Minimalistic Easter Tree

 

Project time:  1-2 Hours

Cost: Up to $15

Difficulty: Moderate

Materials: Wooden Craft Eggs + Branches + Craft Paint & Brushes + String + Scissors + Fun Cardstock + Sewing Machine + Hole Punch + Needle Nose Pliers + Small Screw Eyes

Finished product: Whimsical, simplistic Easter tree featuring bright paper eggs and decorated wooden egg ornaments

Use ideas: Easter Decor, Spring Decor, Feature point for an Easter tabletop, Easter Centerpiece

Note: I do have affiliate links throughout this post. The links provide me with a small percentage of commission, but do not cost you anything extra.

Easter tree decorated with wooden painted eggs and colorful 3D paper eggs

Hooray for Easter! Hooray for the victory Jesus won, the world exploding in pastels, and of course freshening up the house with some sweet, spring decor!

The first time I saw an Easter tree it was at my piano teachers house. It was a vintage white wire tree, with little painted eggs, wooden bunnies, and little crosses. I used to stare at that tree while I waited for my sister to finish her lesson and pretend I was shrunk down and climbing it with all the bunnies and eggs around me.

Point of this ‘spaced out childhood of Emily’ story is: that little tree sparked such a whimsical joy in me each year! I hadn’t made one for Esther to dream in yet, so I decided to give it a go, and here’s how it went:

1) Find a nice branch or bunch of greenery for the base. I used two branches from my sweet viburnum bushes in the yard. I trimmed back a few leafs a bit to make more space to hang the ornaments, but I specifically chose full branches to start with to make sure there would be enough hanging points.

Green branches

2) Create your egg ornaments. This process consists of:

  • Attaching the screw eye to the egg

  • Decorating your eggs

  • Attaching string to the screw eye

Attaching the screw eye - Attaching the eye right to the top of the egg, I found it easiest to use needle nose pliers to hold the screw while I twisted the wooden egg into place.

Wooden egg ornament supplies, plier grips, eyelet screws, wooden eggs
Eyelet being turned/attached with the pliers
attached eyelet in egg

Once the eyes are attached:

It’s time to decorate - Choose your medium. You can go with craft paints like me, paint markers are also fun, traditional egg dye, gems, or even feathers. I trolled Pinterest (like any good designer) and practiced some rough sketches before pouring my paints. Tip: Set a limited color scheme ahead of time, that way if you used mixed mediums, the overall design will stay consistent and uncluttered.

Paint, markers, wooden eggs
Doodled designs and pen
Paint colors on a plate beside plain wooden egg ornaments

After you paint your masterpieces and everything is good and dry:

Finish them off with some string - Snip off some cute string, (bakers twine, hemp, etc.) tie a simple knot, trim, and boom - awesome egg ornament.

Rope tied on egg ornament
Painted egg ornament
Painted egg ornament
painted egg ornament
Painted egg ornaments

3) Create some matching paper eggs to fill out the tree. This process consists of:

  • Cutting the egg shapes

  • Sewing the layers together

  • Hole punching and stringing

Starting with cutting the egg shapes - Choose some fun cardstock within your color scheme. Each egg needs three pieces total. I don’t think I made two eggs the same size. This wasn’t on purpose, I was just free-handing, and we all know what happens when I don’t have a pattern and am wielding scissors. I found it easiest/quickest to fold the paper in fourths and cut once.

Paper egg pieces being cut out and scissors
3D paper egg pieces - not sewn

Once you have your shapes, layer all three (one atop the other) and sew a single seam straight up the pile.

3D paper egg pieces sewn together

While the egg is still folded, punch a small hole near the top. String some string, knot, trim, and unfold the three layers. I used a 1/8” punch so the hole would fit on the egg.

Paper egg pieces sewn together getting a hole punch
Colorful paper 3D eggs

(Yes, I know these egg images are not stringed yet. But are’t these little 3D paper eggs adorable? I’ll be using some of these for Esther’s clutter-free Easter basket this year too.)

Colorful paper 3D eggs
Colorful 3d paper egg
Colorful 3d paper eggs

4) You’re ready to decorate your tree! (Or bush, branches - whatever it was you went with for your base!) I was really happy with the way my bright color scheme complimented the bright, fresh, green of the leaves.

Hanging wooden egg ornament - painted
Hanging wooden egg ornament - painted
Hanging wooden egg ornament - painted
Completed easter tree, decorated with 3D paper eggs and painted wooden egg ornaments

Esther obviously loves it, (and literally tries to climb it,) and I do to! (Love it that is, not climb it.) It’s just the right amount of whimsy and simplicity.

Notes:

- If you’re looking for a fun starter kit for craft paints, check this set from Apple Barrel.

- As always, if you try this project I'd love to see your result! Please share a pic and tag us on instagram, @somanyhoorays #naileditsomanyhoorays or on the So Many Hoorays facebook page