aRTICLE
Style Your Home For Easter
The Easter break is my favourite holiday of the year. I love that we get to spend four days with family and loved ones and enjoy Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday morning services.
By Good Friday the days have started to become cooler and shorter. We tend to spend more time inside in front of the fire or playing board games and eating hearty family meals.
I have fond memories of setting up easter egg hunts for my children when they were little. I can still see the awe on their young faces as they set off on a hunt for Easter eggs. One of my houses had a resident wild rabbit living in the back garden with his burrow adeptly placed near my vegetable patch. I had a lot of fun spinning a tale for my children that the Easter Bunny lived there. I was reminiscing with my youngest son recently about that story where he now laughs at his child-like innocence.
Now that I am a Grammy and have a young grandson, I will be able to plan spaces that help him have those wow moments and have fun creating lifelong memories with him.
Easter Entry Ideas
I like to create an impact for guests as they arrive at the Front door. This year I created several displays to welcome guests and delight children.
These delightful straw bunnies were purchased from Kmart, and I have curated a childlike display using pastel colours which ties in nicely with my peach fuzz theme.
# Tip- The key to styling is to limit your colour selection on each display so that they look cohesive and stylish. Group colours together in different areas.
Easter Table Setting
I like to create my floral art centre piece with living plants. This means the plants can be gifted or later planted in the garden. I have centred my design around the colour Peach fuzz (The Pantone colour of 2024) with green grass to soften the look and create a rabbit garden effect. I used tri-colour peach and yellow pansy plants teamed with Armeria plants to look like grass. Baby tri-coloured carrots were used to create the carrot patch look and the fur rabbits I purchased a few years ago look realistic.
# Tip- Use clear cellophane and elastic bands to keep water contained in the pots, then wrap with hessian and ribbon. I used grey river stones to ground the look and help make the greenery of the plants and the pansy's flowers stand out.
Christian Resurrection Garden
The resurrection garden, as a Christian, is the focus of my display. Easter is the most significant time of year in the bible as we remember Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. As a child, I used to make miniature gardens as part of our annual pet day at primary school and I would spend hours creating small versions of landscapes with ponds and animals.
I recommend turning this into a family event the weekend before or a few days before Easter. Include family participation in the planning and creation of the resurrection garden or make a competition for the best one within your family. During construction of the gardens encourage each person to share what they are most thankful for and why.
# Tip- I used sand in the bottom with green moss available from all good florists. I used Scleranthus ground cover moss plants to create the mound and some chicken wire to form the cave tomb. You can use small cuttings of foliage from your garden.
Sarah's Easter Treats & Gifts
I always like to make gifts that are thoughtful and ideally homemade. These include a pack of homemade shortbread crosses and some chocolate Easter eggs to gift to family or friends.
Another idea is to give a plant that will continue to give pleasure long after Easter. I love to take cuttings off my house plants, and I find most people love a gift that requires nurturing.
# Tip- Colouring books and eggs that can be personalised are great gift ideas for grandchildren, primary school-aged nieces and nephews or friends’ children.
Childrens Crafts For Easter
Easter is a great time to spend family time with your children, grandchildren, or friend’s children. Craft ideas include decorating Easter eggs, making Easter cards to give to Elderly neighbours and my personal favourite is making my Easter bunny shortbread and crosses and including the children to decorate them with coloured icing, sprinkles, or minute Easter eggs. The options are endless, including cakes, cupcakes, hot cross buns etc.
#Tip- I love to make shortbread and decorate it, then place it in cellophane bags. See my recipe below.
Sarah's Shortbread Recipe
250 grams of Butter
1 cup of icing sugar
1 cup of cornflower
2 cups of plain flour or Gluten Free flour
- Cream butter and icing sugar till light and well mixed.
- 2) Add the sifted floors to the creamed butter. Tip- I like putting food gloves on and kneading the dough into a ball.
- Sprinkle some flour onto a board or kitchen bench and roll out to a 6-8mm thickness, then use cutters to cut our shapes. I use a cross and two rabbit shapes.
- Bake at 150 degrees Celsius for 8 minutes or until just set. NB Watch the cooking time as some ovens heat and cook quickly and they can burn easily.
- Remove from oven and stand on tray for 6-8 minutes before removing to a biscuit rack to fully cool. Tip- This prevents the shortbread from crumbling while still hot.
- When fully cold ice with butter icing, sprinkles and tiny Easter eggs.
Ways to Change Up Your Living Space This Autumn
As the days begin to cool and the leaves on the trees start to fall, we are reminded that the change of season from Summer to Autumn has begun. As nature changes, it’s only natural you will want to make some changes to your interior spaces or living room as we head into the cooler months of the year.
Now is a great time to start thinking about how you want to spend the cooler months inside and look at ways to freshen up your home with some feature walls or new décor to give your living spaces a new Autumn look. Wool bean bags, sumptuous wool throws and textured pillows are a great way to freshen your spaces in March.
I love improving people's well-being, by creating beautiful, sustainable and harmonious interiors spaces that reflect a person's life journey.
Sarah Parry
Testament Interiors By Sarah Parry
In Summary
Now is a great time to start thinking about how you want to spend the cooler months inside and look at ways to freshen up your home with some feature walls or new décor to give your living spaces a new Autumn look or move house before the winter chill has taken a stronghold. I love this time of year, to reflect and start the prewinter hibernation.
Let’s book a discovery call to discuss your plans so I can make your dreams come true with a house that is just right for you.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Blessings Sarah
# The April blog will be on Bathroom Planning
