The crafters that visit us at Old Fashioned Living
are a very creative bunch and
they have shared some wonderful ideas for making Easter special!
Basket, Pretzels and Live Grass
From Brenda in Indiana
Start a heritage basket to put your candy and Easter toys in. Instead
of trying to come up with something each year, find beautifully
formed baskets this Spring and make each basket special. Even if it is
just painting them but there is so much you can do with them. It's the
same idea as using special Christmas stockings each year. The Easter
bunny filled the basket each year! You wouldn't believe the hassle this
saved and the money over the years. Our kids also received a stuffed
animal (as my daughter got older, it was some kind of Boyd's Bear to add
to her collection). My inlaws gave them a basket full of candy, so I
only put in a few pieces of their favorite. It wasn't until they no
longer received candy from the inlaws that I added more. As my daughter
got older and didn't want the candy as much, I'd put in a little piece
of jewelry (like pierced earrings). I always put jelly beans under the
Easter grass. We have cats (Easter grass can kill a cat if eaten) so we 
only put a small amount of Easter grass in the basket and we were
careful to put it back in Ziplock bags to reuse the next year. This is
also a good time to give the little ones "bunny books" (like Pat the
Bunny for babies, I am a Bunny in cardboard for toddlers, etc.). To me,
this is more of a religious holiday than even Christmas so I'd try to
find appropriate little books, stickers, etc. telling the Truth of the
Easter celebrations to my children at this time.
Here's an unusually "munchy kind of appetizer" that was a huge hit at a
neighborhood party. Try to find the thick, round pretzels. In my
grocery store, they are called beer pretzels for some reason. (Not the
huge pretzels!) If you can't find them, just use regular thick
pretzels. Melt a bar of white chocolate dipping chocolate, place the
pretzels on cookie sheet or parchment (anything will work) and pour a
little of the white chocolate in each pretzel, making sure the white
chocolate completely fills in any holes. Let cool. Takes no more than
15 minutes usually. These are delicious and habit forming! It makes a
lot for a little bit of money, too. And...everyone at my party thought
they were so interesting and elegant, hehehe. Little did they know how
easy they were.
A good centerpiece or decoration is to fill a basket, lid from a box,
etc. with some potting soil, sprinkle with grass seed (or wheat, alfalfa
seeds, anything that sprouds quickly) a few days before Easter. (If
using a cardboard lid, it needs to be lined with plastic.) I think they
can be made a week ahead of time. Perhaps someone else knows the best
time to "plant". Mist with water. The grass will grow and you can put
pretty colored eggs and perhaps a little "bunny" in the grass at
Easter. (Let's see, or little birdhouses and birds, mushrooms, etc.)
More Basket Ideas
From Jennifer
The first thing that comes to mind would be going by their hobbies. For
example, if one likes matchbox cars, for his "basket" use a case for his
cars, even if you just have to set the stuffed animal on top. Maybe
some sort of little craft kit in a little box would be a nice
addition?
A few other ideas to stick in...
Sidewalk chalk
Fingerpaints, crayons, etc.
Silly Putty, ooze, etc.
A book of science experiments?
Another replacement for baskets:a lunch box-or a backpack
Another idea-use a goldfish bowl as a "basket" and just add gravel, a
little castle or something for the bottom, and even a goldfish. Or you
could just offer to go buy them one that day. :)
Baskets and Easy Food
From Pam
I've always had one of those baskets that has some of the plush bunny on
it a different color for each of my three children and put little treats
in them and use the plastic eggs for other treats and hide them for the
children to find. As for desserts something simple is little cheesecakes
in cupcake liners with a fruit topping on them goes over big in my
house.As for appetizers the fall back thats simple and always a favorite
is the veggie tray with dip and the cheese and cracker with sausage
platter.If I can think of others I will post.
The Real Meaning of Easter
From Patty
Here's something to add to your easter celebrations. Bring meaning to
all we
do.
Jelly Bean Poem/Prayer
Red is for the blood He gave,
Green is for the grass He made,
Yellow is for the sun so bright.
Orange is for the edge of night.
Black is the sins we made.
White is for the grace he gave.
Purple is for his hour of sorrow.
Pink is for a new tomorrow.
A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet,
Is a prayer, is a promise, is a special treat.
Sorry, I don't know the originator of the poem. I just had it in my
files
and use it with my children as a teaching time!
One thing we also do together with our 'baskets' is to bring meaning to
everything in them. We sometimes use old, raggedy baskets or even a box
to
explain that when Jesus came his birthplace was alot like our box or
basket.
Nothing new, nothing pretty- an old stable. Then we put grass in it to
remind us of the manger hay Jesus slept in. We use chocolate animals to
signify his birth with animals. We always put in a cross to symbolize
Jesus
dying on the cross and talk about his life and the wonderful news of
life,
then His death. But then we have eggs. They bring new life. Just as
Jesus
death was awful and sad, it brought new life to all who believe. I love
the
eggs! Sometimes we even add a thing or two- like one year we had a
rooster
in our basket and the kids remembered the rooster crowing and Peter
denying
Him. There are many lessons we can learn and teach our children from
everyday life. We just need to find them! Hope this shares some ideas
with
our readers.
I like all the new recipes- I hope to try them!
Easter Themes
From Dori
As we have very young children, the Easter bunny
brings baskets to the kids for Saturday morning. It
gives them a chance to enjoy a basket, and really
helps the kids seperate the real religious meaning of
Easter from the bunny. Besides, it was always tough
as a kid to get a really cool Easter basket then to be
told it had to be left at home when it was time to go
to Church.
Our baskets follow a "theme". Last year was kid garden
gloves and garden tools, a small watering can and
packets of seeds. This year will be either "bugs and
insects" along with an ant farm and butterfly garden
flower seeds or things dealing with astronomy.
Every other year or so, we include a "kite" with the baskets,
to symbolize the "cross" (two bars of the kite) and the
resurrection of Jesus (as the kite flies up).
We, too use the same
baskets each year. Sometimes instead of grass we hide
goodies in folded new playclothes. If we've pets in the house,
the icecream buckets have the plastic lids for them.
