Happy Easter! Funky Glamor Easter Centerpiece…

With the “Use-What-You’ve-Got” mentality, I gathered together some odd craft supplies I had lying around and created one of the funkiest Easter Centerpieces I’ve ever seen (If you’ve seen funkier, show me! I’d love to see it) Faux fur scraps, feathers, and rhinestones on beet-dyed eggs arranged in my vintage polka-dot bowl. I hope it sparks you to be creative with whatever crafty bits you have lying around the house…

This is the first time I’ve ever dyed eggs with beets. First off, fair warning. It WILL dye your hands, (though it wears off pretty quickly) so wear gloves unless pink fingers are your thing.

1. Hard boil the eggs. I used this method http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/eggsdairy/r/Hard-Boiled-Eggs.htm and it worked perfectly, no cracks or issues. Let them cool.

2. Cook up your beets. I used the recipe for beets on this page: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/how-to-dye-easter-eggs-naturally-without-a-box-onion-skins-beets-cabbage.html Of course, I used the boiled beets, which are now pickling in the fridge. (if you’re not into natural, just use Paas dye or food coloring. I won’t tell anyone.)

3. Dye your eggs. The longer you leave them in the juice, the darker they will be, just be sure and stir them around from time to time while they’re in there. Place them on paper towels (or a rag you don’t turning pink) to dry. I tried to get fancy with it by creating stripes. It is subtle but it worked. I just held the egg steady in the beet juice at one level, let it dry, then at another level, let it dry, and so on. NOTE: At first I tried to use beet juice from a can of beets. Epic Fail. Just made a mess. Don’t do it.

Decorating the eggs

1. After letting the eggs dry thoroughly, it was time to get funky. First I gathered all my goodies. I chose to use a sheet of David Tutera self-stick rhinestones on the eggs. This was very easy. I just cut them into strips, peeled off the back and stuck them on. Even eggs deserve some glitz. I must say I’m digging the sticky rhinestones, so many uses! I was lucky enough to get these in a gift bag, but you can find them at Joanne, Hobby Lobby, Micheal’s, and many places online such as Amazon. I plan to reuse the ones on the eggs after we eat them. (the eggs that is, not the rhinestones)

2. Arrange the display. I choose to use a cute vintage polka-dot bowl that usually sits on my kitchen counter. I put a white faux fur scrap in first, being sure to tuck all the edges under, then added a string of coque feathers tucked in around the fur, and then added the guinea feathers outside the coque feathers. (I keep a bunch of miscellaneous feathers around for decorating projects. They’re great to add to flower arrangements, just alone in a vase, in centerpieces, etc.) Lastly, the eggs went in the bowl on top of the faux fur, and I set the bowl on top of another faux fur scrap. That’s it! Quick, easy, and well, a little weird I know, but it suits my personality. Everything I used (except the eggs of course) can be reused again. The only things I bought were the beets and the eggs, which will all happily be eaten.

I hope you’ll be inspired to get funky and think outside the Easter box with your project. I’d love to see your funky creations! Please share them in the comments section below. Happy Easter!