Easter Party: Edible Easter Basket Tutorial

The Wait is over... the edible Easter basket tutorial is here! I know this looks hard (I was actually a little afraid of this creation. It could either turn out fabulous or be a complete disaster.) I am happy to report it turned out fabulous and is not near as hard as it looks! 

The components:

mini balloons

dipping chocolate

peeps! chicks or bunnies (I love these)

candy eggs (I used speckled jelly beans & chocolate filled eggs)

First you have to melt the chocolate. This is the hardest part of the whole process. There are 2 ways to melt your chocolate the MICROWAVE vs OVEN.

Microwave: 1. Place your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on half power for 30 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate is almost melted. (It usually take 3 to 4 intervals) On the last one when it is almost completely melted, give it a really good stir and you can stir out the slight little chunks of chocolate without over heating it.  

OR

Oven: My Mom has been making homemade chocolates for years and she swears by this method. What is nice about this method is you can have the chocolate heating while you get everything ready. 

1.  Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature it goes. It is usually around 150-170 ish. Place your chocolate in a oven safe bowl. After about 3-5 minutes check on your chocolate. If the bowl is too hot to touch, turn off your oven and take out your chocolate and stir. The chocolate should be smooth and melted and ready to go. (If not put it back in the oven that is off with the door closed and it will continue heating the chocolate.) 

Tip: To to have your chocolate keep that shinny sheen look to it, the chocolate needs to be melted slow. 

2. While your chocolate is melting blow up mini balloons and coat the bottom half of the balloons with shortening. (this will help the chocolate not stick to the chocolate) Get a cookie sheet or plate with parchment/wax paper on the it.

3. Roll the bottom half of the balloon in the chocolate, while holding on at the top half of the balloon. I wanted the chocolate bowl to have a little rough feel to it, since it is suppose to be a basket. No two will be alike and this makes it easier as it not suppose to be perfect. You might have to apply more than one coat. If a small area is a little transparent or you need to smooth a spot out, take the back of a spoon with a little chocolate on it and swirl in the direction of the chocolate.

4. With the balloon in your left hand. Place a small circle of chocolate on the plate/cookie sheet with your right hand.

5. Place the balloon on top of the chocolate disk. 

6. Place in the freezer to set faster.

7. When the chocolate is set, pop the balloon with pin and take out the balloon remains. 

8. Fill with jelly beans, chocolate eggs and other candy. Top with a bunny or chick peep.

You can package them in boxes, cellophane bags or on top of individual platters at each place setting. Make sure to make these for your Easter dessert table and use with our Easter Printable available here.

Easter Party: the centerpiece

Finding the right centerpiece can be hard and time consuming. It's also the focal point of your table where that is the dining table where your having dinner, the dessert bar or on the kitchen island to add a little festive touch to your home. We found the perfect solution for you!!!! It's easy and fast... we don't want the centerpiece to take too long.... you have things to bake and get ready for your Easter celebrations. All you do is buy carrots that still have the stem on them.



How to construct your centerpiece:
1. Buy carrots with the stem still on (if your stems don't look great see blow for tips on how to perk them up)
2. Find your vase and have it washed.
3. Soak/ Rinse in a place you can lay completely flat & in the COLDEST water possible and then add a couple cups buckets of ice to the water. ( I have used the bath tub to wash my carrots before)
4. Set a towel right in front of your tub/sink and laid the carrots out and put a towel on top. Pat dry.
5. Place the carrots imperfectly so they overlap and hold each other up.
6. Fill with cold water and that is it. You're done!

Here are a few trade secret to perking up your carrots to make them show worthy! Are your ready..... 

*completely immerse your carrots in COLD water, and I mean really really cold water. 

*lay the carrots completely flat - If you have a large sink that the carrots and stems can lay flat your in luck, if not you can use your bath tub. Fill with the COLDEST water you can and then throw in a couple buckets of ice and your leaves will start perking up. Leave in for 10 minutes or so.

Easter: the egg decorating & hunt party collection

Are you planning a Easter Decorating party or Easter Egg Hunt (or both) with friends and family.... 

This Easter collection is full of darling favors, treat toppers, banners, labels and tags for you to adore your guests with. Available in our our shop... 

We will take you step by step on how to create the Easter table. What is great about this dessert table it is extremely easy and can be created by all levels of crafters. Most the treats are store bought candies  repackaged to give an personal touch. 

Our Easter Collection includes:

1. Cupcake Toppers/ Party Circles (12 designs) 2.5" circle 

2. Cupcake Toppers/ Party Circles (12 designs) 2" circle

3. Cupcake Liners/Wrappers (4 designs)

4. Water bottle/Drink wrappers (5 designs)

5. Flag Toppers (12 designs) used for cupcakes, straw tags & adorable with mini desserts!

6. Printable paper designs (5 designs)

7. Happy Easter Banner (bunny and easter eggs)

8. Mini Candy bar wrappers (7 designs)

9. Favor Toppers (4 designs) 4" wide x 4" tall (fold in half finished size 4" x 2")

11. Bunny Favor Toppers (1 design)

12. Food tags (4 designs)

13. Easter Bunny basket tags (8 designs)

14. Egg Decorating Awards- Best Color, Most Creative, etc. plus blank ones for you to write your own awards! 

(6 design & 6 blank awards)

15. Egg Carton labels- 3 parts for your one dozen egg carton (3 designs)

For your drinks offer an array of colorful pops, sodas & lemonades. We have strawberry lemonade, lemonade, grapes soda & strawberry cream soda.

Open the bottles right before the party and place our straw flags on pretty stripped straws 

candy bar wrappers with bunnies, eggs, bows and frills 

Hang your Happy Easter bunny and egg banner with purple & white twine for a sweet touch. Also you can create just a bunny banner, there are 2 different sizes.... get creative and make a bunny pattern! 

Now get ready..... the treats and there are alot of them!

These adorable mini egg bowl are filled with an chocolate carrot (I feel in love when I found them at my local grocery store!!!!) and chocolate eggs

 Our collection has cupcake wrappers and toppers....  The above cupcake is my favorite. I love the cupcake wrapper with easter eggs around it and scalloped blue & yellow Happy Easter.... the type is just so pretty and delicate, but still readable!

Here is another use for the drink flags. Make mini cupcake and sprinkle tiny easter eggs with one jelly bean and our sweet Easter flags to create a must taste treat. After the photo shoot all the kids went crazy over these. They were gone in minutes!!! 

Each child should have an Easter Bunny treat. These jelly beans are so bright and fun and specked! I love small details like that. You can purchase them here at Gygi's

4 square favor toppers- these are easy to cut and assemble. Simply fold down your cellophane bags (found here) and staple. Then fold the favor topper in half and secure with double stick tape. 

 Do your kids get their egg cartons mix up and wondering whose is whose? I remember that was always an problem when we dyed eggs. Now simply place our egg carton labels on each child's carton to eliminate any confusion.  There are 3 different color ways for all 3 labels.

Note: If you are throwing a Easter Egg Decorating party place a dozen eggs at each seat with their name on your very own carton with our labels.

We have 8 different styles of tags for you to attach to your Easter baskets from the Easter bunny, presents, favors or these completely edible chocolate easter baskets! You can package them in an array of ways. We have included our 2 favorites was of displaying our edible easter baskets. A tutorial is coming soon... you don't want to miss this one.

 Above we have placed our edible Easter baskets on Pottery Barns clear glass cupcake stands. This would be beautiful at each place setting for your Easter dinner after your Easter Egg Hunt and games with the kids.

Or give them as gifts as they walk out. Place in clear plastic boxes with some colored crate paper, topped with a bright bow and one of our Easter tags.

Easter Invitations

We showed you a sneak peak of the dessert table yesterday, but lets start form the beginning. First you have to invite your guest! You invitations sets the tone and direction to your party.... so we created coordinating invitations for your Easter Egg Decorating party and Easter Egg Hunt!