Easter Sunday Basket
This paper plate Easter basket depicts the garden, empty tomb and Easter morning sunrise.
You will need:
- 1 ½ paper plates for each basket
- Paints in green, brown/grey, and orange/yellow
- Sponges for painting (dries quicker than brushing and less messy)
- Scissors
- Stapler
- Metallic marker pen
- Optional: Flower stickers, shredded paper and eggs for filling
What to do:
- Sponge the whole plate with shades of green on both sides, then leave it on one side to dry.
- Cut the half plate along the crease that separates the base from the rim. This will give you a broad arch shape and a smaller semi-circle.
- Sponge brown or grey paint on both sides of the arch and yellow or orange paint on both sides of the semicircle. Leave them on one side to dry.
- When the green plate is dry, cut zig-zags all around the fluted part to look like grass.
- Then make four large cuts, at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock to about 5cm from the middle of the plate. You should end up with an uncut square in the middle of the plate. This will be the base of the basket.
- Overlap the plate on either side of a cut and staple the layers together. Make sure the rough side of the staple is inside the basket. Do the same on the opposite side.
- The brown arch forms the handle and the empty tomb. When it is dry, use a metallic marker to write a suitable Easter text on the middle part of the arch, such as ‘Hallelujah, He is Risen!’
- Bend the arch over so that it spans the two unstapled sides of the basket. It should lean over so that the top surface with the writing is flat.
- Staple it in place, securing the sides of the basket at the same time.
- Finally, cut a circular sun from the orange card, bend over the bottom and staple it under the handle so that the sun is rising above the tomb.
- You can cut flowers from the remaining orange card to decorate the grass, or add stickers. Then fill it with shredded paper and Easter goodies!
First published in 2017
Empty Cave Croissants
To help us think about Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can make Empty Cave Croissants – delicious too!
Makes 12-18
500g puff-pastry block (makes 18)
or
320g ready-rolled puff-pastry sheet (makes 12)- Marshmallows
- Sweet spices, (eg cinnamon and nutmeg)
- A llttle melted butter
- A little brown sugar
- 1 egg (beaten)
The marshmallow stands for Jesus’ body and the spices and oil reminded us that he was prepared for burial. The pastry represents the cloth that he was wrapped in, and when cooked, the empty tomb.
- Preheat oven to 200⁰C / 400⁰F / Gas Mark 6
- If using ready-rolled sheet, roll out lightly to about 40cm x 25cm (15” x 10”) and cut into six 13cm (5“) squares
- If using puff pastry block, roll out to about a 40cm (15”) square and cut into nine 13cm (5“) squares
- Stretch each square slightly into a rectangle then cut each rectangle diagonally into two triangles
- Make a small slit in the shortest side of each triangle, opposite the sharp point
- Dip a marshmallow in the melted butter then roll it in the spices so that it is heavily coated
- Place the marshmallow near the slit end of a triangle and fold the pastry over the marshmallow
- Dampen and pinch the pastry both sides to stop the marshmallow oozing out, then roll up to form the croissant
- Pull the sides of the roll out slightly and curve to form the crescent shape
- Place on greased baking sheet, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with a little brown sugar
- Bake for 15 mins until golden and yummy and – like the garden cave on Easter Sunday morning – empty inside!
First published in 2016
This resource is free for you to use in your church, family or for your personal devotions. If you find it useful, please consider a donationto enable me to produce more free resources.
Thank you.
The Reflectionary 