Today I have been getting ready for Easter: No-Sew EasY Cloth Easter Baskets, Rice Krispy and Popcorn Eggs on a stick, and Easter Cookie Pops!

For Easter Cookie recipes, scroll to near the end of post. First I'll share how to make the Easter baskets.

 ~Easter is approaching and I wanted to do something quick and simple for Easter Baskets this year. I have my son and our young neighbor to make something fun for. ;-)

I was brain storming what is easy, and the Glue Gun came to mind. Lol, glue guns are great at making a task so easy!

Here are thefinished baskets:

My neighbor's basket is made of Blue's Clues fabric and Winnie the Pooh ribbon.

My older, 12 year old son's fabric is Easter egg fabric and Bee Hive ribbon (no Winnie the Pooh or Blues Clues, lol).

This was really quick and easy. Here is what you will need:

Left over fabric from sewing.

Left over ribbon (I keep my scrap ribbons).

Baskets, I just save my unwanted baskets in my garage, until I can use them as gifts.

Hot Glue gun and glue sticks.

Cutting Shears.

Batting sheet from a previous project. (I have some left over from a quilt I did for Christmas).

Here are my recyled baskets:

Cut your Batting to fit with an overhang of about an inch and a half.

Hot glue the batting down.

Cut the fabric large enough for a 2 inch overhang.

If you cut your fabric to hang over about 2 inches over the side; it is easier if it can go past the batting on the side. Here I am starting to glue the batting down. 

Once the batting is glued down, next comes the fabric:

Getting ready to glue fabric down:

Once fabric is glued down over the batting. Take your ribbon and glue gun to glue the ribbon over the loose edges, making it look cleaner.

For the younger child, I am using Winney the Pooh ribbon.

 Fold edges under:

Younger child's finished basket:

For the older child, I only use the beehive side.

Older, 12 year old's finished basket:

Come on, who doesn't like candy? lol...

Now, Cookie and Popcorn Egg time! 

I also make Popcorn and Rice Krispy eggs and cookies. There is so much that you can do. You can put the eggs on a stick and the color choices are limitless. This photo I found on the internet and liked the Easter arrangement:

(disclaimer: Racz Photography picture)

The recipe:

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
7 cups Rice Krispies cereal or popcorn

1 package (11.5 oz) white chocolate chips (or chocolate)
1 Tbs. vegetable oil

2-3 cups rainbow sprinkles (optional)

12 jumbo plastic eggs (cleaned and coated with vegetable oil; Pam works well)

12 popcycle or round skewer sticks (optional)

*This recipe is for marshmallow eggs; however, caramel eggs are wonderful too. I grew up watching my mom make caramel popcorn balls often. Either is awesome! I just think marshmallows are more "Easterish"...lol. ;-)

Directions:

In microwave-safe medium sized bowl heat butter and marshmallows on high for 2 minutes.  Stir until smooth.
Take Rice Krispies or popcorn and put into an oil coated (I use Pam) large bowl.
Now add the marshmallow mixture to the Rice Krispies or popcorn.

Using greased hands, firmly press Rice Krispies® mixture into your hands first, making an egg shape, then place in one half, putting on the lid to the second half of the plastic egg. Press both halves together. Remove from molds. Place on wax paper. Cool slightly.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat white chocolate chips and vegetable oil on high for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Pour sprinkles in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Apply a thin layer of white chocolate over the top half of the egg. Gently roll the egg over the sprinkles to coat evenly. Place on wax paper and allow to set. Repeat for the rest of the eggs. Apply a thin layer of white chocolate to the bottom half of the egg and roll over the sprinkles to coat evenly. Allow to set before serving.

You can make them as many colors as you can discover with food coloring, adding it to the marshmallow mixture; note whether you use popcorn or Rice Krispy cereal, the recipe and directions are the same. Various colored celephane can be fun too:

I like to use plastic eggs as the molds for these:

 My son loves melted white icing and sprinkles on his:

He loves peeps too. Peep pops are too adorable! These are Rice Krispy squares. They are dipped in white chocolate candy coating, and a peep is placed onto the icing to dry attached. Sprinkles are optional. You can stick a stick into any of these treats, making them into an Easter pop! ;-)

Once the cookies white chocolate dries, icing will make cute designs (Have the kids do this part). You can add a stick inserted in the bottom to make a cookie on a stick;-):

Rice Kristy cups are fun miniture Easter baskets, you can use anything as a mold:

I like to use the plastic eggs as a mold whenever I do the egg shapes; but use a Pam spray first. Muffin tins are great to use to make these little baskets.

Sigh... just so many fun things to do for Easter, how does a bunny decide which ones to do this year? I hope you have fun with your Easter holiday!

With Easter Approaching; here is a short film about Christ Jesus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VjPfmdT990&feature=related
Just click on the link for a 10 min recap of Jesus.

It is a good time of year to think about Jesus and his life story.

Blessings...

Springtime Centerpiece: Happy Daisy Flowers Indoors.

Today I wanted to put something happy into my home. Is there anything happier than daisies? I love this simple flower. I grow Shasta Daises in my backyard. You can, however, find a bundle of these beauties for five dollars at Wallmart, or any grocery store will have daisies.

Spring is on the cusp of being here and I am too excited to wait, so I made this sunny springtime arrangement for my bar. If you want to do the same with your flowers, you start with purchasing a floral sponge at a craft store (it is not expensive). I got this one from Micheals, but I cannot remember it's exact cost. (Can also be found at your local dollar store for: well, one dollar. ;0) It is different from styrofoam because you can mold it by pushing in on it with your fingers (a bit like playdough, but more sturdy).

This type of floral sponge will hold water, so your arrangement will not die to soon.

Cut the sponge in the shape of your vase. You can use any short vase you like. I like the contemporary feel of the square one. I also use a rounded old fashioned white one.  

You can use decorative rock, glass, shells, or anything really to hide the sponge for a clear glass vase. Here I used glass rocks. 

You can push the rocks down the side to hide the sponge.

 Now take your flower with the long stems and cut off the measured length it will take to push the flower into the sponge 3/4 of the way down to the bottom of the vase and still have the flower reach just above the top of the vase. Snip one flower, now use that cut throw-away stem to be your measure or ruler for the remainder of the individual flowers.

 I snip at an angle, it is better for the water absorption. Also pull off all the green leaves, you will not be able to see them, so they will not add to the beauty of the arrangement. They will breakdown, rot, cause an odor, and make your water mucky, causing your flowers to have a shorter life.

 Take your vase with the cut sponge and your decorative rocks in it and push the flowers into the sponge, taking the stem about 3/4 of the way down. The sponge will hold them into place.

Fill the arrangement out, keeping the flowers at the same level, the flower's petals should just touch the top of the glass of your vase.

See the flower's arranged and note the height placement, as well as the water level.

Add your water and a packet of plant food, if you have it. I have also used sugar before. A bit of bleach or lemon juice keeps the fungi and bacteria at bay. Here's a basic home recipe: 1 quart water + 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1/2 teaspoon bleach.

Happy Spring; enjoy your flowers!