Hip Hostess: 5 DIYs to Try to Get You Through Hosting an Easter Dinner Party in Style

Admittedly, I will celebrate nearly any holiday, if given the chance (I do skip St Patrick’s Day though – I have my limits). But I don’t typically go the traditional route when it comes to holiday decorating. If you couldn’t tell, from my past entertaining posts. 

I just like to keep things low key, with smaller holiday hints that tie things together without being ‘in your face’.

So…last week while I was in Houston, I put together a DIY Easter party to celebrate the upcoming holiday, along with my friend Ashley of Sugar & Cloth. Together, we partnered with Fossil to create a curiously understated Easter party that would be a perfect way to celebrate with friends this year. And to keep things interesting, we made all the projects (well, all but one of the projects) and the color palette neutral enough to incorporate year round, long after Easter has come and gone.

The color palette we went with was a mix of traditional Easter pastels (light coral pink and a little bit of mint) with a bright orangey red, along with neutral tans, black, and white. The end result was a minimal modern party style, hipper than your average Easter dinner.

I made these wood block DIY place cards in less than a minute with a few wood blocks from the craft supply store, an airplant, and wood letters. So easy to assemble. You don’t even have to glue anything together. Just stack ’em up and you’re good to go.

*Those leather wrapped chargers are another DIY, which added a really cool slightly more masculine vibe to the table…get the tutorial for that here.

The DIY grid table runner was another fun one. It added texture and graphic element to a tablescape without being overwhelming. I used a straightedge and a fabric marker (regular permanent markers work too) to create the grid lines on a plain tablecloth. Then just folded the tablecloth into a long runner. Done! This was one of my favorite DIYs from the party because it’s really simple and can be used over and over again.

And as another super inexpensive idea for parties, head to the art supply store for a few yards of the giant paper they have on rolls. Then cut out a giant geometric shape, tape it to the wall, and remove it after your guests have left. This is an affordable way to add a focal point in a space, without spend much money. It cost less than $5 to make that giant 4 ft circle.

All you need is a pencil, a long piece of string, a nail, and a friend to make your own perfectly round circle. Just wrap a piece of string (string length should be half the size of the circle you want to create overall) around the nail and then tie a pencil to the other end. Place the nail in the middle of your paper, while a friend keeps it secure. Then, with your pencil as upright as possible, draw your circle. The string will act as the guide for a perfect circle.

For more of an Easter touch, you could easily create oval shapes instead to mimic Easter eggs.

There’s no shortage of egg projects this time of year, but I thought it would be fun to tie in the holiday with these black galaxy looking Easter eggs.

They’re really easy to make.All you need is grape Kool Aid, vinegar, and water for the black speckled eggs. Pour two packets of grape Kool Aid into a large cup, add 4-5 tablespoons of vinegar, and stir. Then add 3/4 – 1 cup of water and stir again before using. The eggs will naturally develop some uneven areas that kind of resemble natural rocks and/or galaxy type patterns that look pretty cool. And like other egg dyeing projects, the longer you leave these eggs in the dye, the richer the color.

Add the finished eggs to a big bowl on the table with a few air plants to mimic Easter grass and you have a simple centerpiece for just a few dollars.

Last but not least, I made the black and white botanical prints that are over the dessert buffet and on the floor in the living room area. I have a printable version of the prints that I made here…

Download Botanical Printable #1 Banana Leaves
Download Botanical Printable #2 Banana Leaves
Download Botanical Printable #3 (Cactus)

But if you want to DIY your own artwork, it’s super easy. All you need are some banana leaves (which you can buy at specialty Mexican grocery stores because they’re often used for wrapping tamales). Arrange the banana leaves (cactus nopales work too) on a white background, then photograph the arrangement overhead. Then take the files to a place that can print large scale (like FedEx Office, etc) and have it printed. We had the ones in the photos printed to two different sizes (in black and white): 28×42 and 12×18.

Side note: This Vickery drawstring bag and Lucy skirt is my fave look from Fossils spring collection. I’ve already worn the skirt three or four times (super comfy) and the bag goes with everything.

Hope you enjoyed these DIY ideas for Easter entertaining and beyond. For more DIY entertaining ideas from this party, like the DIY leather chargers, those ombre egg shaped macarons, an Easter inspired cocktail recipe, and more, be sure to check out the second post on Sugar & Cloth.

Photography by Jared Smith

Modeling by Cara Wiese and Christina Sun

Concept and Styling by Brittni Mehlhoff and Ashley Burdette

Sources: my striped black and white skirt // my art deco gold bracelet // pale blue crossbody bag // womens rose gold watch // mens dark brown messenger bag // mens brown leather watch // mens blue button down shirt // scalloped gold bracelet // brown bucket bag // womens tan leather watch // ombre cakes and macaron egg shapes by Tout Suite // blue loveseat and copper pendant light from Indre By Design // rocking woven chair by Eridu Modern // white buffet from West Elm // sofa pillows from West Elm // tall dining table from Wayfair // geometric stools from All Modern // tulip side table from Dot & Bo

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This post is in partnership with Fossil. Thanks for supporting the brands that help keep Paper & Stitch running.