Easter made easy: celebrate spring with a colorful, festive party for kids

Sunset, April, 2004 by Kate Washington, Jil Peters

5. Set candies or jelly beans in each nest.

Per unfilled cookie: 59 cal., 27% (16 cal.) from fat; 0.9 g protein; 1.8 g fat (1.6 g sat.); 10 g carbo (0.4 g fiber); 54 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

2 Color your eggs

Give your Easter eggs a new look this year to set a lively, relaxed tone for the celebration. This simple papier-mache technique works on both colored and uncolored eggs--though we found that some blotching occurs on dyed eggs.

NOTE: The egg-decorating project is best for older children and adults. For young children, try the flower bucket project on page 139.

Step-by-step

1 Using a flower-shaped craft punch and tissue paper in the colors of your choice, create a pile of tissue-paper flowers; layer the tissue before punching, to get some flowers that are two or three layers thick. If your punch does not cut through the tissue cleanly, place a regular piece of paper behind the tissue and punch through both at once.

2 Mix up a glue-and-water solution--approximately 1 part glue to 2 parts water.

3 Hold an egg in one hand; dip one finger of your other hand in the glue solution and place a bead of the solution on the egg. Using another finger, press down on your pile of tissue-paper flowers to pick one up. Place the flower on the bead of glue solution; the tissue paper will soak up the solution. If any dry areas remain on the flower, moisten by dabbing with additional glue solution. Repeat to cover egg with as many flowers as you like. The flowers that are one layer thick will be lighter colored than the layered flowers.

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3 Make colorful buckets

The flower technique for the eggs on page 138 can be used on metal buckets, to give them a retro, '50s-inspired look. We used lightweight metal buckets--available at most paint stores--but any bucket with a smooth surface will work. The flowers can be peeled off so you can reuse the buckets if you want.

Step-by-step

1 Using a flower-shaped punch and text-weight colored paper, create a pile of flowers in a variety of bright spring colors.

2 Mix up a glue-and-water solution--approximately 1 part glue to 2 parts water.

3 Pick up a paper flower and dunk it into the glue solution, making sure that the entire flower is saturated with the mixture. Immediately press the flower onto a metal bucket. Repeat to cover bucket as desired. Don't worry about drips--the glue mixture will dry clear.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BROWN CANNON III

FOOD STYLING BY KAREN SHINTO