Easy Confetti Egg Craft

Confetti Egg Craft

You need empty egg shells, glue, tissue paper scraps and confetti.

You can make your own confetti by hole punching colored paper but I found a big bag for 1.00 at the dollar store. We used glue sticks but you could also use bottled glue.

To empty the eggs I just took a butter knife and gently hit the small end of the egg straight down into it and then pulled the shell away until I got a small opening and then poured the egg into a bowl (I made scrambled eggs with these) wash out the egg shell and let it dry inside completely.

Glue on tissue paper add the confetti in the egg and put a larger piece of paper over the hole and we nestled ours into a coffee filter nest. On Easter they can throw them and let the confetti fly.

Easy to Make Bunny Bread

Bunny Bread

You will need frozen bread dough for the bunny rabbit body and almond slices for the teeth and mini chocolate chips or raisins for eyes to make these.

Use frozen bread dough to make bunny rabbits. We did this and tried several different bunnies shapes.

We used almond slices for the bunny teeth. You could also use your own bread dough that you make in place of the frozen dough.

The dough does spread so beware you may have giant bunny rabbits when you get them out of the oven.

Easy Yarn Eggs Craft

Yarn Eggs

Make these yarn eggs by taking a plastic egg and wrapping it with yarn. Glue the yarn on the egg or you can also tape it.

Easter Nest Candy Recipe

Easter Nests Candy

1 jar marshmallow cream
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 can chow mein noodles
1 cup jelly beans

In a mixing bowl beat marshmallow cream, peanut butter and butter until smooth. Fold in the noodles. Chill until the mixture is easy to handle. Take 1/3 cup of mixture and form into a nest on wax paper. Chill about 30 minutes. Put several jelly beans into each nest for eggs.

Make Your Own Natural Egg Dyes

Natural Egg Dyes

Use these natural dyes for pretty Easter eggs.

For pinkish red - use fresh beets
For orange - use yellow onion skins
For yellow - use ground turmeric
For pale green - use spinach leaves
For blue - use canned blueberries
For beige to brown - use strong brewed coffee
For brown-orange - use chili powder

Place eggs in a saucepan, then cover with water. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar per each cup of water used and one of the natural items above depending on the color you want. Simmer eggs for 20 minutes.

The darker you want the color use more of the naturals and for a lighter color use less.

How to Make an Easter Bunny Cake

How to Make an Easter Bunny Cake
by Monica Resinger


The Easter bunny cakes that you can buy from the bakeries in grocery stores can be quite expensive; by making your own, you'll save money. Here's how.

You'll need:

any flavor cake mix
a round cake pan
white frosting (purchased or homemade)
stiff construction paper in white, black and pink
glue

Optional:
Easter grass
jellybeans
shredded coconut

Directions: Prepare the cake mix according to package directions and bake it in the round cake pan. Most cake mixes make enough batter for two round cake pans; therefore you can make two bunny cakes or make cupcakes with the rest of the batter if you only want to make one bunny cake. After the cake has cooled, remove it from the pan and cut the circle in half. With white frosting, frost the bottom of one of the halves generously, then stand the two halves up on their cut side on a plate or cake stand and push the two bottoms together so the frosting is in the middle holding them together. Now frost the whole thing. It should look like a half circle standing on a plate; this is the body of the bunny.

For the eyes, cut two round circles out of white construction paper, then two smaller circles out of black construction paper and glue each black circle onto a white circle. Stick the eyes onto the frosting on the front of the bunny body (one of the narrow ends).

For the ears, cut bunny ear shapes, in proportion with the body, out of white construction paper. Cut smaller bunny ear shapes out of the pink construction paper and glue them onto the white ones to make the center of the ear. When glue has dried, insert the bottom of the ears into the frosting about an inch above the eyes.

For further decoration, lay Easter grass around the cake, place jellybeans on top of the grass and put coconut on the frosting of the cake as bunny hair. This cake makes a nice centerpiece for your table. Use it with a vase of in season flowers and there you have it.

Monica is the founder Homemaker's Journal E-publications, the growing home of many fun and informative home and garden e-books, tip sheets, articles and more!
Get a FREE Slowcooker Recipe E-book when you subscribe to Monica's FREE e-zine for homemakers! To subscribe  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/HomemakersJournal/info

5 Things To Do With Jelly Beans

5 Things To Do With Jelly Beans

When Easter is over you probably have lots of jelly beans left and the kids are already tired of eating them. I hope you can use these ideas for using up your bounty of jelly beans.

1. Celebrate National Jelly Bean Day on April 22.

2. Have the kids sort and graph the jelly bean colors.

3. Put jelly beans in a jar and have the family guess how many is in it and the closest guess gets a prize.

4. Make Jelly Bean Fudge

5. Put some jelly beans in cellophane bags or zipper style snack baggies and give to your extended family and friends.

Jelly Bean Fudge Recipe

Jelly Bean Fudge

2 cups white chocolate chips
1 (16 ounce) container vanilla frosting
2 cups jelly beans

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and grease lightly. Melt the chips according to the package directions or in a heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add the frosting and stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Fudge mixture should still be easy to stir, but not hot enough to melt the jelly beans.) Add the jelly beans and stir well to incorporate evenly. Spread the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove the foil and fudge from the pan together and place on a cutting surface. Carefully remove the foil and cut the fudge into small pieces.

Easy Easter Ideas and Activities

11 Simple Tips For Easter Fun
 
Here are some easy ways to celebrate Easter with the kids.

1. Make paper plate bunnies. Simply take one white paper plate and cut 2 ear shapes from it and staple or glue them to the top of another white paper plate and draw a face on it. Glue cotton balls around the edge of the plate.


2. Cut out construction paper Easter eggs and color and paint them to hang around the house.

3 .Use rabbit, chick, cross and egg shaped cookie cutters for toast, sandwiches, brownies, rice krispie treats and more.

4. Color your own eggs by making your own egg dye. Try beet juice, kool aid and anything that has color.

5. Make Easter egg holders, cut empty paper towel tubes about 2 inches each and wrap in colorful paper. You can then sit your eggs on them.

6. Cut out construction paper egg shapes and write a Bible verse on each one about what Easter is really about.

7. Make small Easter baskets and deliver to nursing homes to those residents that never get visitors and to your elderly neighbors.

8. Read the Easter story in the Bible and some Easter books.

9. Have an Easter egg hunt and invite children of the community.

10 .Decorate an outside tree with plastic Easter eggs.

11. Have a special breakfast, lunch or dinner on Easter Sunday!

The Easter Story KJV

The Easter Story

Luke 23:33 - And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Mark 16:1- 7
1 - And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 - And very early in the morning the first day of the week, the came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 - And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 - And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 - And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 - And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 - But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you

The Jelly Bean Prayer Easter Activity

The Jelly Bean Prayer

RED is for the blood He gave.
GREEN is for the grass He made.
YELLOW is for the sun so right.
ORANGE is for the edge of night
BLUE is for the sins we made.
WHITE is for the grace He gave.
PURPLE is for His hour of sorrow.
PINK is for our new tomorrow.
A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet,
Is a prayer, is a promise, is a special treat.

Put the appropriate color of jelly beans in a bag and attach the poem above.

Easy Easter Basket Cupcakes

Easter Basket Cupcakes

1 box cake mix in the flavor of your choice
Cake icing (tinted green with food coloring)
Coconut (tinted green with food coloring)
Jelly beans
Colored pipe cleaners

Prepare cupcakes as directed on cake mix package. Apply green tinted icing that has been tinted green like grass with green food coloring. Add green tinted coconut. Next, place jelly bean "eggs" on "grass." Add colored pipe stems, bending to resemble Easter basket handles.

How to Make Resurrection Cookies for Easter Activity

Resurrection Cookies

1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read
Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!

On the first Resurrection day Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matthew 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!

How to Make Easter Marshmallow Treats

Easter Marshmallow Treats

This is a simple way to make a treat similar to a certain yellow marshmallow that is popular during Easter time.

You will need marshmallows and colored sugar.

I put about ½ cup of sugar in a plastic ziplock bag and then added a few drops of food coloring and closed the bag and squished it around until I got the desired color of yellow and pink that I was looking for.

Next I wet the marshmallows by running water over them or you could dip them in water in a small bowl. Then I dabbed the excess water off with a paper towel and this left the marshmallows slightly sticky. Then simply roll the marshmallow in the sugar and shake of the excess. They will still be a little damp so you will need to let them dry so the sugar sticks better. Store them in an airtight container.

They tasted just fine to me and were very simple to make. If you wanted to make different shapes you can use the recipe below and cut out shapes with cookie cutters and in the place of the coconut you can use the colored sugar. Remember to spray your cookie cutters with nonstick cooking spray so the marshmallows do not stick to them.

Marshmallows
2 packs Knox gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup white corn syrup

Pour gelatin into a large bowl and add cold water. Stir until dissolved and add 1/4 cup boiling water; set aside. In a saucepan add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup boiling water. Boil until dissolved, then add 1 cup white syrup. Pour this mixture into gelatin and cool by stirring often. When cold, beat with mixer until it stands in peaks. Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan lined with toasted coconut and spread coconut on top. Cool until set, cut into squares and roll in coconut to coat cut sides. Store in large glass jar.

How To Color and Decorate Those Easter Eggs

How To Color and Decorate Those Easter Eggs

Children and adults love to decorate Easter eggs for the big hunt or to use for decorations around the home. My children and I have experimented with a few ideas and wanted to pass them along to you. As always use precautions when working on any kind of project.

You will need to have your eggs boiled for these projects.


Color Your Eggs With Food Coloring

Have a small bowl for each food coloring color you want to use and any mixed colors you want to make. Add 1 cup of hot water along with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to each bowl and then measure ¼ teaspoon of food coloring into each bowl and mix. Then add your eggs to the mixture and allow them to soak until you get the desired color you want about 5 minutes or longer.
Refer to this chart as a guideline to make other colors with basic food coloring. For deeper colors add more until you get the color you prefer.

Purple- About 5 drops of red coloring and 15 drops of blue
Teal- 5 drops of blue coloring and 15 drops of green
Raspberry - 14 drops of red coloring and 6 drops of blue

Making Designs on The Eggs

To make various designs on the eggs you can use some of the ideas below.

Marbleized Look
Simply place several eggs in a strainer type bowl and pour vinegar over them, after this is done drip a few drops of your food coloring choice and roll them around in the strainer and then proceed to add your other color choices until you get the effect you are looking for. Let each color set on the eggs about 30 seconds before adding the next color. Then rinse them and let dry.

Rubber Band Technique
For this you will need a large rubber band to wrap around the egg several times but still leaving some of the egg shell exposed. Then you put the egg in the food color of your choice and allow it to sit until you get the desired effect you want. Rinse with cool water and then let dry.

White Crayon Messages
Use a white crayon to draw designs or write things on the egg shell. The next step is to put the egg in the food color of your choice and allow it to sit until you get the desired effect you want. Rinse with cool water and then let dry. I hope you find these ideas and tips helpful and fun as an
Easter activity for the family. Just remember that candy eggs are fun to eat and plastic eggs are fun to find with treats inside but coloring your own Easter eggs is an activity in which you can make some fun memories.

How to Make an Easter Basket Cake

Make this cute Easter basket cake that will also double as an Easter table centerpiece.

You will need the following supplies to make the Easter basket cake:

• 2 round cakes
• 1 can of white cake icing
• several candy Easter eggs
• 1 bag of jelly beans
• 1 bag of coconut
• 1 small bottle of green food coloring
• fork
• 1 pack of pipe cleaners - enough to make the handle
• pastel colored ribbon

How to Make a Basket Weave Pattern on a Cake

Put one of the round cakes on a pretty plate or cake stand, a pastel color would look very colorful for springtime. First you will need to get started by frosting the cake with the white cake icing first and then putting the second cake on top and frost it. Make a basket weave pattern in the cake icing on the sides of the cake. To do this you will need a fork and then simply use your fork to draw one inch long horizontal lines and then vertical lines in the frosting. Do this all the way around the sides of the cake, this will make it look like a basket.

How to Color Coconut

To color the coconut for the cake you will need to tint the coconut with the green food coloring. You will need enough colored coconut to cover the top of the cake. Just take the amount of coconut you want and put it in a glass jar with a lid and add enough green coloring until you get the shade of green you want. Shake the jar to distribute the coloring around. Pour it out onto a plate and dab off any excess wetness with a paper towel, you could also put this in a ziplock bag and squish it around to distribute the color.

Make the Easter Basket Cake Decorations

Take the colored coconut and scatter it on top of the cake to look like grass. You can now use the candy Easter eggs or jelly beans to put on the top of the cake to make it look like eggs in a basket.

How to Make the Handle for Cake Basket

To make the basket handle you will need to twist 4 or 5 pipe cleaners together and make them long enough to go from one side of the cake to the other. When you have them twisted together, take your pastel ribbon and begin covering it from one end to the other. You can attach tape to each end to hold it. When you have it covered simply bend into a handle shape and push one end down into the cake and then push the other end of the handle into the other side of the cake.