I’m always surprised by the understated nature of Easter: Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and even St. Patrick’s Day get a lot of air time, but Easter—the single most important holiday within the Christian tradition—tends to stay under the radar. I suppose it’s because Easter has maintained its religious connections that it hasn’t become overly commercialized. Or it might just be the fact that Easter’s date changes every year, leaving us all a little unsure about when it’s time to celebrate! Whatever the reason, I think that Easter deserves a little more attention.
As a Christian, I cherish the spiritual significance of the holiday and am thankful for the opportunity to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice and my own redemption. But I’m far from an Easter purist: I also happen to love all of the secular aspects of the holiday. Today I’m getting into the Easter spirit with some fun seasonal ideas, from the secular to the sacred. Come join me!
7 Treats That Are (Almost) Too Cute To Eat!
These treats are all as cute as can be, and most of them seem simple enough for even the most amateur of chefs (<– raising my hand!). I made the Easter bunny cookie cups for a family Easter gathering a few years ago, and they were a hit!
Fluffy Sheep Cupcakes // Italian Easter Bread // Easter Bunny Bark // Easter Basket Cookie Cups // Pineapple Carrot Cake // Peeps Easter Garden Cake // Carrot Patch Dirt Pudding Cups
6 Eggs-cellent Egg-Dying Ideas
We tend to stick with the traditional egg dye methods in our own family, but that doesn’t keep me from admiring some of the amazing craftsmanship of other egg-dyers. A few of these ideas are totally out of my league, but the shaving cream dyed eggs seem totally doable and possibly even easier than my usual method.
Shaving Cream Dyed Easter Eggs // Burger Easter Eggs // Emoji Easter Eggs // Cactus Easter Eggs // DIY Dyed Robin Easter Eggs // Monochromatic and Rose Gold Easter Eggs
5 Darling Easter Decorations
I’ve already picked up a few Easter decorations for our home, but am open to adding more. I’ve never made a Resurrection Garden before, but they’re all over Pinterest! I think it might be a fun decoration to make with Charlie.
Candle Centerpiece // Easter Egg Wreath // Rustic Bunny Sign // Resurrection Garden // Hoppy Easter Banner
4 Easter-Themed Picture Books
I’ve written before about my belief that picture books are the best way to introduce children to an upcoming holiday and generate enthusiasm and a celebratory spirit for the big day. This is especially true with less commercialized holidays like Easter, when books might be one of their only pre-holiday opportunities for exposure. Any of these four picture books would be a great pre-Easter read for you and your littles, or would make a welcome addition to their Easter baskets. We have the Little Bunny’s Bible and it’s a household favorite!
Little Bunny’s Bible // The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story // The Parable of the Lily // Ollie’s Easter Eggs
3 Downloadable Easter Prints
Prints are an easy way to add some seasonal flair to your home, without creating clutter that needs to be stored the rest of the year. These three downloadable prints are all darling, and happen to be free!
He Is Risen Print // Happy Easter Print // Peter Rabbit Print
2 Unique Easter Baskets
Growing up, our Easter tradition was to leave out an Easter basket filled with eggs on Saturday night; then the Easter Bunny would come during the night, hide the eggs, and fill the basket with goodies. I thought this was a common practice until we did it last year with Charleston and I shared it on social media. I got several comments from friends letting me know they’d never heard of doing it that way! Whether your kids leave out a basket for the Bunny on Easter Eve, or just need a basket for the community egg hunt, either of these would be a great option.
Burlap Bunny Basket // Yellow Chic Easter Basket
1 New Easter Tradition For Your Family
I’ve been looking for a fun Advent-like tradition to prepare our family for Easter, and I’ve found it! The Easter Story Egg is a family activity that includes a hard cover book and a set of wooden nesting eggs that tell the story of Holy Week. I already ordered one for our family and am looking forward to starting the activity next week!
The Easter Story Egg from Star From Afar
Does your family do anything special to celebrate Easter? What are some of your favorite Easter memories?