The Easter bonnet represents the age old tradition of wearing new clothes at Easter. In years gone by, it was obligatory (or at least desirable) for churchgoers to don a bright new piece of clothing. At the very least many would wear an Easter bonnet, if not a complete new outfit.

Today, amongst many of the other challenges the school calendar throws at us mums to assist in the creation of something truly spectacular, the Easter bonnet is no exception! It demands planning, innovation and creativity from concept to completion and knowing that your child's handiwork is to be on full show for others to survey and finally judge, only adds to the pressure!

Whilst some relish the challenge it presents and are brimming with ideas, for those who see the annual bonnet making chore as something of a torment, here are some quick and simple ideas for making a bonny bonnet!

If you're pushed for time and want to produce something that is artistically undemanding, invest in a simple straw hat and let your little one adorn it with fluffy chicks, tissue paper flowers and brightly coloured ribbons. Or, in the absence of a straw hat, hunt out a plastic flower pot from the garden, use ribbon to tie it onto their head, and decorate with cut out bunnies and egg shapes. A trip to any charity shop may turn out to be a winner with all sorts of hats available.

In the true spirit of recycling, take the bottom half of an empty egg carton, fill each of the holes with coloured tissue paper and attach ribbon to tie it to their head. Add a mixture of mini eggs and chicks on top and voila!
For maximum impact, why not cut out a giant Easter shape from card, perhaps an egg, rabbit ears, a spring flower or even a wooly lamb and attach it to a plastic headband. Finish by decorating it using, cotton wool, feathers, crepe paper, bright coloured foil, pipe cleaners, fabric, pom poms, straw and twigs - anything you can lay your hands on that lends itself to all things Spring will only help to embellish your Easter masterpiece!

All Things Bright and Beautiful...
For a really simple but effective Easter bunny card that's great to make with the children, simply cut out two ear shapes, two arms and two legs from printed wrapping paper.

Cut a triangle shape for the bunny's dress in a different design of paper and roll up a piece of tissue paper into a ball for the head.

Glue all the components into position on a folded piece of card, use two small beads for the eyes and some as buttons for the dress and hey presto, you have a quick and easy handmade card ready to send Easter wishes to all your friends and family.

For a Spring inspired painting activity why not get the kids to make finger print blossom trees. Easy for even the smallest hands, start by getting them to draw or paint the tree trunk and branches. To give the tree its springtime blossom, get the children to dip their finger into pastel coloured paint and dab onto the branches to create the effect of cherry or perhaps apple blossom. For instant springtime cards simply attach to a piece of folded card.

Decorating eggs is so much fun, but breaking them certainly isn't! So why not use polystyrene eggs instead (available from Hobbycraft) and save yourself lots of time, heartache & tears!

Kids can let their imaginations run wild and decorate their eggs any which way they like. For a mosaic effect, tear up small pieces of brightly coloured paper and attach to the egg with glue. Sequins will bring sparkle to any creation and for the ultimate in all things girly, why not cover the whole egg in glue and roll in glitter for an egg that any chick would be proud to hatch out of!

Create your own Easter tree by suspending them on thread or hang them in a window to add a touch of Spring to any home this Easter.

Lakeland have a fabulous range of Easter stuff.... www.lakeland.co.uk