Now that we’ve covered the Easter Brunch Menu, let’s move on to the table. It’s Easter and it needs to look like it’s Easter. But it can’t break the bank, especially this year with everyone watching their budgets.  This tablescape is festive yet can be put together for under $35!

Supplies:
1. Three small containers of wheat grass or oat grass. (Local garden supply – $1.99 each)
2. Ten white tulips (Walmart – $5 for 6 tulips. I actually found a bundle of 10 for $8 on sale)
3. 1/2 yard of patterned cotton fabric (Jo Ann’s Fabric – $2.50)
4. Four mini silver baskets (Michaels – $1.99 each)
5. Green paper ‘grass’ (Walmart – $1.50)
6. Whoppers mini robin eggs (Walmart – $1.77)
7. Lime green and sky blue ribbon (Walmart – $1.97 each)
8. Four sheets of green scrapbook paper (Michaels – $.59 each)
9. One sheet of lime scrapbook paper (Michaels – $.59)
10. One sheet of patterned scrapbook paper with butterflies (Michaels – $.99)

Here is what you’ll do for the centerpiece:
Separate the wheat grass into sections to make and them all fit into the vase. This was purely trial and error until I was able to make three squares of grass fit nicely into a round object! I added some potting soil around the outside edge to hide the roots. Trim the grass with scissors, as if you were giving it a haircut, to give it shape around the vase. Use a fat marker or something similar to make a whole down the middle. You will have to use a little force to push through the roots. Trim each tulip to give it a fresh cut and then arrange, placing each stem into the hole in the middle of the grass. Once you have the flowers where you want them, fluff the grass with your hands to pull up any blades that were smooshed by the flowers. (How do you like that technical term – ’smooshed’!) Then roll back some of the tulip leaves to make the tulips stand out. Don’t forget to water your masterpiece!

For the napkins:
Use pinking sheers and cut your fabric into 20″ X 20″ squares. Viola! Instant napkins! Using pinking sheers will enable you to wash these with minimal fraying. I actually made the napkins shown several years ago. You can see the little bit of fraying at the bottom, but it’s rustic and casual. No uptight linen napkins here. Fold each finished napkin in half and then roll up. Tie with the blue ribbon and attach name tag. (Name tags are just circles punched from lime green paper, with a small hole punched at top. Names were written in black ink.)

For the baskets:
Fill each basket with green ‘grass’ and then top with the blue mini eggs. Tie lime green bow at the top of handle. Cut butterflies from scrapbook paper and fold in half to crease. Lay butterfly on top of mini eggs.

For the place settings:
Use a sheet of green scrapbook paper for the ‘charger’. I trimmed mine to match the shape of the plate. I’d do a large circle for a round plate and just leave it as is for a square plate. Place your plate on top with cutlery in it’s normal resting place. Place a basket in middle of each plate with the napkin on the side.

Now, I am assuming that you already have a vase that you can use, along with white plates. If not, I just saw this exact vase at TJMaxx for $5.99. And the plates can be purchased at Walmart for $2 each. That will add $13.99 to your total…. so if you’re really wanting to watch the budget, just use what you already have and plan around it!

Stay tuned, later today we’ll be back with the finishing touch… the cocktails!