Spring ~ Decorating and Entertaining!

Spring is here! I have been looking forward to transforming my house for Spring for the past few weeks and am so happy that it is finally time to “hop” into action! Whether you are hosting an Easter party in a couple of weeks, or just want to create the mood for Spring in your home, these tips will help you go from developing your color palate to planning an Easter party to remember!

 

DECORATING

When to Decorate 

I always recommend decorating at the beginning of the season or month of a holiday. Decorating takes time and you will want the whole month or season to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Whenever possible, I try to decorate when my kids are engrossed in another activity or out of the house. It is impossible (at least for me) to enjoy decorating and get your creative juices flowing if you have to break up sibling rivalry or change  a poopy diaper in the middle of decorating.

When you can have some time to yourself, turn on your favorite music, pour yourself a tasty beverage and get creative!

 

Gathering Supplies

Going out and buying all of your supplies for Spring at one time can be pricey. Try to buy one or two decorations that you love each year and, over time, you will have a spectacular collection of decorations. Michael’s offers fantastic in-season sales — I got 30% off all my Easter/Spring decor this week! Yippee! Costs Plus World Market is another amazing resource for finding affordable and adorable Spring items.

 

Color Pallet

The traditional colors for Spring are pink, lavender, mint green, baby blue, pale yellow, tangerine. Working with some or all of these colors will make your decor fresh for Spring!

 

Flowers

For Spring, fill your home and garden with daffodils, tulips, lilies and gerber daisies. These flowers are in season, readily available, and will make your house look cheery for Spring!

 

Where to Decorate

Decorating your dining room table or other central area of your home can be a great focal area for your Spring decorations. Choose to focus on the places that guests first see when they walk in your front door or the places where your family spends the most time. Once your home is decorated,  you and your guets will want to be able to enjoy it!

 

DECORATING IDEAS

This year, I decided to create an Easter Tree for my dining room centerpiece. It was quite simple to make and it makes me SO happy every time I walk in the room. I purchased all of ornaments from Costs Plus World Market and Michaels.I combined a few different table runners I had in my repertoire and pulled out candles from our wedding to give the table an elegant feel. I love Spring flowers, so I added two simple vases with fresh pink tulips!

 

 

 

I love to decorate the kids’ table and make it a place they will enjoy being. Here is an idea for your kids’ table this Spring!

 

I love having place cards for parties (a crafty trait I inherited from my mom)! These little animals place cards are small wooden toys I found at Costs Plus World Market! Adorable and fun – love it!

Bring Spring decor into other areas of your home! Incorporate the Spring color palate and flowers to create cheery niches all over your home. I love adding florals to my kitchen and bathrooms — it makes the rooms so refreshing!

I made a wreath in December that I absolutely LOVE and have left up in my kitchen to enjoy all year long. Click here for more details on how to create your own wreath.For Spring, I wanted to take a new spin on the idea and was inspired to create this wreath for Spring! I love it because the colors are uplifting, the words are inspiring and the photos of past Easter celebrations are nostalgic! Creating it was fairly simple and I was lucky enough to find these adorable clothes pins at Costs Plus World Market which made giving the wreath that little something special easy as pie!

 

 

 ENTERTAINING

Now that your house is decorated, it’s time to invite your friends and family over for a Springtime celebration! When I entertain, I focus on decor (already done!), food and activities.

Food

The tradition in our family is to serve food for our Springtime party in Easter baskets. Adults and kids alike LOVE eating their lunch out of a basket made especially for them! Using baskets also means that there are no dishes to wash at the end of the party! Yippee! Simply toss out the trash and save the baskets for the following year!

Another great perk to the baskets are that  you don’t need to set your table for a meal. Guests can pick up their baskets and dine pretty much anywhere; at a table, on their laps, or in your garden! Make sure to tie napkins and utensils to each basket so your guests will have everything they need to dine at their fingertips!

 

If you are not sure what foods to include in your baskets, here are some ideas:

• Whip up some good ‘ole PB&J. Use cookie cutters to create sandwiches shaped as bunnies, ducks or other Springtime icons.
• Small croissant sandwiches are ideal basket items for adults.
• Use Easter-shaped pasta to create pasta salads, macaroni & cheese or simply serve it plain to the kids!
• Fruit salads and green salads are great for baskets! Serve your salads in Chinese take-out boxes!
• Give your guests a sweet treat! Treat your guests to Easter chocolate or some jelly beans to satisfy their sweet tooth after their lunch!

 

Activities

Egg Hunts: Like many families, an Easter egg hunt, is a tradition we enjoy every year! Make sure to vary the difficulty of where you hide the eggs so participants young and old can enjoy the game! While most families fill their plastic eggs with candy, you can also consider filling eggs with stickers, temporary tattoos, small toys, or our family’s favorite, dollar bills!

 

Egg Dying: Dying Easter eggs is a time-honored tradition! Prepare your table and supplies before the party and let your guests get crafty! Our family uses plastic table cloths for this table so that spills don’t ruin the fun! If your little ones will be wearing their “Easter bests,” it isn’t a bad idea to have aprons, smocks or old t-shirts on hand to keep those special outfits squeaky clean!

 

Egg Cracking Game: This game is our family’s favorite!

Here are the simple rules:

1. Make sure that your dyed eggs are completely dry and are not cracked!
2. Let each guests choose one egg.
3. Form two single-file lines facing each other. Each guest should have someone directly across from them.
4. Have the partners approach each other and tap each other’s eggs until one cracks. If you do this correctly, only one will crack.
5. All players with cracked eggs are eliminated.
6. Guests line up again and tap their eggs against a new opponent.
7. Repeat until only egg remains uncracked!
8. Congratulate the winner! *We usually award the winner with a small prize. — Think  along the lines of a coffee gift card!

 

How Many Jelly Beans Are In The Jar?: Allow your guests to test their estimating skills by guessing how many jelly beans are in the jar! Providing small slips of paper and a small container makes this game easy for guests of all ages. Award the guest with the guess closest to the number with a small prize!

Still looking for other ideas? Consider…

• A visit from the Easter bunny! (One lucky adult will love getting this job!)
• Decorating cookies

 

What is your favorite Spring decor/entertatining tip or family tradition!? Share with us!