20 Easter Table Crafts and Favors

If you're someone like Martha, Easter is a holiday celebrated with happy fanfare. Every spring, she hosts an Easter lunch by sending out invitations to family and friends, preparing a buffet of vibrant seasonal dishes, and dyeing hundreds of eggs for children to find. Among her preparations, she arranges the house with whimsical and elegant thematic decorations. And of all the rooms, there is one communal space that needs her special attention to detail: The table, of course.

The table is where guests gather for the meal, enjoying each other's company and the delights that await them at their designated place. Upon taking their seat, perhaps they'll find a miniature basket of jelly-bean candy, a napkin folded into the shape of a bunny, or a single egg calligraphed with their name as a place card. Wow them with a centerpiece of decorative baskets or bright flower arrangements. Line the surface with custom tablecloths and folded napkins. Organize everyone's seat with a place card, leave them a surprise in the form of a personalized party favor, and everything needed for a guest's place setting. Last but not least, add spring motifs to round out the scene: bunny rabbits, young chicks, or a set of colorfully dyed eggs.

Your home is fresh from spring cleaning and decorated for the holiday—from the front door to the outdoors—and now all that remains is the dining table. Mix and match our creative ideas for your Easter table display or use them as inspiration to hatch your own style.

These napkin rings are just the botanical bling your spring table needs. And they come together with ease and elegance, thanks to two unexpected resources: inexpensive Czech glass, which is commonly used to make ornate chandeliers, and good old crafts-store glass beads. Use gold wire to shape rings, then twist on the "leaves" and "berries."

Shop Now: Gold 18 Gauge Wire, $5.28, walmart.com. Bead Gallery Amazonite Round Beads, $6, michaels.com.

A brunch gets a splash of orange with baskets of French tulips—when closed, the flowers evoke eggs. Playing on that theme, we added dishes of jelly beans, also egg shaped. Marzipan carrots might entice the Easter bunny to the table. To make a tulip arrangement, place a plastic liner inside a basket, and bank clumps of wheatgrass (with a bit of soil still attached) around the edges. Cut tulip stems to about two inches, and nestle them in the center; pour water into the liner. Replenish water regularly, and the display should last up to a week.

What's the saying? A-tisket, a-tasket, a green and yellow basket. This one is filled with jelly bean candies, which makes it a place setting, party favor, and part of the décor all in one.

Transform paper-cutout Easter eggs into place cards and charming favors by inscribing them with guests' names. Make these creations by dyeing blown-out eggs. Let dry. Lay paper (solid color, no thicker than construction paper) for silhouettes faceup on work surface. Lay a sheet of transfer paper facedown on silhouette paper. Place template printout on top; trace character outlines with a ballpoint pen. Cut silhouettes along transferred outlines using small scissors. Coat back of one cutout with decoupage glue using a small brush. Apply cutout to egg; smooth using tip of brush handle. Let dry. Repeat, adding cutouts as desired. Apply decoupage glue to entire egg with a medium brush. Let dry. Thread a 10-inch length of one-eighth-inch-wide silk ribbon through the eye of a long needle. Insert needle in bottom hole of blown-out egg; draw it up through top hole. Leave a hanging loop at the top, and draw needle back down through top and bottom holes. Knot ribbon two to three times near bottom hole (make sure knot doesn't slip through the hole). Trim ribbon ends. Hang eggs from quince or other spring-blooming branches that are secured inside a vessel weighted with stones.

Shop Now: Paper Mate Write Bros Stick Ballpoint Pen, $4.03, walmart.com. White Silk Look Wired Edge Ribbon, $2, hobbylobby.com. Transfer Paper by Craft Smart, $8, michaels.com.

Spring, more so than anytime of year, boasts colors of the rainbow. Paint to transform an assortment of decorative eggs in pretty pastels as a centerpiece for the dining table.

Inspired by the Victorian era's ornate panorama sugar eggs, this palette of pretty pastels—created with drops of ordinary food coloring—is sweet but not cloying, and the eggs can be left solid (as decorations) or hollowed out to become containers for treats.

Craft a field of daffodil-shaped candy dishes for a fanciful table display. All you need is in the kitchen: coffee filters, scissors, and food coloring. Pour water with a few drops of food coloring into bowls. Dye a few filters green. Dip the open end of a larger stack in yellow. Remove, and let dry while stacked upside down. (Note: Coffee filters hold their shape best when dyed in a stack.) Paint cups with food coloring mixture. (Do some interiors, some exteriors, some both.) Separate dyed filters when dry. Fold one in half, and snip into fluted part every few inches. Trim snips into rounded petals. Unfold. Cut green filters into leaf shapes. Glue cup to center of filter. Glue green leaves to underside of filter.

Shop Now: Melitta Paper Coffee Filters, $8.95, walmart.com. Kingart Studio Brush Set, $25.89, joann.com. Silver Metallic Glue Gun by ArtMinds, $7, michaels.com.

Brighten a clutch of undyed eggs with stylized patterns from paper napkins, then tuck them into chipboard baskets to give as Easter favors.

Shop Now: Chipwood Bushel Basket with Handle by Ashland, $7, michaels.com. Farmhouse Foliage Paper Napkins, $6, hobbylobby.com.

Who's that hopping down the bunny trail? It's the Easter Bunny! And behind him, he's toting a small painted berry basket of candy and treats. Cut one piece of dowel four-and-one-half inches for axle. Cut two pieces eight inches for harness. Stick shorter piece (axle) into hole of one wheel; glue if needed. Paint wheel and axle, leaving one inch exposed at free end. Paint longer dowels (harness), wheel, and exterior of basket. Snip straw two inches to slightly shorter than width of basket. Glue to underside of basket. Slide axle through straw (slit straw lengthwise if axle won’t fit), and cap with free wheel. Slide other dowels into basket, and secure with hot glue. (If larger opening is needed, cut with craft knife.) Cut crepe paper along the grain to fit top edges of basket. Fold in half lengthwise, and tape to basket. Measure, cut, fold, and glue a piece for harness.

Shop Now: Birch Dowels, $4, craftparts.com. Silver Metallic Glue Gun by ArtMinds, $7, michaels.com. Pearl Metallic Craft Paint, $1.60, hobbylobby.com.

When folded in a series of simple steps, thin paper can become sturdy enough to hold an egg in place. The cups can double as fun place-card holders for Easter: just write a guest's name on each egg with a colored marker.

Shop Now: Crayola Fine Line Super Tips Washable Markers, $3.97, walmart.com. 

As a centerpiece for the table, these whimsical eggs are made with papier-mâché. The "cracked" tops make pretty dishes for foil-wrapped chocolates and candy eggs.

Shop Now: Premium Matte Metallic Acrylic Paint by Craft Smart, $2, michaels.com.

Adding a whimsical touch to a springtime tablescape is as easy as scooping up store-bought Easter basket staples and making a thoughtful arrangement. Handfuls of candy eggs and paper grass—placed just so—look like a bird's nest when perched atop each guest's plate.

Shop Now: Easter Crinkle Grass Green, $2.50, target.com. Martha Stewart Collection Whiteware Rim Dinner Plate, $10, macys.com. Gold Lunch Napkins By Celebrate It, $4, michaels.com.

Embossed-foil decorations known as Dresdens make the most elegant toppers for these gift boxes. Pass them out to guests as favors, filled with wrapped candy. Start by printing large and small egg templates. Cut a piece of watercolor paper large enough to fit lid template twice. Mount colored paper to both sides of watercolor paper with spray adhesive. Trace lid twice and cut out with craft knife. Cut a piece of watercolor paper large enough to fit each of the inset egg templates. Mount colored paper to one side of watercolor paper with spray adhesive. Trace eggs and cut out with  craft knife. Sand edges of all cut eggs. Cut two strips of watercolor paper. Paint edges and one side, and let dry. Repeat for other side. With paint pen, edge sides of two egg lids. Working a few inches at a time, squeeze glue along edge of one inset egg, and bend corresponding-side strip to attach. Ends will overlap by about a three-fourth inch. Secure with binder clip as it dries. Repeat with other inset egg and side strip, and let dry. Remove clips. Glue egg lids to inset eggs, creating top and bottom of box.

Shop Now: Strathmore Watercolor Paper Pad, $6.49, target.com. Martha Stewart Swivel Cutting Knife, $13, michaels.com. Antique Gold Metallic Paint, $4.89, hobbylobby.com.

Give egg-shaped boxes a natural touch with speckled paint, butterflies, and a rabbit cut from decorative paper. To begin, cover work surface with scrap paper. Paint exterior of an egg-shaped papier-mache box with acrylic craft paint as desired. Mix equal parts of a contrasting-color paint and water in a bowl. Dip a toothbrush into thinned paint; shake off excess. With bristles facedown over box, draw the handle of a small brush across bristles to spray dots of paint. (Practice on scrap paper first.) Let dry. Cut out butterflies from decorative paper using small scissors. Attach a flat butterfly: Coat back of cut-out with Mod Podge using brush. Apply cutout to box; smooth using tip of brush handle. Let dry.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Confetti Glitter Acrylic Craft Paint, $5, michaels.com. Roylco Decorative Hues Paper, $21.34, target.com. Oval Paper Mache Boxes, $2.79, hobbylobby.com.

Bring the outdoors in! For a larger-than-life centerpiece, bring bright color and soft texture to the table by molding eggs in a variety of sizes from sheet moss.

Shop Now: Ashland Deco Moss, $8.49, michaels.com.

Dyed eggs are so pretty, they deserve to be put on display. Individually or grouped together in a centerpiece, these tiny arrangements—with small cuttings of lilacs, lily of the valley, and violas—make a wonderful addition to the place settings at your table. To make, break an egg at the top of its shell, drain the contents, and carefully rinse out the inside. Next, fill the empty shell with room-temperature water and place it in an eggcup for stability. Finally, insert small cuttings of your favorite blossoms (we used lilacs, lily of the valley, and violas).

Shop Now: Hic 400220 Double Egg Cup Porcelain, $6.88, walmart.com. Bloomerang Dark Purple Reblooming Lilac (Syringa) Live Shrub, $29.60, homedepot.com. 

Dishes for sweets become well suited to spring when they're disguised as fuzzy birds' nests. Cover the outside of a bowl with double-sided tape. Wind a ball of yarn (we used mohair) around the bowl until its exterior is hidden. To finish, securely tuck the loose end behind the wrapped yarn.

Shop Now: Red Heart Hygge Charm Yarn, $7, hobbylobby.com. 3M Scotch Double Sided Tape Dispenser Roll, $3.24, walmart.com. 

These cheerful paper bunnies multiply quickly, thanks to their simple construction. Start by downloading and printing the bunny template. Trace onto vellum; cut out shape. Punch two holes in head; thread with yarn. Repeat as desired. Cut an 11 by two-and-one-half-inch strip of vellum. Position upright template so ears fall two-and-one-half inches below top edge. Trace; cut out. Fill two-and-one-half by one by six-inch cellophane bags with favors. Wrap vellum around bag, fold top edges together, and punch two holes for ribbon tie. Trace template onto vellum; cut out. Repeat. Coat back of one rabbit and top one-half inch of a six-inch bamboo skewer with a glue stick. Sandwich the stick between two rabbits. Dry between the pages of a magazine for 30 minutes.

Shop Now: Elmer's Glue-All Multi-Purpose Glue, $1.24, walmart.com. Loops & Thread All-Purpose Thread, $2.29, michaels.com. Drafting & Design Vellum Paper, $10, hobbylobby.com.

This idea is a napkin fold and favor in one: the linen napkin is wrapped as two rabbit ears around an egg (decorated with charming, smiley features).

Shop Now: Linen Fabric, $17, hobbylobby.com. 

Surprise little bunnies with a carrot on Easter morning. To begin, loosely wrap orange streamer to form carrot shape, making it thicker at top. Tuck in gifts as you work. Press end of paper down into top. Fold green crepe paper in half across its grain. Download leaf template, and trace onto folded paper. Cut out; bunch up. Tuck leaves into carrot top; secure with dab of hot glue.

Shop Now: Creativity Street Crepe Paper, $16.50, walmart.com. Silver Metallic Glue Gun by ArtMinds, $7, michaels.com. Orange Crepe Streamer, $1, hobbylobby.com.