ve seen the before picture, now I want to see the after. I am sure whichever of these ideas you choose, your table will look egg-squisite!
Sammie!!!! MARSHMALLOWS!!! That sounds incredible. I adore marshmallows (only the white ones though).
Will definitely show an after photo. Unless it’s shit, in which case I’ll pretend I forgot 😉
I laughed. Actually, I snorted. Bloody glitter. Shite stuff, should be banned. Seriously though, do real people do easter tables? I have Reggie, he’s nearly two and a dab hand with a fork – maybe on Sunday he will stab his own hand (again…) to the table and we will have a very authentic easter table.
In no way am I hoping this will happen, just saying is all.
Cheers and a Happy Easter to you.
Well who doesn’t love a bit of performance art at a family dinner Carmen? Poor Reggie though… ouch.