Egg Tree

I've always loved the idea of decorating the house just a little for Easter, it's a fun thing to do especially if you have kids and helps get everyone into the mood.

An Easter tree for hanging decorative eggs can be made easily from something as simple as a vase of twigs or pussy willow.

For something more permanent that you can bring out year after year, a wooden tree like this would be perfect.

You will need:

Terracotta pot
Plaster of Paris
Acrylic paints in colours of your choice (I used Jo Sonja's Artists Colours)
3 x 6mm lengths wooden dowel
1 x 25mm length wooden dowel
Fine tooth saw
Sandpaper
Drill with a 6 – 6.5mm bit
PVA glue
Chenille pipe cleaners
Decorative hanging eggs
Fluffy chicks

How to:

1. Paint the individual wooden dowel lengths and allow to them to dry before cutting the larger dowel to the height you wish your tree to be.

2. Measure and mark four points around the dowel at even spacings along. These are the points you need to drill for the thinner dowel 'branches'

3. Cut the thinner dowel and sand paper the rough ends. Place a few drops of glue into each hole before inserting them

4. Now your tree is taking shape, paint the terracotta pot in your favourite colours. When it's dry, seal up the hole with a piece of tape before mixing the plaster of paris and filling the pot to half way

5. Stand the wooden tree into the plaster, ensuring it's straight, it will begin to harden in minutes

6. Once the plaster has set, wrap the chenille pipe cleaners around each branch before hanging the decorative eggs and placing the chicks

7. Cover the plaster tree base with tissues before placing handfuls of speckled, chocolate eggs around to cover the tissue and fill the pot