Even MORE Easter Eggs on Parade!

OK, this really is the last of it!
I just keep finding more and more great ideas to share with you...

 Surround a pillar candle in a glass vase or trifle dish with plastic eggs.

 Gather up your real or plastic eggs and display them by COLOR!

Use all one color containers - white or clear glass, for example - 

or use containers in colors that coordinate with the eggs, as shown above.

*** One of the BEST Easter Egg Hunt ideas I have seen recently is along these lines:

Assign each child one color - They can only collect eggs of that color.
This enables you to hide eggs by age/ accessibility, 

and make sure even the youngest children find eggs!
I think it's BRILLIANT! ***

 Coordinate your eggs with a vignette of special items...
this simple display focuses on warm colors that coordinate with a vintage container.

My Mom found this little manzanita branch mounted in a box at the craft store,

and she decorates it for every season using purchased mini-ornaments...

You can hang regular-size eggs from a branch gathered from your yard or roadside,

using thread or ribbon:

image from thedomesticcurator.com

One Last Idea for you:
When my daughters were young, they would clip plastic eggs into their long hair!
(no image, sorry - the girls would kill me!)

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Common Ground | Be Inspired

The Grass Is Greener When It's Not Plastic!

I have a deep-seated dislike of plastic Easter grass.
With four children, the mess was just more than I could handle!

(and I can't even begin to tell you how many vacuum cleaners that stuff destroyed!!)

So years ago, I started finding alternatives....

the easiest one is just cutting up paper into small strips and crumbling it a bit.
Vintage sheet music, construction paper, wrapping paper - anything works better than plastic!

Another is shown above: fuzzy green 'eyelash' yarn, piled luxuriously in a basket or bowl.

My favorite solution for an abundant bed of 'grass' for a large Easter basket?

It's a BLANKET!
Made from soft, fuzzy green yarn, it's always reminded me of grass...

 I used it to cover a footstool in my home one Spring years ago:

A fuzzy green (or pink, or yellow!) SWEATER would work as a basket liner, too!

One final option is HAY. Yes, REAL hay!  

OK, maybe I mean STRAW.
Grab a mini-bale at the craft store, break the strings that hold it together, 

and fluff it up by shaking it around in a paper grocery bag.

Then fill baskets, galvanized pails, etc. with it to nest your eggs in!

Gorgeous image from Aunt Ruthie's Sugar Pie Farmhouse

Neutral Easter Eggs on Parade

Perhaps the brightly-colored Easter eggs in my last post aren't really your style...

Here are versions of my photos and ideas in a more elegant neutral palette!

This just goes to show how everyday items can be used as details in your decor,
no matter WHAT your style is!

I also gathered up some of my props and created this soft, neutral display

as a centerpiece for a Spring tablescape:

This centerpiece started with a thrifted ceramic pedestal bowl, 

which I covered with a ceramic platter, then accented with a white lace doily.

A nest made from dried daffodil foliage has been lined with shredded vintage sheet music,

and my wooden eggs nestle in along with a spray of vintage white faux narcissus.

My wire birdcagelet covers it all, 

and a 'Spring' scrapbook charm adds a final detail.

If you can't locate wood eggs at your craft supply store,

the neutral style shown here can easily be replicated

by using natural brown eggs, which have been blown out and rinsed!

More ideas in my next post? EGGzactly! 

It's a Small, Small World!

 Guess where I am this morning???

 I'm at the 'It's A Small World' attraction at Disneyland!
( 3:30 AM PDT report time! )

Disney Cast Members, characters, and special guests 
are gathering at Disney Parks around the world 
to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 'It's A Small World' attraction 
with a live sing-a-long of the sweet theme song on a live Good Morning America broadcast.

Edited to add: 
I was on the train that pulled into the It's A Small World attraction facade 
during the GMA segment - 
back row, second car, and you couldn't see any of our faces on television!

But that's okay, because the point is that I was THERE to participate,
and I loved every moment of it! What a dream!!!!

 

I became an official Disney Cast Member just over a month ago, 

after waiting all of my life to do so....

The timing couldn't be more perfect!

My grandfather was an electrician who helped to install the Small World attraction at Disneyland, 

and I could not be happier to be able to participate in honoring him 

and his part in the history of this attraction today.

Thank you, Grandpa Ward, for this gift 

that has touched every generation of our family...

"It's a world of laughter, a world of tears.
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears.
There's so much that we share,
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all.

It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small, small world.

There is just one moon and one golden sun.
And a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide,
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all.

It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small, small world!" 

.

Easter Eggs on Parade!

Pinterest is awash these days with a plethora of ideas
for coloring and decorating Easter Eggs...
Well, I'm throwing my hat in the ring
with a few SIMPLE ideas for using 'everyday items' as bases to display your colorful eggs ON!

Sure, you can use an egg cup. 
My faves are white ceramic ones from Pier 1, which are a very affordable $1.50 each.
 I used them when I created this sweet ornament for someone's very special First Christmas:

They work for Sweet Sweater Snowbabies, and they work for eggs...
but I tend to like to be a bit more original with the way I display things, don't you?!
Using an egg cup to display an egg is just so.... normal.

continue reading to find more easy and unique ways to display Easter eggs:

Vintage Door Bulletin Board

I have a thing for old doors. I love 'em. I collect 'em.
I use them for tabletops and wall art and headboards and shutters and fences and.....
I've made bulletin / inspiration boards out of them!

um... that would be the thing we did BEFORE Pinterest... pinning items on an actual BOARD...

 

Here's the basic 'how-to', Deb version:

First, you need an old / vintage door with an opening in it, like mine shown above.
The opening used to be a window... some doors have inset wood panels,

and you can remove those and use the opening, too.

I bet you can't guess what the bulletin board part is made from!
[no, it's not corkboard! you know that I never use things the way they are expected to be used!]

Here's a clue:

Any guesses?

How about now?

Yup, it's made from an acoustic ceiling tile!

WHY?
They are large, porous (easy to stick pins and tacks into) and pretty cheap.
And when I first made MY board, I found a tile in the garage - so I used it!

You'll need a large rectangular sized acoustic ceiling tile to fill the opening in a door.
Measure the opening on your door, and draw lines on the acoustic tile as a cutting guide.

Then cut the tile by using an electric carving knife!
[ Just like styrofoam. Wait, you didn't know that about cutting styrofoam?!]

After the tile is cut, wrap the cut edges with duct tape to prevent crumbling.

Then paint your tile and the duct tape with regular house paint -
and because it's already primed white when you buy it, it takes paint really well.

You could cover it with wallpaper, gift wrap, etc if you wanted to.

Then fit the tile into the door's opening from the back side...

most of them have a lip that held the old glass in place, and that will keep the tile from falling forward.

Secure the tile to the back of the door using metal brackets attached across each corner
[ much like the ones used on artist's canvases and frames ].

Or you can do what I did... and just hot glue the tile to the back of the door 

and then add a buncha' duct tape all around the edges for good measure.
It holds the thing in place, and no one is going to SEE the back!!!

Now comes the fun part...

fill it up with clippings and cuttings and photos and quotes,

even dimensional objects and souvenirs and special things

that inspire you and make you smile when you look at them.

.

Finding Your Way Through Wonderland...

I've previously shared info on this marvelous event for women, 

but wanted to share it once more so that no one misses out!

Held once a year in sunny Southern California's vintage & antique community of Orange,

the Launch Your Creativity networking & educational event 

is geared toward women who HAVE a business or who want to START a business.
Whether you will offer your own artisan work, a store, a service, or a franchise 

(natural oils or makeup, for example),

here is where you will find resources, inspiration, encouragement, support, and connection

to women who UNDERSTAND and can EMPOWER you and your business!

The two-day event is coming up soon, and you don't want to be late for this very important date!

Come to Launch, and learn how to navigate 'Wonderland'
("I wonder how to start... I wonder what to do next... I wonder if I can DO this...")
and you'll find yourself on the road to SUCCESS!

Visit the Launch Your Creativity Website HERE 

to learn more about the event and to purchase tickets
Limited seating available
 

PS: The DoubleTree Hilton Inn is located just two miles South of Disneyland !
[ If my Disney work schedule permits, 

I'll be participating in the 'Truth Over Tea' Panel Discussion on Saturday morning ]

Tutorial: Chenille Stem Daffodils

March ends this weekend... and before it's all over,
I wanted to share ONE LAST DAFFODIL PROJECT with you!

About six years ago, I unearthed a bag of vintage yellow chenille stems at a thrift store.

They were the 'wavy' kind - like these (available HERE):

You know that the first thing I thought of when I saw them was daffodils, right?!

As I was playing with them, making daffodils, I came up with an improvement...

the center section became A CROWN.
... and VOILA! 'DIVAdils' were born!

I still have those same Divadils that I made all those years ago
and thought I'd share a quick tutorial for making them...

Please note that these do use PINS, so they are NOT a kid craft project

and are definitely not for kids to play with.

Whatcha' NEED:

 Materials:
'wavy' chenille stems or rope in yellow or white 

regular chenille stem in green + length of baling wire for stem

yellow or white paper . scissors . glue stick to make the paper crown

yellow or white pompom . 2 regular pins . 3 floral pins with pearl ends

Whatcha' DO:

1. starting at one end of chenille stem or rope, fold two 'wavy' sections together - 

and pinch the skinny section in the middle to make one petal. 

then wrap the end to the next skinny section to secure the petal in place.

2. move down the chenille stem and repeat -

 then wrap the next skinny section once around the petal base to secure it.

3. repeat petal process until you have 3 petals (using a chenille stem) or 6 petals (if using chenille rope).
if you have 3 petals, repeat and create another set of three.

4. if you have two sets of three petals, wrap the two remaining end sections together to attach.

with either method, leave an end section to attach the green stem to...

 5. take the green straight chenille stem and wrap it around the baling wire piece to cover it.

create a small hook at the top of the wire, and slip the remaining end section of wavy chenille through it

on the back side of the flower.

6. wrap the wavy chenille around the top 1/2 inch of the green stem to secure it.

 7. place the pom pom in the center of the front of the flower.

hold it in place using the three flower pins with pearl heads - 

stick them through the pom pom and into the chenille flower petals.
you can use hot glue if you want.

 8. cut a strip of paper @ 1" wide and 4" long.
on one side, cut out a crown shaped edge - basically really long, pointy triangles!
then use a pen or pencil to curl the edges of the points outward.
roll the paper into a tube with the points curling outward.

use a glue stick to secure it into a tube.

 9. slip the paper crown over the floral pins and pom pom.

 10. push the two regular pins into the crown (one on each side),

running them through the pom pom to secure the crown to the flower.

11. bend the tips of the petals into various curved shapes - some forward, some back. 

or close them in on themselves for a daffodil 'bud', as shown below...

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also used the same method to create 

these holiday poinsettias from green vintage chenille stems!
[ the centers of these are metallic plastic mini ornaments ]

shared online:

One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}