As an interior stylist I have set up many tables for seasonal photoshoots and at this time of year, I am often asked how to easily decorate an Easter table. The long Easter weekend break offers us all a great opportunity to get together with family and friends, and the dining table can be central to celebrating being together.
When it comes to Easter decorating ideas, ensure your table blends in with your surrounding dining room colours by choosing a scheme which picks out accents that are already in the room and work with the overall aesthetic of your home. For example, if you have a neutral dining room chose a scheme which factors in natural materials, or if the backdrop allows it you could go for a classic pastel palette brought up-to-date with pops of joyful brighter colours, as I have on this table.
Once you've decided on your colour scheme give it an Easter theme with seasonal spring flowers, eggs in different guises and don’t forget a nod to the Easter bunny or two!
Bright and colourful Easter tablescape
I love bright colours, and I've embraced them with this joyful Easter decorating scheme for my table. Here are my top tricks to styling your table like a pro.
1. Choose your backdrop
Invest in a tablecloth which ties in with the scheme in your dining room or a dining area in an open-plan kitchen-diner. This is a worthwhile investment as it will get used on other special occasions. Opt for a plain colour or a subtle pattern, as you're going to be building up the interest with other items, which you don’t want to be fighting for attention against the tablecloth.
Of course, if your table has, for example, a nice wooden finish why not opt for a table runner teamed with placemats. Again keep them plain, so they don’t fight for attention.
2. Create a stunning centrepiece
Give your Easter table a focal point with an eye-catching centrepiece, which combines the different elements of your tablescaping and holds everything together. Give it some height with a cake stand like this Maxi footed plate from Wayfair. Here I used a ready-made cake from Sainsbury’s and simply positioned two adorable chocolate bunnies by Cathryn Cariad from Etsy on top, then I surrounded it with single stems of spring flowers, cut short and displayed in tiny bottles positioned around the cake.
Another ideas is to use an Easter wreath with a large central church candle, or you could run posies of flowers interspersed with low candles along the length of the table, gathering taller flowers and candles in a circle in the centre. And if you're feeling crafty, have a go at this egg shell flower centrepiece.
3. Elevate your everyday tableware
Use standard white or cream plates as the basis of your place setting. Then layer with a napkin to tie in with your colour scheme and add in a more decorative side plate like the Aleta from Wayfair. Either pick up side plates in sets or look out for vintage plates in charity shops. For an extra touch, try this year's favourite tablescaping trend - the napkin bunny egg.
Serving up an Easter breakfast or brunch? Add in a decorative egg cup, too – I styled my table with this Wayfair's porcelain egg cup set . The simple style shown here has a wide rim where you can display an added extra chocolate treat or a little gift for a guest.
4. Feather in seasonal flowers
Decorative water glasses with an embossed design like the Lim from Wayfair that I've used add another texture to your table setting and also make lovely low vases for a spring posy. Use it as a central display on a smaller table or as one of a collection displayed along a longer table. Simply arrange a mix of different blooms cut to the same length in each glass.
Tulip petals can be opened or re-flexed to create a fuller bloom, as shown. This works best on tulips in full bloom. Remove them from water for a half an hour to slightly dehydrate before you start. Then gently place your finger on the thicker part of the petal where it is connected to the stem and pop the petal backwards to open. If the petal starts to tear, leave it for a few minutes more to dehydrate. Continue one petal at a time, working your way around the flower.
5. Personalise place settings
Have fun getting creative with place names. If you enjoy baking, you could make some Easter shortbread biscuits in egg or simple bunny shapes. Ensure you make a hole in the top before baking. When cooled ice with fondant icing then imprint the name or initial of the recipient and add to the design with embossed patterns (or you can buy these ones at Enchanting Bakes to save time!). Tie in place with a ribbon around the cutlery or around a rolled napkin.
Alternatively, cut out eggs from card and draw on the name – this idea looks lovely decorated with rickrack and ribbons. Both the shortbread biscuits or card alternatives make lovely Easter decorations without the names hung on an Easter tree.
6. Add table confetti for a final flourish
Table confetti always adds an extra bit of sparkle and with their shiny foil wrappers small chocolate eggs are a perfect seasonal addition. Take this idea a step further by mixing in larger honeycomb eggs along the table. Then fan out from the table into other areas of the room.
Hang varying sizes of honeycomb eggs above the table suspended on fishing wire or ribbons from command hooks stuck onto the ceiling. They also look great hung on the corner of chairs or laid along a nearby mantlepiece or shelf interspersed with spring flowers.
