Easy Easter Decorations

Spring flowers and dyed eggs make a striking centerpiece especially when grouped by color. To make the stripes on eggs, wrap with rubber bands when you dye them.

Build a "nest" on a vintage plate with floral trimmings or sprigs from the yard, then top with a bell cloche. Tip: To avoid condensation on the glass or eggs, place tiny adhesive Glue Dots under the rim of the cloche so air can circulate.

For your Easter table, dye fresh eggs in a few vibrant colors. Or decoupage papier-mâché egg forms using strips of cotton fabric and matte Mod Podge.

Egg place cards make a charming addition to your Easter table. Write or paint guests' names on eggs, or type names and print as a mirror image (in reverse) on rub-on paper and apply to eggs.

Rinsed eggshells work as tiny bud vases or planters for mini succulents and ferns. Place in egg cups or group in an egg carton.

Use a box of food coloring for easy egg-dyeing. For each color, combine 1 cup hot water, 1⁄2 cup white distilled vinegar and desired amount of food coloring in a bowl. Leave eggs in the dye for 15 minutes. Here's how much we used (clockwise starting at bright red egg with white band): ruby, 40 drops red; teal, 10 drops blue and 30 drops green; tomato, 40 drops red and 5 drops yellow; apple green, 30 drops yellow and 10 drops green; sunny yellow, 40 drops yellow; navy, 40 drops blue; turquoise, 40 drops green; apricot (center egg with dots) 40 drops yellow and 15 drops red.For stripes, wrap rubber bands around eggs. For spots, punch shapes from self-adhesive removable vinyl. Apply accents before dyeing eggs; remove when dry.

Reimagine the usual napkin-on-top place setting by tucking a jazzy linen between solid-color plates. Result: A graphic frame for a single, swooping radish.

A handful of dyed eggs and some easy-to-find carnations create a quick, fun spring centerpiece.Nestle dyed eggs in a small bowl and set in the center of a medium-size footed bowl (prop bowl on a dish if necessary). Fill the footed bowl with a few inches of water. Cut carnation stems about 2 or 3 inches long, and pack the blooms around the bowl of eggs.

Nothing says spring like a daffodil. Place one or two stems on your place setting and group others in a vase for a beautiful table that's perfect for Easter brunch.

Peel and stick Create a miniature tabletop garden with 3D scrapbooking stickers. Just peel and stick, then display in egg cups!Strips of color Cut one-inch strips of tissue paper, then adhere to eggs using Mod Podge as a base. Overlap strips to vary designs and colors. Seal with another coat of Mod Podge.

A clear cookie jar shows off a mix of dyed eggs and a medley of flowers united by their color.Start with a large-mouth cookie jar or canister, a clear drinking glass that fits inside the jar, dyed hard-cooked eggs and flowers. Center the drinking glass inside the jar and carefully stack the eggs between the glass and jar, alternating egg colors. Fill the glass with water.Cut the stems of your favorite flowers (we used roses, gerbera daisies, tulips, hyacinths and bells of Ireland) to the desired length and arrange them in the glass.

Ruffled bird's nest fern fronds from the florist form a fresh green bouquet. Single plant fronds of any type work just as well; bunch them to fill out the container and stand upright.

Give your Easter eggs extra dazzle with designs created from gold acrylic craft paint, a gold metallic-ink pad or a gold Sharpie paint marker. Use fine- or extra-fine-tip Sharpie markers to create freehand designs. For a stamped design, such as polka dots, dip a pencil eraser or foam stamp into craft paint or a metallic-ink pad, then press and lift. To create a dipped design, put gold acrylic craft paint in a small bowl and thin with water if needed. Put egg in halfway, remove and let excess paint drip off. Dry wet side up. For clean, sharp lines, apply painter's tape before dipping. If you want to preserve your eggs for future years, blow out the eggs before decorating.

Pretty egg ornaments hang from cherry blossom branches. We attached blown, dyed eggs to ribbon with quick-setting gel glue. Tie the ribbon ends in a knot and drape on spring branches.

A tiered stand shows off eggs displayed in woven craft nests. Accent with flowers, moss and greenery.

These little bouquets double as table decorations and take-home gifts for guests. Stick play clay in the bottom of rinsed eggshells and insert real or artificial flowers. Make stands from strips of scrapbook paper.

Place rubber bands around eggs before dipping in dye to create pretty linear designs.

Give Easter eggs more than a dye job using a colorful, patterned washi tape, a paperlike product that originated in Japan. (We ordered our perky pink and blue patterns from cutetape.com). Cut 1-inch and 1/2-inch pieces to create a patchwork effect, or snip thin strips to apply vertically. Stress-free taping For easy trimming, stick a piece of washi tape to a cutting mat. With a utility knife and ruler, cut to desired size and shape. Tape easily peels off the mat to stick to eggs.

Trade traditional bunnies for stylish birds on your brunch table.For the centerpiece, tuck eggs into a nest of dried moss from a crafts store. Arrange it inside a birdcage. Accent with short twigs. Pink blossoms (in floral water picks) and gingham ribbon finish the look.For the place setting, layer pink gingham and cream ribbons over a napkin. Tuck ends under plates, and top with a vintage or reproduction bird postcard and a single rose.A bird-theme stamp and ink pad make a coordinating take-home gift. Wrap the ink pad in scrapbooking paper. Nestle items in a ceramic mug or paper bag stuffed with dried moss and faux feathers. Attach a name card with ribbon.

Improvise an Easter basket using a sweet straw hat. Fill it with softly colored eggs, either hollowed or artificial. Personalize with rub-on letters or even notes tucked inside, if you're using hollowed eggs.To empty an egg, use a long needle to gently prick a small hole into each of the egg's two ends. Pierce the yolk with the needle and then gently blow into one hole, pushing the contents out the other end.

You can't go wrong with watercolors and eggs-the eggs will look beautiful no matter what you do. But here are some basic decorating techniques:Dotted: Dip a round sponge dauber in paint. Press and lift to make  polka dots. Mix different shades and sponge sizes.Banded: Wet a flat brush and dip in paint. Brush up and down around the egg to form a wide stripe with jagged edges.Marbled: Use a round brush to apply a base color. While it's wet, add another shade using a generous amount of water so the paints blend and swirl.

Add height to your Easter table by stacking a teapot on top of a pedestal serving piece. Place a vibrant bouquet in the teapot and surround the base with colored eggs.

Look for natural accents in your backyard to add to Easter eggs. Petals, leaves, feathers and even blades of grass add an earthy appeal to eggs. Paint a portion of the egg with matte Mod Podge, then place a thin natural object on the web surface. Smooth in place and apply another coat of Mod Podge on top.

Rinsed eggshells with just a tiny opening for fresh flowers and greenery pair nicely with dyed eggs in a carton.

To create this contemporary Easter centerpiece, we placed wheat grass in a galvanized metal tray and propped poppies on top using garden wire. White egg cups also hold wheatgrass and a place card.

Set a pretty Easter tabletop with inexpensive pastel gingham fabrics, ribbons and simple white dishware.With pinking shears, cut a tablecloth to fit your table. Dress up napkins with decorative trim, such as rickrack. Wrap ribbons around a white centerpiece container and coordinating ramekins (or egg holders) for the place settings. To make place cards out of colored eggs, apply names with adhesive letters from a crafts supply store, or use your own white ink script.Layer dessert plates for color, then nestle eggs and perky daisies in fresh wheatgrass from a health-food or pet-food store.

This decorating technique is easy enough for kids (or grandkids) to lead the way. Just brush washable tempera paint on boiled white eggs with a 1/2˝-wide flat paintbrush.

Tissue paper and washi tape dress up plain white eggs in minutes. For the polka-dot eggs, use a hole punch to make tissue paper dots. Apply a glue stick to the egg, then adhere the dots. (To pick up dots, dampen your fingertip so dots will stick to it, then press them onto the egg.) To create the striped eggs, wrap with pieces of washi tape or patterned paper tape from a crafts store.

If you've got some extra veggies or fruits, you've got the basics for creating natural dyes. Simmer foods such as beets, apple peels, carrots, red cabbage or red onion peels in a cup of water, then add a dash of vinegar to create your dye. Soak eggs from a few minutes to overnight for a range of colors. See next slide for 4 egg dye "recipes."

You can experiment with whatever fruits, veggies, herbs and spices you have on hand to create your own dyes, but here are four ideas to get you started:

Yellow Add 6 tablespoons turmeric and 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 4 cups hot water and stir until dissolved.

Blue Add one head of shredded purple cabbage to to 4 cups boiling water. Sir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cabbage with a slotted spoon (save it for a recipe, if you like).

Orange Add the skins of 6 yellow onions to 3 cups boiling water. Stir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the dye.

Red Cut 6 medium beets into chunks and add them to 4 cups boiling water. Stir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the beets with a slotted spoon (save them for a recipe, if you like).