Some Last Minute Ideas for an Easy Easter Table
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Earlier this month we celebrated my daughter Beatrix’s birthday. Born four years ago on a blustery Easter Sunday, her birth and the celebration of rebirth have always felt symbiotic. I am not one familiar with composing elaborately artistic and/or themed birthday affairs (though I admire those who are), but as I was prepping for her big day I realized there were a few crossover ideas I could share that might be helpful for anyone else hoping to throw together a cute and easy Easter table.
As it often does, a small jolt of inspiration struck whilst wandering the aisles at Target. I have a weirdly strong soft spot for cute napkins. But, like, they’re so cute I rarely actually use them because I don’t want them to be wasted… So, unsurprisingly, these charming spring-themed napkins got me. This was back in January and I wasn’t sure what they’d be for, but tossed them into the cart without slowing down.
Naturally, I had a stack of these unused polka dot napkins on hand too. Bred from my affinity for decorative paper napkins, and a desire to showcase more of the pattern, I thought… ok yeah, these are cute, but… how about some scallops??! Thus the idea for napkins-turned-scalloped-trimmed-placemats took form.
A super simple process involving folds and the cutting of some curves, it’s an affordable way to add interest to the table. And now you’ve got two napkins at the ready, so it’s practical too. I topped them with a set of vintage dessert plates I thrifted years ago. But I could also see a classic white, or sunny yellow, pale pink plate working just as well.
Rhetorical question: Is there an easier Easter centerpiece than a collection of pastel plastic eggs nestled in a basket? Sure, it’s not novel, but you know what, it works.
To add a little more drama, I added a bushel of blooming daffodils picked up on a night-before-the-party-trek-to-the-grocery-store. My go-to is usually blooms in a vase, but I was at the mercy of the floral department’s waning inventory. I left with a potted plant, and I think I actually like it more. In fact, I just came back inside from planting the no-longer-flowering plant in the back garden. Here’s hoping it thrives and I’m all set for Easter florals in the coming years!
I realize a cake isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when planning a typical Easter fete, but if you’ll indulge me a moment I have one more idea to share that may benefit a smattering of you.
I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis several years ago which is basically an allergic condition in the esophagus. One of the main ways to keep it in check is dietary so I’ve been on a wheat-free, dairy-free diet ever since. But, CAKE?! Wahhh! Over the years I’ve tried many gluten-free recipes with varying degrees of nonsuccess. For Bea’s second birthday I spent weeks looking up the best recipe and made, from scratch, what I was sure would be one of the tastiest gf/df cakes to ever grace my family’s lips. Unfortunately, that first bite revealed it displayed the density of a brick.
Since then, I discovered King Arthur makes a delicious gluten-free cake mix and all subsequent birthdays have been positively normal, thank goodness.
This year Bea’s request was for a blue cake. A couple of drops of blue food coloring and one of green gave us this hue. In keeping with our spring theme, I topped it with pastel sprinkles and the quintessential candy-coated chocolate eggs (for the record, the eggs aren’t gf/df so I didn’t eat them).
It was such a sweet and simple day, and I’m looking forward to more festivities this weekend. To all who celebrate, may you have a meaningful and joyous Holy Week and Easter. And may we all relish the thrill of new life and beauty that comes at springtime.
