Rustic Easter decorating doesn’t have to be hard, expensive or boring. Here are five easy and unique ideas that think beyond the basket. This week I was photographing some vintage marble eggs and alabaster eggs for my Etsy store and set myself a creative challenge. I wanted to come up with some rustic Easter egg decorating concepts that were easy, inexpensive, and green. No outside shopping allowed. So I put on my thinking cap and voila!
In the picture above I grabbed a vintage muffin tin. I didn’t have to purchase the brown paper as it came on the end of a Christmas wrapping paper roll. You could just as easily use packing paper, a grocery bag, etc. All I did was cut it in strips and crumple it in my hands. I filled each muffin cup with the squishy paper, then nestled in the eggs. Painless rusticity at zero cost.
For my second idea I made a freeform “nest” out of twigs. This approach could work with primitive, modernist, or mid century decor and your eggs will be the star because they aren’t hidden by basket sides. Plus, you can size things to your taste and the twigs are free/recycleable.
This truly is an easy-to-do Easter display. I went outside (I made an executive decision that shopping in nature was okay) and picked up some small branches that had fallen down in a recent storm. Then I snapped them off at roughly equal lengths. Next, I arranged them around my vintage alabaster eggs until they somewhat resembled a little nest.
I would suggest that you use a light colored, plain surface as your background palette so that the twigs contrast with it. This could be a tablecloth, light colored coffee or farmhouse table, etc.
Twigs played a role in my third idea too. In this image above I started with a small vintage firkin on legs from my Etsy store. You can use whatever you have on hand – a galvanized pail, a water can, etc., but I liked the height and rustic look of the firkin.
The base was partially filled to raise the eggs (you can use scraps of paper, fabric, or whatever you have handy). I then used some more of the previously mentioned brown paper to cover the filling material and arranged the marble eggs. I went through my fallen branch haul and found some delicate twigs. These were snapped down and tucked into the back of the firkin. That’s it.
My fourth idea revolved around something that seems to multiply for me – candlesticks. They just appear in my vintage hauls although I almost never buy them. Well, why not use them? Brass works with the gray marble eggs I had on hand.
If you notice, the candlesticks aren’t even a pair. That’s part of the beauty of rustic decorating – perfection doesn’t come from perfect things. Not saying this speedy vignette idea is even remotely close to perfect, but you know what I mean.
The short, round wooden thing is the bottom part of a vintage trinket box. The “Easter grass” is some frayed burlap.
Now those eggs are not just sitting there. I positioned them with a little bit of removable poster adhesive putty, but they aren’t glued on. I would definitely recommend putting this display in a safe place so that it isn’t bumped and you lose your eggs. Decorator beware.
My last idea is about really thinking outside of the box when it comes to rustic looking egg holders. Look through your collection/decor and just find something that has a rustic look. Maybe even find something that will hold just one egg. Who says all your eggs have to be in one basket – haha, groan. In my case I used these two vintage TootsieToy tin cars.
My little setting needed some height so I picked up a miniature cast iron pot that normally holds my markers. Again, I filled the pot with scraps, covered the stuffing with the burlap grass, and arranged the eggs. Little scene complete.
So that’s it – five ideas. Hope that helps stoke your rustic Easter decorating juices!
