The BEST Easter Cookies 🐰 No-bake, mini-egg HAYSTACK COOKIES

These no-bake mini egg Easter cookies are an annual tradition at my house. My boys and I bake them together, we eat too many, and we share them with friends. They are easy to make and absolutely delicious... and today I'm sharing the recipe, serving ideas and a short 2 minute instructional video.




To make these adorable Easter cookies:

1)  Mix together the following dry ingredients, and set aside:

  • 3 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/4 tsp salt

2)  Put the following ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil:
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

3)  Remove from heat, and stir in dry ingredients.

4)  Before the mixture starts to dry out, drop the mixture from heaping teaspoons onto wax paper (or use a cookie scoop), and add three candy covered chocolate eggs to the middle of each cookie. 
Allow to cool completely.







And... before you venture into the kitchen, take a peek at this short, instructional video.



These cookies are great served up with some hot chocolate.


And they make a great addition to a dessert charcuterie board too!




Do you have a favorite Easter Cookie recipe?  This one is definitely at the top of my list. If you give them a try, let me know what you think.


♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


***Find more Easter ideas here.

SIMPLE ideas for decorating a TIERED TRAY... using dollar store supplies

I love decorating tiered trays for the holidays. It's a simple and inexpensive way to create a fun vignette. Today, I'm sharing FIVE new EASTER tiered tray ideas made using dollar store supplies. These are all easy... but fantastic!




1) Easter-themed wood bead garland - Wooden tags and wooden shapes from the dollar store can be used to embellish wood bead garlands... which always look fantastic on tiered trays. (The beads I strung on the garland came from Amazon, but the embellishments and twine came from Dollarama.)



2) Dollar store ornaments - I found this gnome and bunny at the dollar store... but the bunny was shiney. I painted it with a matte chalk paint, and now I love the way they look together.



3) Tin buckets filled with holiday items - I found these tiny buckets and filled them with bunny tails (pom poms) and dollare store carrots. These are perfect for a tiered tray... and there is no craftiness required.



4) Expresso mugs filled with goodies - These dollar store expresso mugs come in many colours and are perfect for tiered trays. I think this pale blue colour is perfect for Easter... and it's adorable filled with these colourful foil Easter eggs.



5) Dollar store dish filled with carrots and a cute sign - I love these dollar store carrots, and they are super cute in this blue dish (also from the dollar store). I added a chalkboard sign (meant for labeling plants), and I love the result!



Here's how my tiered tray turned out. Cute, right?




I love ALL these tiered tray items... and they are all inexpensive and easy to make.




For a closer look at all these ideas... take a look at this video.




What do you think of these tiered tray ideas? Which one is your favourite?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


Twine Wrapped Easter Eggs

Is there anything better than a simple craft that looks complicated? I am absolutely obsessed with these twine wrapped Easter ornaments. They look so pretty on my little white tree (that is supposed to be for Christmas but works for other seasonal decorating too). With a few dollar store supplies, you can make a bunch of these eggs to hang from a tree, to turn into a garland, to display on a tiered tray or to pop into a basket.




Seriously... isn't this an adorable display?



I got all the supplies I needed at the dollar store. You'll need twine, ribbon, eggs, and a hot glue gun.




I started by using hot glue to make a twine handle. If you are going to be putting the eggs in a basket, you can skip this step.



Then, using hot glue, attach the thicker jute twine to the top of the egg and start wrapping.


Continuing wrapping and securing with hot glue until the entire egg is covered.


Carefully burn off the loose fibres.


Finish by embellishing with anything you like. I used some dollar store lace ribbon. I like the contrast between the rustic ribbon and the delicate lace.


You can use the same technique to cover eggs with yarn, ribbon or fabric too.




This really is a fun project and a delightful addition to Easter decor. Which do you prefer... the twine or the yarn? I really don't think I could choose. They are both adorable. Happy Easter!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)


5 NEW high-end EASTER crafts... made using DOLLAR STORE supplies

I have FIVE new high-end Easter crafts for you today... and they are ALL made using inexpensive dollar store supplies. You'll find all the instructions, and an easy-to-follow "how to" video, below. I'm obsessed with the candlestick project, but they are all easy to make... and super cute!





1) Tray of Giant Easter Eggs - The first project uses giant Easter eggs and clay pots from the dollar store. Start by painting the pots white, taping the bottom off with painter's tape, painting the rims of the pots in Easter colours, and peeling off the tape. Then, use jute twine and hot glue to cover the eggs -- just keep wrapping and gluing until the eggs are completely covered in twine.


You can leave the eggs plain, or you can embellish with wooden pieces and ribbon. It's totally up to you!

I displayed mine in a dollar store tin tray filled with colourful foam eggs.




2) Classy Carrot Cloche - I think this is my favourite project in this collection... and it's really simple to make. You'll need to grab a couple of dollar store supplies: a candle stick holder, a plastic cloche, and large foam carrots.


Paint the candle stick with white chalk paint, use the top of the cloche to top the candle stick, and insert carronts wrapped in twine. (I added a little wooden bunny embellishment from the dollar store... but this step is totally optional.)




3) Easter Egg Picture - I love crafting with wooden frames from the dollar store, and these wooden white ones are my favourite. I covered the inside of the frame with dollar store contact paper, and painted wooden eggs (also from the dollar store) with craft paint in Easter colours. When the eggs were dry, I used Mod Podge to attach the eggs to the frame.


I love the simplicity of this piece of DIY artwork, and you can customize the colours to match your style and taste.




4) Neutral Farmhouse Artwork - This simple Easter picture is perfect if you love neutral farmhouse decor. Start with a wooden canvas from the dollar store, and stain the frame on the outside of the canvas. (I actually used watered down brown paint. It has the same effect as stain without the smell and mess.) Then, paint the inside of the canvas white, and use hot glue to attach rows of small dollar store carrots.


Adorable, right?!?



5) Twine-wrapped Bunnies - The last project uses the plastic cups and plastic bunny eggs that are for sale at the dollar store this time of year.



Use hot glue to wrap the plastic eggs in twine, and pop them into the plastic egg cups. Then, use hot glue to add googly eyes and pom poms. Finish by adding details with a Sharpie and craft paint.



This little cutie would be perfect for a tiered tray.



Are you a fan of neutral farmhouse Easter decor?



Or do you prefer a more traditional pastel pallette?



I actually really like all the colours and projects. No one will ever guess how easy (and inexpensive) they were to make!





For a closer look at how I made all these fantastic Easter DIYs, check out the video I made below.



Which was your favourite Easter craft? Leave me a comment, and let me know which cute project you are going to make first.

Happy Easter!


Gina Bell
 (aka East Coast Mommy)


Find MORE fun Easter ideas here.

5 Simple (and Adorable) DIY Easter Wreaths

I love an adorable holiday DIY, and I always enjoy having a cute wreath on my door for Easter. I always opt for "cheap and cheerful" options that are easy to make. Today, I am sharing 5 of my favourite simple (and adorable) DIY Easter wreaths.



*** Click on the links for all the step by step instructions and more pictures. ***


1) Burlap Bunny Wreath - This bunny wreath is made using embroidery hoops and burlap. It's delicate and delightful! Find the full instructions for making this burlap bunny wreath here.







2) Plastic Egg Easter Wreath - This colourful wreath is perfect for brightening up a front door after a long grey winter. The plastic eggs are from the dollar store, so it's an excellent budget friendly option. Find the full instructions for making this plastic egg Easter wreath here.




3) Simple Felt Flower Easter Wreath - This wreath uses handmade felt flowers (in fun Spring colours), and a simple dollar store "add on". You can also remove the centre to use the wreath after Easter has passed. Find the full instructions for this versitile felt flower Easter wreath here.




4) Simple Chick and Grapevine Easter Wreath - It doesn't get easier (or cheaper) than this simple wreath. This is the perfect DIY for people that aren't super-crafty. So simple and fun! Find the full instructions for the simple chick and grapevine Easter wreath here.

 


5) Chicks on a Branch - This simple wreath alternative is easy to make and super fun. It's a great project to get kids involved with too. Find the full step by step instructions for the "chicks on a branch" Easter wreath here.





BONUS: And isn't this bunny wreath the cutest? Check out how easy it is to make here.



And check out the easy-to-follow "how to" video here:



I love all these wreaths, don't you? There is something really special about creating your own unique holiday decor. I hope you take the time to make one of these easy wreaths to brighten up your space this year. 

Happy Easter!


Gina Bell
 (aka East Coast Mommy)


Find MORE fun Easter ideas here.

5 EGGcellent Easter DIYs 🐰 They look high end (but are made with dollar store supplies)

I love crafting with inexpensive materials... especially during the holidays. Today, I'm sharing five fantastic Easter DIYs you are going to love. They are easy to make, budget friendly, and super cute! No one will ever guess they only cost a few dollars to make.



1) Bunny topiary - I am obsessed with this adorable Easter craft. I added a bunny face to a dollar store tin bucket. I used my Cricut to make a vinyl decal, but if you don't have a Cricut, you can use sharpies, stickers, or paint. Then, pop a dollar store plant into the bucket, and insert bunny ears into the greenery... securing with hot glue. (Note: I used scissors to the cut the bunny ears from a headband.)





2) Easter cutting board - I purchased a dollar store cutting board turned it over, and painted the back (which is what I used as the new front) pink. 




Then, I used hot glue to attached a bit of checkered ribbon to the bottom and a bit of twine to the top. 


Add a cricut decal or paint, and that's it! I also added a pom pom tail to my bunny... but that's totally optional.



3) "Carrots 4 Sale" sign - I found this wi-fi password sign at my local dollar store, and I knew I could make it into something great. 



I flipped it over and painted the back white. (Again... the back becomes the front.)


Then, I added the words "carrots 4 sale" using a Cricut vinyl decal. (If you don't have a decal, you can use a marker, stickers, or paint.)

Finish by using hot glue to attach dollar store carrots, and tie a piece of ribbon through the hole at the top.



4) Personalized Easter basket - I found these adorable buckets at the dollar store, and I thought they would be even cuter if they were personalized.



I added a decal I made with my Cricut, attached it to the bucket, and added tissue paper and plastic bunny eggs (which were also from the dollar store). Cute, right?!?



5) Jelly bean jar - I used a Rae Dunn inspired font to create this decorative jelly bean jar. I found this lidded jar at the dollar store, filled it with dollar store jelly beans, and added the words "Jelly Beans" with my Cricut.




How cute are these 5 DIYs? I absolutely love them all, but the bunny topiary is my favourite. What do you think?



For a closer look at how I made these 5 Easter crafts, check out my YouTube instructional video here:


I hope you liked these easy and inexpensive Easter crafts. I hope I've inspired you to head to the dollar store, stock up on supplies, and make something great!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

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