Thank you to Oriental Trading Company for providing decorating and craft supplies to facilitate this spring and Easter craft project. All opinions expressed are my own.
Some people love to craft new holiday-themed decorations every single year. I am not necessarily one of those people. I enjoy crafting very much, however, I would like to enjoy the fruits of my labor for at least 2 or 3 years. The same philosophy applies to decorating for the various holidays throughout the year. I always decorate for Christmas because the decorations go up about a month before the actual holiday and I am able to enjoy them for several weeks. Putting up decorations for just one week hardly seems worth it to me, especially if spare time is a valuable and rare commodity in your home. That's why I came up with the idea of "convertible" decorations for spring and Easter. Below you will find an easy-to-make wreath and tablescape that can be converted from a springtime theme to an Easter theme and then back to springtime again with just one or two small changes.
Easy Craft: Convertible Spring to Easter Burlap Wreath
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
scissors
Step 1. Fluff the loops on your burlap wreath and decide which part of the circular wreath you would like to be the top. Then decide how you would like your glass pendants to be positioned around the wreath, keeping in mind that the 12 o'clock position should be reserved for the ribbon hanger.
Step 2. Cut a piece of jute cord about 3" in length. Thread the cord through a butterfly pendant and knot the two ends together, yielding a loop that is approximately 1" from the tip of the loop to the base of the knot. Trim off the ends of the cord about 1/8" above the knot. Do this for all the pendants.
Step 3. Cut a piece of jute cord about 5" to 6" long. Slip the end of the cord through a burlap loop in the desired position on the wreath. Tie the cord around the loop tightly. Then slip on a glass pendant using the loop you just tied in Step 2. Tie the cord again tightly. Make a neat bow with the cord (you may double-knot if you would like added security). Make sure the loops on your bow are similar in size. Then trim the ends with scissors so they are a similar length to the bow loops.
Step 4. To hang your wreath from a curtain rod in the window, cut a piece of wired ribbon approximately 3' long. (This could vary depending on how long you need your hanger to be.) Then thread the end of the wired ribbon through your wreath and around your curtain rod, knotting the ends together. Adjust the wired ribbon hanger so that the knot is hidden behind the top of the wreath.
Step 5. To convert this spring wreath into an Easter-themed wreath, simply insert a plush bunny (or a shelf-sitter, rag doll, etc . . . ) into the center of the wreath. I tied two pieces of jute cord around the bunny's neck into a bow for an added touch.
When Easter is over, simply remove the bunny and you have yourself a simple and tasteful spring wreath. Of course, you are always able to change the pendants and cord/ribbon colors to coordinate with your own decor.
The same idea would be applied to a tablescape that can be easily converted from a springtime theme to an Easter theme and then back again. For our tablescape, I used the following items:
silk flowers
natural table runner (with seashells removed)
Mainly, the tablescape consists of a runner with a centerpiece on top surrounded by wired ribbon and garland that run the length of the table. You can change the look of the tablescape simply by changing the contents of the centerpiece, by adding clear lights, or by adding Easter-themed items, like our Mod Podge glitter sand Easter eggs (find out how to make them here). I especially liked the look of the white lights intertwined within the white silk flowers.
These tablescapes would make simple-to-do backdrops for your buffet table, dessert table, goodie bag table, and more. What do you think about this idea of decorations that can convert between holiday and everyday themes? What other holidays would you like to do this for?