Easter Crafts: Easter Basket

You will need

• Coloured cardboard
• Tissue paper
• Decorated eggs or chocolate eggs

On a rectangular piece of cardboard draw another rectangle about 2 - 3 cm (one inch) inside and carefully score (don't cut) along the lines with the point of scissors so it can bend easily. Fold in the edges of your rectangle, snipping out the extra card at the corners, to form a basket shape with a lip all around the edge and secure firmly.

Take another long thin strip of cardboard and secure it to both sides of your basket to create a handle before padding the bottom with crumpled tissue paper and filling it with your choice of decorated or chocolate eggs.

Easter Crafts: Easter Bonnet

You will need :

• Flexible coloured cardboard
• Tissue paper
• Ribbon or crepe paper

Firstly draw a circle on the cardboard using a dinner plate as a guide then carefully cut round the line. Cut a straight line up towards the middle of your circle before folding the two sides over one another until to have a bonnet shape that is flat at the back and peaked at the front then secure.

Using lots of different coloured tissue paper cut out small pieces and scrunch or roll them up to create flowers to stick all over your bonnet or if you prefer just round the edges. Finally make a small hole on each side of your bonnet to thread through ribbon or a strip of crepe paper to create ties to hold your bonnet firmly in place.

An alternative Easter bonnet could be made using an old hat and fabric flowers to brighten it up and again adding brightly coloured ribbon to create ties.

Easter greetings in many languages

KALO PASKA (grec)

FOUAI HWO GIE QUAI LE (chinois)

EID-FOSS’H MUBARAK (arabe)

SRETUN USKRS (croate)

VESELE VANOCE (tchèque)

FROHE OSTERN (allemand)

KALO PASKA (grec)

BUONA PASQUA (italien)

SOUK SAN VAN EASTER (laotien)

SREKEN VELIGDEN (macédonien)

Easter Dates: List of Easter Sunday Dates 1700-1799

 11th April 1700    1st April 1725   29th March 1750   16th April 1775
27th March 1701   21st April 1726   11th April 1751    7th April 1776
16th April 1702   13th April 1727    2nd April 1752   30th March 1777
 8th April 1703   28th March 1728   22nd April 1753   19th April 1778
23rd March 1704   17th April 1729   14th April 1754    4th April 1779
12th April 1705    9th April 1730   30th March 1755   26th March 1780
 4th April 1706   25th March 1731   18th April 1756   15th April 1781
24th April 1707   13th April 1732   10th April 1757   31st March 1782
 8th April 1708    5th April 1733   26th March 1758   20th April 1783
31st March 1709   25th April 1734   15th April 1759   11th April 1784
20th April 1710   10th April 1735    6th April 1760   27th March 1785
 5th April 1711    1st April 1736   22nd March 1761   16th April 1786
27th March 1712   21st April 1737   11th April 1762    8th April 1787
16th April 1713    6th April 1738    3rd April 1763   23rd March 1788
 1st April 1714   29th March 1739   22nd April 1764   12th April 1789
21st April 1715   17th April 1740    7th April 1765    4th April 1790
12th April 1716    2nd April 1741   30th March 1766   24th April 1791
28th March 1717   25th March 1742   19th April 1767    8th April 1792
17th April 1718   14th April 1743    3rd April 1768   31st March 1793
 9th April 1719    5th April 1744   26th March 1769   20th April 1794
31st March 1720   18th April 1745   15th April 1770    5th April 1795
13th April 1721   10th April 1746   31st March 1771   27th March 1796
 5th April 1722    2nd April 1747   19th April 1772   16th April 1797
28th March 1723   14th April 1748   11th April 1773    8th April 1798
16th April 1724    6th April 1749    3rd April 1774   24th March 1799

Easter Crafts: Egg Tree

You will need :

• Plasticine or flower oasis (from your local florist)
• Small twigs or branches
• Green crepe paper or moss (from your local florist)
• Narrow ribbon
• Blown eggshells
• Decorating materials

To make your egg tree first of all you will need to collect whole eggshells which have had their insides blown out. Make a small hole in one end of the egg and a slightly larger one in the other using a large needle then gently blow the contents into a bowl. You could collect the shells from eggs used in cooking.

Now it is time to decorate your eggs whatever way you like. Use lots of bright colours and shiny bits like glitter or foil to create colourful eggs. A good decoration tip for younger children is to coat the eggshells in glue then roll them in glitter. Then carefully glue a length of narrow ribbon lengthways around the egg ensuring it is long enough to tie a loop at the top.

To create your tree place the oasis or plasticine on a small plate then carefully arrange your twigs in it until they form a small tree like shape. Green crepe paper or moss can be wrapped around the bottom to disguise the base then hang your eggs from the branches to complete your tree.