A girlfriend lamented today, “What will I do tomorrow? Nothing is open.” Well, my first reaction was, “ok, no bricks and mortar stores are open on Good Friday, but you could always shop on the net…”

Anyway, I received my beloved Martha Stewart Living magazine in the post today and on the cover is THE most beautiful Easter table centrepiece featuring a nest design enclosing a pastel rainbow of tulips. OMG, it’s gorgeous! So, perhaps even more exciting than shopping online tomorrow (or perhaps as well as), try your hand at this beautiful, gorgeous and amazing centrepiece for your Easter table.

The pyramidal display above borrows from detailed 19th-century engravings of nests and eggs, such as those by Reverend F.O. Morris. Like Morris’s illustrations, these crafts projects adopt a naturalistic style. Some of the materials can be found at crafts stores and florist shops; others might come from your yard.

Coconut-Fiber or Grapevine Nest How-To
1. Gather coconut fibers or grapevines to form a ponytail; secure 1 end with 24-gauge brown wire.

2. Curl secured end to form a coiled base; continue to curl, adding new bundles and wiring every few inches until nest is formed. (Ours are 2 to 4 inches across.) Secure end with more wire. Adjust by hand to create a cup for eggs.

Birch Nest How-To
1. Start with a wooden basket that is 8 or 12 inches in diameter. Gather a bundle of birch branches. Cut off the fine tips, then cut the branches into varying lengths (6 to 12 inches).

2. Using 24-gauge brown wire, secure the end of a branch to the base of the basket. Bend the branch along the basket’s curve, wiring every 4 or 5 inches so that loose ends stick out. Repeat with remaining branches, overlapping them to conceal the basket.

Pussy Willow Nest How-To
Choose fresh pussy willow branches, which will bend more easily than dried ones. You can find them, as well as the dried grasses you’ll need, at garden centers or florist shops.

1. Create a base for the nest: Crisscross lengths of 24-gauge brown wire onto a 10-inch wire wreath form. (This doesn’t need to be neat because it will be covered later.)

2. Cut branches into varying lengths (8 to 15 inches). Wire the end of 1 branch to the base of the wreath form. Bend it around the form’s curve, wiring it in place 5 or 6 inches from the tip. (For a natural look, the loose end should stick out.) Repeat with the remaining branches, overlapping as you go.

3. Once the wreath form is covered, tuck dried grass into branches; wire shouldn’t be necessary. (If the grasses are stiff, soak them in water until pliable, about 1 hour; pat dry.) Insert feathers among the grasses. Line the interior of the nest with additional grasses, and fill with decorated eggs.

So gorgeous. Here’s another way to display your nest:

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn