Blooming Branches: A Simple Easter Craft (and a Sweet Mother’s Day Gift)

We are still in Easter.

Fifty days of celebrating the resurrection, fifty days of feasting, light, and quiet joy that carries beyond a single Sunday.

One of the ways I’ve come to love marking the Easter season in our home is with flowers. There’s something about bringing in signs of new life, fresh, simple, visible, that helps us remember what we’re actually celebrating.

Lately, I’ve been seeing beautiful images of blossoming branches in vases, filling homes with soft color and movement. Living along the coast, I don’t have many flowering trees nearby, so I thought it would be fun to make my own.

On a morning walk, I found a branch that seemed perfect for a white ceramic pitcher I often use for arrangements. From there, I created my own version of blooming branches using tissue paper.

You can make this as full or as minimal as you like. Choose a container that balances the height of your branches, and use whatever colors you have on hand. I used two shades of pink, but soft whites, creams, or even brighter spring colors would be just as lovely.

This is an easy, approachable way to bring the beauty of the season into your home, and as always, I had children in mind while putting it together. It’s simple enough to do together, and meaningful enough to keep on display throughout the Easter season.

And with Mother’s Day approaching, this makes a sweet and thoughtful gift as well, something handmade, simple, and full of life.

A small way to mark the season.A small way to make something beautiful.

Happy Easter.

the craft -

Tissue Paper Cherry Blossom Arrangement

Supplies:

• Branches

• Container (you could use mason jars with small twigs, a pitcher, a vase, etc.)

• Tissue paper (I used two shades of pink, but you could use yellow, white, or lavender. Really, any color will do!)

• Clear Glue or Hot Glue (I used hot glue and clear glue in case you have little children and don't want them to burn themselves. Both worked just fine.)

• Scissors

• Ruler

• A retractable pen

Measure and cut out 3" X 3" squares of your two different colors of tissue paper.

Stack the squares and cut into a four-petal shape. This is not an exact science! Your shapes might look rough, but the next steps will hide any flaws.

Overlay a petal shape from each color.

Take the end of a retractable pen that has been retracted and push it into the center of the two pieces of tissue paper.

Push the shapes over the pin and lightly twist the tip. Set aside. Continue making blossoms until you have enough to cover each branch tip.

Add a branch or branches to your container.

Hot glue or glue the tips of the petals to the ends of your branches. If you are using hot glue, it should be done by an adult rather than a child. It is too easy to burn yourself. I used hot and clear school glue, and preferred the clear school glue. It did not burn, and it did not leave those long threads of hot glue everywhere.

Keep gluing on blossoms until all of the branch tips are covered.

Happy Easter!