Easter Cookie Mix Jars... with free printable tags

Every holiday requires a sweet treat, and Easter is no exception. I always enjoy baking Easter cookies with my kids, and I love sharing our sweet treats with friends and family. This Easter cookie mix jar is perfect for stocking a pantry, and it makes an adorable Easter gift too.

Isn't this mason jar filled with Easter cookie mix super cute?

To make this "Easter Cookies Mix" jar:

1) Start with a clean 1L mason jar.

2) Layer the ingredients below (patting down each layer before adding the next one):

First layer: 1 3/4 cups flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt
Second layer: 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
Third layer: 1/2 white sugar
Fourth layer: 1 cup of candy coated chocolate mini eggs

To make the process easy: use a wide-mouthed funnel to fill the jars, and make a tool to press down the layers. I attached a round piece of cardboard to the end of skewer and covered it all with tin foil.

3) Print off the cookie tag below, cut it to look like a tag, and attach it to the cookie jar with twine or ribbon. 

To download the tag: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a 4x6 photo.

To bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then, beat 3/4 cup softened butter, 1 large egg, and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add the jar of cookie mix, and stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9-12 minutes.

This cookies are soft and chewy... and sooooo delicious!

Isn't this an adorable Easter DIY? It's a fantastic Easter cookie recipe, and it's an easy, inexpensive and adorable homemade gift. If you give it a try, let me know what you think.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find MORE fun Easter ideas here.

"Bunny Butt" Easter Garden... made using dollar store supplies

I love cute seasonal decor... especially when I can make it myself (CHEAPLY) using dollar store supplies. This "bunny butt Easter garden" really is easy to make... and it is totally adorable!

First, you'll need to gather your supplies.

You'll need:

• yarn (I used grey)
• some sort of bucket/container (any kind will work)
• floral foam
• dollar store moss
• 4 dollar store carrots
• 4 toothpicks
• dollar store greenery (optional)
• scrap pieces of felt
• a white pom pom 
• scissors and a hot glue gun

1) You can leave the carrots as they are, or you can upgrade them by pulling out the tops and using hot glue to insert dollar store greenery.

2) Insert a piece of floral foam into the container.

3) Insert toothpicks into the ends of the carrots, insert the carrots into the floral foam, and cover the floral foam with dollar store moss. (You can glue it down if you like. I didn't in case I want to change up my arrangement next year.)

4) Make a large pom pom (for the bunny's butt) using yarn. Wrap the yarn around your hand 65-90 times (depending on the weight of the yarn), tie a strand of yarn around the centre of the ball of yarn, cut the loops, and trim the pom pom until it is round and fluffy.

If you have never made a pom pom before, you would like more instruction, you can watch a "how to make pom poms video" here.

5) Attach the pom pom to the edge of the bucket using hot glue. Then, attach a pom pom tail using more hot glue. Finish by attaching bunny feet. (I used felt, but you could foam or cardstock if that is what you have on hand.)

Seriously.... how cute is this project? It really is a fabulous piece of Easter / Spring decor that you can make for only a few dollars.

And... if you want to see a quick video before you make your own bunny butt Easter garden, check out the video below.

I set my garden beside this cute picture I made. You can find the FREE printable for this cute Easter photo here.

Don't you just love it? If you make one, send me a picture. I always love seeing the variations my readers come up with. And, of course, if you have any questions about this "bunny butt Easter garden" made using dollar store supplies, please let me know.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find MORE fun Easter ideas here.

DIY Dollar Store EASTER Pictures... with free printable photos

I love decorating for holidays, but because they pass so quickly, I never want to spend a lot of money on special decor. The dollar store provides a lot of inspiration, but some of the items are a little tacky. So.... it's always fun to do a little DIY to upgrade inexpensive dollar store finds. Today, I am sharing TWO simple and gorgeous Easter pictures that can EASILY be made using dollar store supplies. I'm sharing two FREE printables too!

To make both these Easter pictures, you'll need a couple of dollar store frames, some of these cute dollar store carrots, and the FREE printables I designed (below).

For the first picture:

1) Download the print I designed (below). Click on the picture, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it alike a regular 8x10 photo.

2) Place the photo into the frame.

3) Use hot glue to attach the dollar store carrots to the bottom of the photo.

For the second picture:

1) Download the print I designed (below). Click on the picture, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it alike a regular 8x10 photo.

2) Place the print in a dollar store frame.

Isn't this an easy DIY? I absolutely love both versions, don't you?

These pictures would look great with farmhouse decor, but they would look great with other styles too. I love how simple they are to make, but they really take dollar store items to a whole new level.

 ♥

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more wonderful Easter ideas here.

High-end Farmhouse EASTER Decor... using a free printable and dollar store supplies

 I love decorating for the holidays, and it's super-fun to craft my own inexpensive decor. For Easter, I was inspired to create some high-end farmhouse Easter decor using items I found at the dollar store. Today, I'm sharing my creations with you, AND I'm giving you the printable signs for FREE.

This is the first one I made. Cute, right?

I was inspired by this inexpensive wooden frame and these adorable little carrots that I found at my local Dollarama.

I started by designing this simple printable sign. 

You can print yours (for free) by: clicking on the picture below, right-clicking, saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 8x10 photo.

Then, to make the sign, pop the picture into the frame, and use hot glue to attach the carrots. Seriously... it doesn't get much easier than that!

And, in case you aren't able to find the carrots that I used, you can print the sign with the carrots already included (below).

To print this version of the sign: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo.

After you print it, just pop it into a dollar store frame, and it's ready to display.

I love both of these pictures because they are perfect for Easter... but they are generic enough that you could display them earlier if you wanted to. 

What do you think?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find MORE fun Easter ideas here.

DIY Easter Vases... from jars

Holidays are a wonderful excuse to get crafty, and Easter is one of the best. Easter colours are fantastic, and what is cuter than bunnies and chicks? Today, I am sharing a great craft for kids AND adults. With a few dollar store supplies, you can easily transform an old jar into a delightful DIY Easter vase.

To make these adorable Easter vases:

1) Paint jars with craft paint. I used white paint to make a bunny vase and yellow paint to make a chick vase.

2) After the paint has completely dried, use hot glue and twine to wrap the tops of the jars.

3) To make the bunny: draw a mouth and whiskers with a Sharpie, and then use hot glue to attach googly eyes and a pom pom nose.

4) To make the chick: use hot glue to attach googly eyes and a felt beak.

You can fill the vases with artificial flowers or real flowers. They would be great filled with treats too.

I am planning on displaying my vases with the cute sock bunnies I made last year. (You can find the tutorial for my sock bunnies here.)

Do you like crafting with kids? Or do you prefer to craft by yourself? Either way, this is a great little Easter project. I hope you have fun making these cute DIY Easter vases.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more easy and inexpensive Easter crafts, recipes and activities here.

EGGcellent Ways to Decorate Your Front Door for Easter

Disclosure: I received compensation from Schlage for including their lock in this post; however, be assured that the opinions expressed in this blog are 100% my own... and I know you are going to love my new DIY wreaths.

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I love to decorate my front door for the holidays. So, with Easter just around the corner, I have TWO new DIY wreath projects to share with you. I also have a fantastic giveaway (worth $349), so make sure you read to the very end.

The first project I have for you is an adorable burlap bunny made from embroidery hoops. I absolutely love the simplicity of this one, don't you?

To make a burlap Easter bunny from embroidery hoops:

1) Use strong tape to attach the smaller hoop to the larger hoop. (I used electrical tape because it is a little bit stretchy.)

2) Insert burlap into the hoops.

3) Trim the burlap.

4) Use hot glue to attach a ribbon to the neck (and hide the tape).

5) Cut ears from burlap, and use an elastic to create ears.

6) Use hot glue to attach ears to the bunny.

7) Use hot glue to attach a twine hanger, flower embellishments, and a pom pom tail.

Isn't my burlap bunny adorable hanging on the interior of my home?

And here it is hanging on the outside of my front door.

I also made this colourful Easter egg wreath from plastic eggs I purchased at the dollar store.

To make a plastic Easter egg wreath:

1) Use hot glue to attach eggs to the exterior of a wreath form.

2) Use hot glue to attach additional layers until the entire wreath is covered.

Doesn't my Easter egg wreath look great hanging on my front door? I love the way the bright colours contrast with my black door and satin coloured hardware.

Both of my new wreaths look fantastic with my new Schlage Encode handle (which is not only beautiful, but also functional). The smart, keyless entry is perfect for my busy family and my three boys (who are now sometimes coming home without a parent). 

No more worrying about whether the front door is locked. With a Schlage smart lock, you can enjoy peace of mind and freedom from keys. And, with the Schlage Home App, I can even receive a notification once my boys get home from school. It's so easy!

And... I have some great news! Schlage Canada has offered to give one of their Schlage Encode locks to one of my readers (in your choice of style and finish). This prize has a retail value of $349! Pretty awesome, right?
Just fill out the form below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you take the time to enter this fantastic contest... and I encourage you to try making one of these easy and inexpensive Easter wreaths for your home. You'll be glad you did. Happy Easter!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more easy and inexpensive Easter ideas here.