Does The Easter Bunny Lay Eggs?

 

 

This question popped into my head as I was settling my wooden Easter Bunny into a nest of shredded yellow paper surrounded by colourful Easter eggs.

Easter, as I know it, is a Christian event so what’s the connection?

I googled it and found that the legend of the Easter Bunny dates back to the pagan goddess Eastre who was worshipped by the people of Northern Europe. Eastre’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, which was also recognised as a symbol of fertility and rebirth. The festival was held during the Spring Equinox
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The pagan festival diminished and the custom continued with children making nests for the bunny to leave its coloured eggs in them.

In America in the 1700’s and 1800’s Dutch and German immigrants continued the tradition of the Easter Bunny bringing eggs and toys to the homes of children on the night before Easter, similar to Santa Claus. The bunny would sometimes hide the eggs in the garden, hence the tradition of the Easter egg hunt.

Easter to me is a celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ a time of renewal, a time of celebration with family and friends.

Christians have, over many years, depaganised the festival of Eastre similar to what they did with Christmas.

They have kept some of the traditions and adapted them  to fit the ideals of Christianity.

Some however, believe that easter doesn’t have any pagan connections.

 

My Celebration Table

 

 

 

A paper flower wall, paper flowers, eggs and a Happy Easter garland in bright colours along with bunnies and chocolate Easter eggs are my choice for this Easter’s celebration.

I’ve spent many hours learning how to use my Brother scanncut machine so it’s a great opportunity to use my new skills. The machine comes with lots of flower templates.

You can make paper flowers without a machine, there are many free templates and instructions on Pinterest.

 

Gathering the Elements.

 

 

• Paper I used a variety of plain and printed cardstock. Available online and in most craft stores.
• Wooden Bunny on sale at Woolworths.
• Bamboo skewers from Dollar Tree.
• Glue Gun optional.
• Glue I used non toxic Bostik glue sticks. A variety of non toxic craft glues are available at Officeworks and craft stores.
• Hole punch for garland. Available at Officeworks and craft stores.
• Chocolate eggs and Bunnies Woolworths.
• Food dye from Woolworths. I tried dyeing my eggs but the colour was very murky so I decided not to use them.
• Small bowls from my cupboard.
• Shredded paper from local cheap shop or DIY.

 

Putting it all Together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First photo

For the paper eggs. Just cut out an Easter egg template that you can find online. Cut them out of your cardstock.  I used circles and zigzag pieces and stuck them on with craft glue. The sky’s the limit with some imagination. Great fun for all the family.

Small bowls filled with shredded paper and Easter eggs, make a nice individual touch for each guest.

I used white square plates as charger plates and then added pink plastic plates for colour with round plates, a serviette and the nest of eggs on top.

Second and Third Photos

For the paper flowers I used templates fro my scanncut machine and also made some flowers by cutting out a circle and fringing around the edge and sticking a circle in the middle. The bamboo sticks can be attached with a glue gun or craft glue. If using craft glue, you will need to hold in place until dry. I usually add another coloured circle to cover the glued area. It loooks better as flowers have a tendency to twist around.

Put them in a vase and they will last for a very long time.

Fourth Photo

The garland! I found this to be the most fiddly of all. If you don’t have a machine I’d recommend that you look for letters in craft or cheap shop.

Start with the measurement of the letters first and then cut out the backing card to size. My card measures approx 12 cm wide and 14cm high. I think it looks better to have slightly different dimensions for your backing card. It’s just a matter of taste. If you create one template to the required size, you can then use it to trace out the others.

I found that the best way to position the letters is to mark two points approx 2 cms down from the top of each card and approx 4 cms apart. Join the dots and use this line to place the top of the letter. I then centred the letters by eye.

To punch holes into card I used a single punch and also uesd the punch as a measure.

Thread the twine through each letter and then tie a loop at each end when you have measured the length you require.

These letters can be stored and reused to create different words for other occasions.

The Paper Flower Wall ( as seen above).

I used my scanncut machine for most of my flowers. If making by hand I would download a few different templates and some leaves.

To keep it simple, I used flat flowers for the daisies in different sizes and glued them with petals alternating.

One tip is to place the wall art quite low down on the wall just above the table . I moved mine twice which is tedious.

Having it lower makes for a nice photo prop if you want photos of your guests.

I used Blue Tak to secure mine to the wall.

Easter Bunny Centrepiece.

This was the easiest of all. Purchased the wooden bunny from Woolworths and had some yellow paper tassels which I used for the nest. Put it all on a white plate with some colourful small Easter eggs and some tiny bunnies on the rim.

Finishing touches  

I bought Lindt Gold bunnies for each guest and used them as a highlight at each place setting.

Now all we need to do is enjoy ourselves.

I enjoyed crafting all the pieces, it was well worth it . a little bit of effort can make for very happy little gatherings.

 

main references for Easter bunny legend : www.huffingtonpost.com.au  www.got questions.org

Happy Easter to you All.