Decorate with Crafts

Like so many other homeowners, Linda looks forward to switching up her Illinois abode's scenery with every change of season. Thanks to her creative instincts and her arsenal of handpicked accessories, no room experiences the same look twice. "Sometimes my son, Chris, will come over and say, 'Mom, do you have a warehouse of decor? I've never seen that before!'" she says with a laugh.

To help her stay organized while swapping out accents, Linda's husband, Dave, installed large multi-shelved cabinets in the basement, where she arranges her decor by color so she can keep track of everything more easily. This orderly system certainly comes in handy as she starts outfitting her light, bright home for spring, when she brings out the white bunnies, the green cabbage-themed plates, and plenty of additional accessories that pop against the buttermilk and gold wall hues that give her home a sunny disposition.

Open to a fresh decorating perspective this spring, Linda invited Country Sampler stylists Sally-Jo Enstad and Catherine Parker to help her brainstorm new ideas for her kitchen's Easter scene. "With the buttermilk-yellow walls and crisp white cabinetry, the kitchen is the perfect backdrop for springtime decor," Sally-Jo says. "We focused on mingling Linda's awesome handcrafted accents with some new pieces to keep her preference for change going."

For example, the stylists topped each place setting on the kitchen table with common peat pots that Linda had spray painted, added wire handles to, and filled with iridescent Easter grass. Those colorful creations now join other vibrant accents in setting a cheerful spring scene. Read on for more hints from Linda's kitchen makeover!

Feel No Pane
1. See clearly.  For a fashionable focal point, the stylists gave a salvaged window a fresh coat of paint and hung it over an heirloom tea cart.
2. Send greetings.  Adorn your window with vintage-style greeting cards that evoke a past-tense Easter feel. "We also added a small wreath and a sign that coordinates with the cards' graphics," Sally-Jo says.
3. Handle with care.  "Spring is the perfect time to decorate with delicate housewares, such as the teacups under a cloche or the teapot holding tulips," Catherine says.
4. Reach new heights.  If one of your display's elements needs a boost, stack a few saucers under it. Here, the stylists raised potted kale and a faux egg on china plates to balance the scale of the rabbit candy container.

In Full Bloom
5. Take a shine to it.  "Capture spring sunshine with glass accents," Sally-Jo advises. "Try placing cloches over cute egg figurines or filling a multi-tiered container with colorful candy and a bird's nest."
6. Celebrate texture.  Balance out the glass elements by feathering in a few accessories that have depth and dimension, such as a twiggy wreath hung on the window or colorful eggs resting in nests of Easter grass.

Make It Counter
7. Counter your blessings.  Sally-Jo and Catherine continued the spring-themed decor from a cabinet display of Linda's favorite Easter finds down to the countertops, where seasonal delights stand out against the classic granite surface.
8. Stay close.  To create a countertop garden, group potted yellow daisies, dainty purple violets and a birdhouse in a wide basket and tuck in some excelsior to disguise the pots.
9. Couple up.  Enhance the garden scene with a fun accent placed nearby, such as the whimsical rabbit on the counter or a bunny with a wheelbarrow full of eggs.

Best of the Brunch
10. Follow the rainbow.  Color is key to a festive Easter tablescape, so the stylists set the stage for fun accents, such as a cute bunny figurine and Linda's painted peat-pot pails, with sage green place mats and sunny yellow napkins.
11. Take a bath.  Construct a unique centerpiece for your brunch table by outfitting a stone birdbath with candles and floating daisy blooms. "You can protect your table from spills by positioning a vinyl place mat underneath the birdbath," Catherine notes.
12. Pile on patterns.  The stylists topped multicolored plates with smaller yellow-on-white floral dishes for extra punch at each place. "The mix of designs works because the yellow pattern functions like a neutral on top of the more colorful dinner plates," Sally-Jo explains.
13. Be picture-perfect.  Instead of using lettered place markers, the stylists secured cards decorated with Linda's hand-drawn bunnies into personalized photo holders.
14. Take your pick.  For a departure from a traditional arrangement, gather bright-hued egg-themed stakes in a glass candleholder filled with flat marbles and ivy.

For the Birds
15. Stand tall.  Make sure your decor has plenty of visual interest by displaying accents on different levels, such as birdhouse-topped pillars perched on and around a garden stone.

CRAFTER PRODUCTS
For more information, visit our Craft Fair online.

FEEL NO PANE
"Spring" sign, Gifts from Above
Handmade greeting cards, Yesterday's Best
Egg wreath and brown candy container bunny, Olde Farm Creek
Green Easter egg, Copeland's General Store

IN FULL BLOOM
Colonial canister set, Fantastic Flags
Berry garland wreath, Endless Possibilities
Two Easter eggs, Copeland's General Store

MAKE IT COUNTER
Lilly Hare and Egg Hunt figurines, Henny Penny's House
Pedestal birdhouse, Gifts from Above

BEST OF THE BRUNCH
Jim Shore "Colorful Delight" bunny with egg, Home for the Holiday Gift Shop
Easter eggs on stakes, Home Decor for Your Style
Easter photo holders, Country Expressions by Bonnie Lockman
Pedestal birdhouses, Gifts from Above

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE
White Linen antique butter bell crock, L. Tremain, 888-575-1900, www.butterbell.com