Do you decorate for Easter? I don’t. Unless foil candy wrappers intermingling with piles of Easter grass scattered effortlessly across the floor can be considered decorating in which case yes, that was my house you saw in that issue of Better Homes and Gardens at the doctor's office.
But this year, I decided to kick my house fluffing up a notch.
With toilet paper rolls.
Like many families at Easter, we pretty up our eggs with colour. In the past I’ve even shared some of my favourite techniques using traditional dye baths as well as all natural food-based dips. And this Easter will likely be no different. However, this spring, I’ve upped the ante with some creative egg holders that don’t just say, "welcome spring”, they climb to the top of the tallest tree in the yard and shout it loud enough for the neighbours to hear.
So if you’re ready to dazzle your family with magazine-worthy table decor, just head to the bathroom. Start saving your toilet tissue rolls now to be ready in time for Easter brunch. Or better yet, ask your kids to do it. You won’t believe how quickly your toilet paper supply diminishes.
Oh and by the way, kids of ALL ages can participate in making these. Little ones can paint the insides of the rolls while older kiddos can also glue the paper. And tweens can make them completely on their own.
If you're wondering where to find patterned paper, visit the scrapbooking section of any craft or department store. I scored a pack of 240 sheets of scrapbooking paper at Michaels on sale for $8! I've scrapbooked exactly zero times in my life, but I do love the paper because it can be used for a multitude of arts and crafts projects that don't include photos of my child's soccer team.
Paint the inside of the toilet paper rolls using a paint that offers good coverage. I recommend acrylic but you could probably get away with a good quality tempera or poster paint.
Let the paint dry thoroughly. Pretty, right?
Measure and cut the patterned paper by laying a roll onto the back of the paper and making pencil marks where the cuts need to be made. Don't worry about nailing the exact size because you can always trim later.
Cover the outside of the toilet paper roll - completely - with glue. Use a piece of cardboard to spread the glue. We used cardboard from a box we cut apart.
Lay the toilet paper roll on the cut paper and roll it until covered. Smooth it out and let it dry completely.
Cut into the decorated roll halfway down to create strips.
Fold the strips out to make a flower.
Place eggs into the centres of the tp roll flowers. Cut some green paper into leaf shapes to place beneath the flowers. But only if you want to.
You can use your new fancy floral egg holders to display eggs of all kinds. Raw eggs, boiled eggs, brown eggs, white eggs, painted eggs, dyed eggs, plastic dollar store eggs... it's up to you.
I'm here to inspire, not to judge.
Try it yourself!
RELATED: 5 Candy-Free Easter Ideas
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