How to Create a Simple, Meaningful Easter Mantle

A couple of years ago, I was browsing through a craft magazine looking for creative crafts or activities I could do with my children for Easter to create some new traditions.

We always dye eggs together.

We always do an egg hunt on Easter afternoon after attending church.

And, we always down a few pounds of peanut butter eggs and marshmallow peeps.

I love all of those traditions. But, I wanted to find something we could do in the days leading up to Easter – especially to decorate our fireplace mantle – to remind all of us that Easter is coming!

This Paint Chip Easter Egg Banner has been our favorite family craft since we discovered it a few years ago. Easter eggs symbolize to us the resurrection of Jesus. An egg reminds us of Jesus’ closed tomb, and that just as a bird hatches from it to new life, Jesus rose again to give us new life. Displaying a banner full of eggs, one hatched, is a wonderful way for us to remember and celebrate the new life we have in Christ!

This banner is very simple to do, comes together quickly, and the best part of all is that it’s completely free to make!

Here are the basic step-by-step instructions:

1. You have a ton of leftover paint swatches chips lying around at home, right? This is a great project for upcycling them! If not, go to a paint or home improvement store and choose a colorful selection of paint chips. But be sure to ask first! A lot of stores have leftover chips from retired paint colors and are happy to give these out to crafters, but you don’t want to wipe out their entire supply.

2. Using an egg-shaped template or pre-made scrapbooking punch, cut an egg shape out of the middle of each paint chip. If you trace the eggs onto the paint chips, older children can cut them out pretty easily by following the lines.

3. Create one (or more) hatched eggs by cutting a zagged edge through the middle of the egg color. Give your kids a few of these hatched eggs to try cutting on their own!

4. Using a single hole punch, punch holes in the tops of the eggs and string them into a banner. Stringing the eggs is something you children will enjoy – just like stringing popcorn at Christmas! You can use ribbon or craft cord, or a fishing line would work if you don’t want the string to be visible! And that’s it! Here’s a look at the finished result:

If you want to mix things up, ZonderKidz has provided free, printable, Easter coloring cards with Bible verses that can be strung along with the eggs, or displayed on the mantle above the banner. Each page contains four coloring cards with four different Scriptures These Scripture cards can also be used for daily devotions with your children leading up to Easter, or you might just want to print them out and tuck them into your bag for a quick and easy coloring activity at Easter brunch or while traveling over the holiday season.

Get Our Free Easter Scripture Cards & Egg Wraps

As we anticipate Easter this year, my family will gather around the table and make this year’s Paint Chip Easter Egg Banner. And, we’ll color these cards and read these verses together and remember that Jesus loved us enough to die for us – and come back to life… So that we can have eternal life with Him!

Your Turn

What are some of your favorite Easter crafts to do with your kids? Leave your ideas (or links) on our blog! We’d love to hear from you.