10 Shortcuts to Help You Host Easter With Ease

I’m a huge fan of a party and very big on Christmas, but I don’t really ‘do Easter’. It’s a bit like Halloween to me – something that just keeps getting bigger and bigger every year for no apparent reason whatsoever.

When I was a kid Easter meant suffering through the longest mass ever on Good Friday (presumably as a token towards the events of thousands of years ago), followed by a random Saturday, followed by more church-going and the promise of a chocolate egg of two from the Easter Bunny. But only if we were really good at church. Much like Santa, the Easter Bunny was all-knowing and hugely prejudice against spirited children.

This year I’m hosting 30 people at our place for an Easter lunch. Exactly how this came about is anyone’s guess, but with the Italian relos booked in for a midday start, there is simply no backing out now. Cue mass-panic and hack-searching by me. This Easter thing is a whole new world, so I’m going for maximum impact with minimal bother. Here are ten things that are going to help me host Easter this year.

More Easter ideas:

Feature image: Getty

Easter short cuts - AU

Alfresco All the Way

I’m hoping for lovely Autumn weather in Sydney on the 27^th because I’m taking the show outside. Entertaining is so much easier and somehow nicer when you feed people in the great outdoors. I love this DIY oilcloth tablecloth, it makes an outdoor dining space so festive and it seems really easy to make (even for a novice sew-er like me).

Tutorial: Mumtastic
Image: Susan Phillips
Bento Boxes for Kids' Lunch

As much as I love sitting down at a big long table with the olds, the youngs and the in-betweens (where I firmly place myself), sometimes it’s better to treat the kids separate to the parents. I think preparing them a cute lunch box like this one makes a whole lot of sense.

Recipe: Mumtastic
Image: Linette Gerlach
It's Gotta Be Ham

Ham just seems like a no-brainer for Easter, mainly because it works so well at Christmas. Ham is easy to prepare and a true crowd pleaser and just reading this Easter ham recipe has my mouth watering. Plus, leftovers are sooooo good.

Recipe: The Other Crumb
Image: Katrina Meynink
Served with Snazzy Salads

Easter is earlier than usual this year, which means it’s still warm enough out there to serve up salads. Salads are the ultimate entertainer as they are quick, tasty and everyone can serve themselves exactly what they want. I love the Simple Salad Series at Land of Zonkt and will be trying out the Sweet Potato Salad with Crispy Noodles and the Apple Salad with French Onion Dressing. So yum!

Recipes and image: Land of Zonkt
Hot Cross Bun Cheat

Dessert sorted! Buns feel too scary to me – too ‘baker’. But cupcakes I can do. This recipe by Stacey Clare is just the ticket for sorting out my Easter lunch dessert.

Recipe: Mumtastic
Image: Stacey Clare
Table Centrepiece by the Kids

I was a bit stuck on what I would do to festive-up the lunch table, but then I found this tutorial. I think we’ll have an egg hunt when guests arrived, followed by a little egg dyeing activity and then I can put the decorated eggs in a basket as the table centerpiece.

Tutorial: Mumtastic
Image: Liz Stanley
Easter Hunt Baskets Activity

Before the kids set out on the egg hunt, I’ve got a craft activity planned. They can make their own baskets to collect their chocolate eggs in. This serves as both a fun activity for the kids and a great way of teaching them perspective – the baskets are not very big.

Printable: Mumtastic
Image: Chelsea Foy
Non-Melty Easter Egg Hunt

Every Easter celebration needs an egg hunt. The thing is, when you scatter chocolate eggs in the garden in Australia in March, you are really just asking for trouble. Melted chocolate eggs are the worst – all that foil melting into the chocolate, leaving bits in your mouth. Enough! Instead, I’m going to download and print these cute Easter hunt signs and direct the kids to the back fridge.

Printables: Mumtastic
Image: Chelsea Foy
Memorable Take Home Favour

I have made these bunny ear bags before en mass for all the kids in my kids’ classes, so making a few for next Sunday should be a breeze. They are unbelievably cute and will make a great take-home favour for all the kids who are celebrating Easter with us.

Tutorial: Maxabella Loves
Image: Maxabella
Happy Easter Cake Tops it All Off

A cake makes any event a true celebration. I’m planning to make this Bunny surprise cake and top it off with this DIY Happy Easter topper. It looks clean and neat and the true happy part is when we cut into the cake.

Tutorial: Mumtastic
Image: Brittni Mehlhoff