Getting ready for Easter

I can't believe it is coming up so quick. Guess that's what happens when Mardi Gras and Lent are early. I just wish spring weather would come early too.

Some little friends came out to greet their new neighbor yesterday. The little bunnies are from the Boyd Family. I've collected them (as well as small Boyd's bears) over the years.

The big guy is a new-to-me jointed Vermont Teddy Bear. I rescued found him at the Salvation Army thrift store yesterday for 33¢. He was shoved in with the riff-raff 3/$1 stuffed animals. I just had to bring him home with me.


The bunnies are settled into the best fringe benefit of our new paper shredder -- free packing materials or Easter grass if you use all green paper. They and the paper are inside my latest project -- a vintage-inspired Easter basket.

I have 5 of these black pails, from the Christmas Tree Shoppes but bought at a garage sale last summer. They've sat here in my office, mainly getting in the way ever since. I decided to try my hand at decoupaging them with Easter scenes I cut out of old children's books.

I really like how it all kind of came together. The ric-rac and lace trims remind me of those big sugar candy eggs with scenes inside of them. The ripped paper is reminiscent of dyed and cracked egg shells. And the images remind me of my friend's daughter, with the page-boy haircut and bunny rabbits.

I glued all of the paper pieces down and using what I had, covered them in layers upon layers of gloss Mod Podge. Once that was dry, I aged them with watered-down acrylic paint. Oh, I also coffee-dyed the trims as they were too bright a white for my taste.

I'm not sure I am done but I'm not sure about what to add. Iridescent buttons? Seed beads? Any suggestions?