Prepare your home for Easter

With the Easter bank holiday shortly upon us (from Friday3^rd April to Monday 6th April), it is worth thinkingahead and preparing how you may celebrate it with friends andfamily.

Easter is an important festival in the Christian calendar andcelebrates the resurrection of Jesus. In the UK, we celebrateEaster by making Easter-themed bonnets, competing in Easter egghunts and eating copious amounts of hot cross buns and largequantities of chocolate after a visit from the Easter bunny.

MOLLY MAID, the professional domestic cleaners, have some novelways in which to decorate your home to celebrate Easter:

Papier mache easter nests filled with home dyed eggs can be madefrom pages from disused activity books or shredded brown lunch bagsand sheets from an old dictionary. You can also use these nests tocorral your decorated Easter eggs.

Step 1:Tightly cover a small bowlwith plastic wrap, then flip the bowl upside down on wax paper. Inanother container, mix equal parts water and clear glue.

Step 2:Dip handfuls of shreddedpaper into the glue mixture, then immediately lay them on the bowluntil it’s covered.

Step 3:Lightly press dry paperstrips along the outside to create a “nesty” look.

Step 4:Allow them to dry for 12hours; carefully pull the wrap off the bowl and away from the nestand you will be left with a beautiful nest to nestle your Eastereggs in

Pretty Patterned Easter Eggs

They look elaborate, but all of these designs can be made withplain old masking tape.

Step 1: Simply cut the tape intostrips to create stripes and tartan patterns, use paper punches forletters or plant and animal shapes), and try craft scissors forwavy bands.

Step 2:Then apply the tape carefullyto the shells of raw eggs, smoothing out any air bubbles, and tintaccording to the dye package’s instructions).

Step 3:Once the shells dry, blow outthe yolks and remove the tape to reveal your motifs. These can thenbe hung onto a homemade Easter tree which children will remember asa family tradition.

Egg-shaped sugared almonds make an especially sweetspring decoration.

Step 1:Take a 12-inch Styrofoamwreath and beginning with the inside circumference, hot-glue thealmonds in place, overlapping a few of them to add dimension.

Step 2:Continue in a circularpattern until the entire front and inner and outer edges of thewreath are covered.

Step 3:Hang with a sturdy piece ofcotton ribbon to match your Easter theme if you have one

To store the wreath, wrap it inpaper, place flat in a box, and keep in a cool, dry spot. It shouldlast for one to two years.

Making an Easter Tree

The Easter tree is a gorgeous decoration that celebrates newgrowth, and new life. It also looks beautiful as a centrepiece onthe kitchen table, and you can arrange Easter eggs beneath it onEaster Sunday just as you would put Christmas presents under thetree on Christmas Day. Although making Easter trees isn’t awidespread custom in the UK, in Germany it’s a tradition thatreaches back for centuries. Eggs are hung on bushes and treesoutside to create an Ostereierbaum, or Easter egg tree. However,it’s also popular to make smaller indoor versions too. Here’s howto brighten up your home this Easter with one of these stunningseasonal decorations!

What you’ll need

Branches – Go out into the garden and cut a selection ofspringtime branches – cherry blossom or curly willow branches wouldwork beautifully, for example.

The branches can be as long or short as you like depending onhow big you want your Easter tree to be, but we recommend usingbranches that are roughly one foot long. Five or six branchesshould be enough to give you a good, bushy tree, but you can varythis according to your tastes. It’s also a good idea to cut somethinner flowering sprays to give the tree some variation. The odddaffodil will look lovely too.

A vase or jug. This will hold your Easter tree, so choosesomething deep enough to keep those branches steady!

Small Easter decorations.  These can bebought or handmade, or a combination of both! Why not decorate withsome of the above pretty patterned eggs. Good Luck!

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