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Easter Basket Buffet
Bunches
of fresh, fragrant flowers. Baskets filled with a rainbow of eggs.
And the food – sweet honey-glazed ham, tart apple crisp and
hot, spicy drinks with clouds of whipped cream. It's hard to figure
out what I like most about Easter, so I enjoy them all in one Easter
Basket Buffet.
Easter heralds the beginning of spring, so dress the table in a pastel
plaid tablecloth, accessorized with fluted plates in a paint box of
pales. Instead of displaying flowers in a vase, fill a grapevine basket
with faux flowers and dried moss, then nest 
dyed eggs all around to
make table décor. Invoke a touch of whimsy with Victorian birdhouses
and birdcages that stand-in for churches and colored eggs nested in
pastel teacups. Look for dressy details that add an extra grace note
- graceful gingerbread trim recalling Easters of old, dishes as ruffled
as a little girl's skirt and flowered egg ornaments you can make with
the kids. It’s that simple sharing of love and time that makes
Easter special, so gather your loved ones close and rejoice over a
beautiful meal.
Spring Into It
Eggs are to dye for, but baskets can show their colors, too. My nieces
and nephews love decorating Easter baskets with these fun-filled eggs – and
I love to help. Grab some quality time with the kids and fill a few
favor baskets of your own.
How to Make an Easter Basket Party Favor
A cunning little basket is the perfect party favor, a delightful
treat for fun-seekers big and small.
- Buy small-to-medium size Easter baskets at a craft store or look for them at garage sales.
- Spray paint the baskets any shade of pastel you want.
- Buy an assortment of pale pink, blue, yellow and green Easter candy. Your local dollar store offers a wide selection.
- Group like-types of candy together – lollipops, candy eggs, bunnies, ducks, etc.
- Working one candy group at a time, place a handful of candy in the center of a clear or colored sheet of cellophane. Gather the sheet around the candy and tie it with ribbon, leaving 2-3 inches of cellophane peeking out. Repeat until you have enough bundles to fill your basket.
- Line the basket with a sheet of cellophane,
and tuck the candy bundles inside. Add a few small toy ducks or bunnies.
Finish it off by tying a ribbon bow around the handle.
Terrific Tip: Flower-covered eggs make pretty party
favors. To make, coat egg-shaped Styrofoam with hobby glue and roll
it in tiny multi-colored flowers from the craft store. Hot-glue a complementary
color tassel to the bottom and a loop of narrow ribbon to the top.
Make a whole carton full and give them as gifts, tuck them in baskets
or hang them from the branches of an Easter egg tree.
