With the lockdown rules easing at the end of March to allow up to six people top gather outdoors, we are all looking forward to being able to celebrate Easter with family or friends.
And with the hope of more warm spring sunshine to come, why not make your outside celebration one to remember by creating a beautiful Easter table?
1. A soft touch
If your garden table is looking weather-worn and past its best, covering it with a pretty linen or cotton tablecloth will make all the difference. Pop seat pads on the chairs, and provide extra cushions and throws for comfort and warmth.
2. Branch out
Make your own beautiful – and inexpensive - centrepiece for the table by placing big bunches of foraged frothy white cow parsley in a sturdy glass vase. Or take a branch of pussy willow, forsythia or cherry blossom, and hang tiny egg and heart decorations all over it.
3. Herbal essence
Dot the table with herbs for fragrance – perhaps small glass bottles or jars filled with rosemary, or basil plants in terracotta pots.
4. Everything in its place
Create pretty place settings by layering up different sized or patterned plates. Place a napkin in the centre of the top plate, folded in half lengthways and drawn together in the middle with simple garden twine or a pretty ribbon. Decorate with sprigs of rosemary or cow parsley.
5. Let there be light
If your celebration moves into the evening, dot the table with tea lights or hurricane lanterns. Even the smallest candles can make a big difference to the atmosphere, and most are available in a wide range of delicious fragrances – look out for scented tea lights, too. Solar lights in the trees or along the edge of the flowerbeds will also help create a soft glow.
6. Inside out
Don’t panic if you don’t have outdoor furniture - what works inside will work just as well in a temporary outside setting. Whether it's your dining table, chairs or benches, large floor cushions, a small armchair or footstool, or armfuls of rugs and cushions, you can find everything you need to make your outdoor space look cosy and inviting.
