Get ready for Spring.Summer nights outside with these fun and easy DIY projects that will light-up any backyard party.

Perforated Can Lanterns
Raid the recycle bin for soup cans, and tap a pattern of holes in their sides to create these radiant cylinders. And don't forget this clever trick: Fill the cans with water and freeze them first to avoid denting the cans as you puncture them.

Upcycled Chandelier Centerpiece
Look closely: This graceful table topper is made from chandelier light shades! Find some at a flea market (or your garage, perhaps?) and flip them over to use as votive holders.

Frosted Glass Jars
These candle-lit lamps emit a soft glow, thanks to a super-simple frosting process. Add wire for hanging, or group together as a table centerpiece.

Repurposed Radiator Covers
Here's a double-duty DIY we can stand behind: Radiator covers create beautful beams when wrapped around candles. Who knew?

DIY Natural Homemade Easter Egg Dyes ~ Forget the store bought package and have fun creating these dyes with your kiddos! If you have other suggestions please share them with us

Basic Egg Coloring How-to the ALL Natural kind of way ~ Try these fun dyes with your kid and turn it into a learning experience!  

1. Gently wash eggs with soapy water and dry. 2. Place a single layer of eggs in a non-metal pot with the dye (see next slides for colors and sources). 3. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar to 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, and remove pot from burner. If you like the color as it is, dab off excess dye with a paper towel and set the eggs on a rack to dry. To deepen the color, leave eggs in the pot until cool. To get even richer shades, put cool eggs in a bowl, strain the dye water, and pour it over the eggs. Store the submerged eggs in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Note: Quantities are based on 1 quart of liquid. Amounts of dyeing ingredients are approximate; more dyestuff and longer dye baths produce the deepest colors. All boiled eggs should be stored in the refrigerator, and any that have soaked in hot or warm water for several hours should not be eaten.

Natural Easter Egg Dye #1: Blueberries

Quantity: Up to 4 cups

Color: Lavender

Natural Easter Egg Dye #2: Spinach or grass

Quantity: Up to 4 cups

Color: Green

Easy and Creative Ways to Dye Easter Eggs

Hop to it! These pretty Easter egg dyeing techniques are perfect for the kid in you. From pretty egg coloring ideas to embellishments you can create with all sorts of crafts supplies, these dyeing and decorating ideas ensure you'll have a very happy Easter.


Pysanky Egg Dyeing
The inspiration for these Easter eggs dying technique comes from Pysanky, the ancient Ukrainian folk art of wax-and-dye egg decorating. To create these designs, stick metal pins in pencil erasers, dip the pinheads in melted wax, and draw wax patterns on hard-cooked eggs before dyeing them.
















Paint-Splattered Easter Eggs
For a modern take on Easter egg decorating, you'll have to get a little messy. Once your dyed eggs have dried, dip a paintbrush in black paint. Hover the brush over the center of the egg and tap the handle to splatter the paint. Play around with the technique -- the harder you tap the brush, the bigger your splatter marks.

Get inspired for Spring and Easter alike with these awesome decorating ideas...from the inside mantel to the patio outside there is something here for your celebration!

Easter Banner ~ Welcome family and friends to your Easter celebration with this colorful banner. Just print out letters of your choosing onto card stock, cut out the pennants, then glue them onto ribbon.

Freshen Up Your Front Door ~ Brighten up your home's entry with a colorful Easter wreath. Use hot glue to attach layers of faux spring branches to a pussywillow wreath form. Twine-and-raffia carrots and mini egg-filled nests (both from the craft store) add the perfect finishing touch.

Old is New Again ~ Take advantage of warming spring days by moving your Easter get-together outdoors. For a quick-and-easy centerpiece, pair weathered watering cans, filled with tulips, with vintage chick lawn ornaments.

15 Easter Egg Decorating Ideas That WOW {and they are fun to do by yourself, with a child, as a family or as a group project}

Blackboard Eggs ~ Write messages on eggshells with this great idea from Oleander and Palm: Coat eggs with a layer of chalkboard paint and let your chalk do the talking. If you fall out of love with a pattern or picture, wash the surface and draw again.

Decal Eggs ~ If you apply these nature-themed decals to hollow eggs, you can display them year after year. You will need Ink-jet printer, Clear decal paper, Craft scissors, Spray varnish and Decal eggs clip art. Step 1: Print clip art onto decal paper. Step 2: Spray the paper with two coats of varnish; let dry after each coat. Step 3: Cut out individual decals, staying as close to the designs as possible. Soak them in a bowl of water for about a minute. Step 4: Remove a decal from the water and slowly separate it from its backing, sliding it onto the egg as you go. Smooth with your fingertips. Gently press a paper towel against the decal to absorb excess water. Step 5: Let dry a few minutes; repeat with additional decals. Try multiples of the same design, or a collage of different images. Step 6: Let dry overnight, then spray with a coat of varnish.

Ombré Easter Eggs ~ You can create this dramatic display with just two 0.25-ounce vials of blue dye you may already have in the kitchen. Set out six 12-ounce glasses, labeled A through F. Add one cup of boiling water and two teaspoons of white vinegar to each and stir, using a separate spoon for each glass. Then, mix in the color as follows: A, two drops; B, six drops; C, 10 drops; D, 20 drops; E, 45 drops; F, 60 drops. Submerge a hard-boiled egg in each glass. Steep for five minutes, or until you're happy with the hue, then remove and place in an empty egg carton to dry. Repeat with additional eggs (up to three dozen).