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Tip Store: Special Occasions: Easter
An Easter Treat in a Cone
Here is an idea to vamp up Easter and give a new look treat to friends and family that you are able to put your own twist on!
You will need:
Ice cream cones or waffle cones
Chocolate Easter ornaments
Lollies of your choosing
Mini chocolate eggs
Cellophane
Curling ribbon
Step 1. Fill your cone ¾ of the way full with your lollies.
Step 2. Put your chocolate on top of the lollies (you can put more lollies around it to help stabilize it).
Step 3. Next you take your mini eggs and fill the cone the rest of the way.
Step 4. Wrap your cones in cellophane and tie with curling ribbon so they look like a “carrot”.
Note: You may need help with making these so you can use an ice cream cone holder or another person to hold them for you.
All of this will cost you around $1.10 - $1.20 per cone.
You will need:
Ice cream cones or waffle cones
Chocolate Easter ornaments
Lollies of your choosing
Mini chocolate eggs
Cellophane
Curling ribbon
Step 1. Fill your cone ¾ of the way full with your lollies.
Step 2. Put your chocolate on top of the lollies (you can put more lollies around it to help stabilize it).
Step 3. Next you take your mini eggs and fill the cone the rest of the way.
Step 4. Wrap your cones in cellophane and tie with curling ribbon so they look like a “carrot”.
Note: You may need help with making these so you can use an ice cream cone holder or another person to hold them for you.
All of this will cost you around $1.10 - $1.20 per cone.
Super Easy, Super Cute Easter Baskets
Use them for Easter, for birthday parties, to hold small gifts - these very cute, super easy little baskets are quick and inexpensive and a great way to use up that stash of paper or cardstock you have.
Make them larger, from 30cm cardstock, line them with a paper doyley and they're perfect for delivering a gift of home baked muffins or biscuits too.
You will need:
18cm square of heavy paper or cardstock
1 x 30cm strip of paper or cardstock 2.5cm wide (handle)
2 brads
Fancy scissors (optional, but they give a pretty edge to the baskets)
Step 1. Score your paper into three columns 6cm wide. Then score three rows 6cm wide. You'll have a grid of nine squares on your paper (see the template).
Note: You can make these baskets any size, as long as your square can be divided into nine equal sections.
Make them larger, from 30cm cardstock, line them with a paper doyley and they're perfect for delivering a gift of home baked muffins or biscuits too.
You will need:
18cm square of heavy paper or cardstock
1 x 30cm strip of paper or cardstock 2.5cm wide (handle)
2 brads
Fancy scissors (optional, but they give a pretty edge to the baskets)
Step 1. Score your paper into three columns 6cm wide. Then score three rows 6cm wide. You'll have a grid of nine squares on your paper (see the template).
Note: You can make these baskets any size, as long as your square can be divided into nine equal sections.
Step 2. Cut the decorative edge along the edges parallel to the red lines (see the template).
Step 3. Cut on the red lines.
Step 4. Fold the paper on all score lines, with the decorative side to the outside.
Step 5. Punch a hole in the centre of each end of the basket handle about 2.5cm from the edge. Punch a hole in the centre of each end of the strip of paper for the handle about 2.5cm from the edge.
Step 4. Fold the paper on all score lines, with the decorative side to the outside.
Step 5. Punch a hole in the centre of each end of the basket handle about 2.5cm from the edge. Punch a hole in the centre of each end of the strip of paper for the handle about 2.5cm from the edge.
Step 6. Fold the two corner squares so they overlap each other and the centre square on one side of the basket. The centre square should be on the inside of the corner squares.
Step 7. Punch a hole in the centre, through all three layers, about 2.5cm down. Put one end of the handle between the two corner squares and the centre square, and attach a brad through all the layers. Repeat for the other side.
Step 7. Punch a hole in the centre, through all three layers, about 2.5cm down. Put one end of the handle between the two corner squares and the centre square, and attach a brad through all the layers. Repeat for the other side.
Chocolate Easter Egg Nests
Ingredients: 200g milk chocolate 200g dark chocolate 100g shredded coconut 40 mini chocolate Easter eggs - solid chocolate or filled or candy eggs, whatever you like Method: Break up all the chocolate and place it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool slightly. Add the coconut and stir to combine. On a large sheet of baking paper drop spoonsful of the mixture about 7cm in diameter. Use the back of a metal spoon to make a small dent in the centre of each nest, where the eggs will sit. Cool completely, then refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Just before serving, fill the nests with eggs.
Tip of the Day, 7th April 2014
Tip of the Day, 7th April 2014
An Easter Egg Hunt with a Difference
Approximate $ Savings: $30 +
When my sister and I were kids, each year for Easter my mum would hide dollar coins instead of Easter eggs or chocolates. We would each receive around $10-$15 dollars. The days following Easter we would then go to the shops and buy our own chocolates with that money. This tradition was a hit because a) The prices of Easter chocolates drop dramatically after Easter - so we usually got more for our money b) we were able to pick and choose the chocolates we liked which saved mum a lot of time and energy c) we would also be given the option of putting part of the money into our savings account - great because we learned the value of a dollar and also meant we wouldn't ruin our teeth on too much chocolate! (Alternatively, use 50c pieces to make the search bigger and last longer)
- Contributed by Sandra Zwick, 19th July 2010
When my sister and I were kids, each year for Easter my mum would hide dollar coins instead of Easter eggs or chocolates. We would each receive around $10-$15 dollars. The days following Easter we would then go to the shops and buy our own chocolates with that money. This tradition was a hit because a) The prices of Easter chocolates drop dramatically after Easter - so we usually got more for our money b) we were able to pick and choose the chocolates we liked which saved mum a lot of time and energy c) we would also be given the option of putting part of the money into our savings account - great because we learned the value of a dollar and also meant we wouldn't ruin our teeth on too much chocolate! (Alternatively, use 50c pieces to make the search bigger and last longer)
- Contributed by Sandra Zwick, 19th July 2010
DIY Easter Eggs
I make my own Easter Egg halves and add different fillings. Rocky road centres or Violet Crumble centres are a nice surprise. Now that my kids are older, they enjoy helping too.
- Contributed by Beverley, Geelong, 1st April 2010
- Contributed by Beverley, Geelong, 1st April 2010
Copycat Easter Egg Caskets
Approximate $ Savings $5 at least
Instead of buying boxed Easter eggs that contain an egg surrounded by Kit-Kats or Crunchies, make your own! An egg a similar size can be bought for around $2 and then buy a fun-sized pack of whatever chocolates you enjoy. Wrap in cellophane. Not only is this far cheaper but the recipient gets a lot more chocolate!!
- Contributed by Natalie, Chambers Flat, 29th February 2008
Instead of buying boxed Easter eggs that contain an egg surrounded by Kit-Kats or Crunchies, make your own! An egg a similar size can be bought for around $2 and then buy a fun-sized pack of whatever chocolates you enjoy. Wrap in cellophane. Not only is this far cheaper but the recipient gets a lot more chocolate!!
- Contributed by Natalie, Chambers Flat, 29th February 2008
Colour Eggs Using Food Colour and Vinegar
My brother's son had an Easter party at school last year and each child was asked to supply a plate of food. My Sister-in-law likes to try and contribute something healthy, so she hard-boiled some coloured eggs. The best way to get really bright colours is to add food colour and vinegar to the water while boiling and then to leave the eggs to cool in the water overnight. This resulted in really bright eggs that the children loved and none were left over. Who said kids always go for junk food? It cost them only the price of the eggs (which they bought from the egg farm for half the supermarket price). They had the colouring and vinegar in the pantry.
- Contributed by Kaye, Dianella, March 21st 2005
- Contributed by Kaye, Dianella, March 21st 2005
Recycle Yoghurt Containers for Easter Baskets
In preparation for Easter, I collect and clean empty yoghurt containers (200 gram size) until I have enough to hold all of the eggs. I then print out drawings of bunnies or chickens from the Internet, cut them out and glue them to the outside of the containers. The drawings can be printed in black and white to save money on colour printing, and coloured with pens, crayons or coloured pencils. Glitter pens and acrylic paint can also be used to decorate the containers. Then, shred cellophane or coloured paper as filler for the containers (brightly coloured pages from old magazines work just as well). I buy small eggs from Crazy Clarks or similar cheap shops (children don't seem to notice that it's not expensive chocolate) and fill the containers to overflowing with the eggs. I then wrap the filled containers in clear cellophane and tie with curling ribbon bought from Crazy Clarks or other cheap shops - they're much cheaper than other stores.
- Contributed by Kaye, Dianella, March 21st 2005
- Contributed by Kaye, Dianella, March 21st 2005
Recycling Easter Egg Moulds
Save the plastic egg shapes that come around packaged Easter eggs and use these as egg moulds. Simply melt some chocolate, pour a thick layer into each half, swirling around to cover the entire mould and then set in the fridge. You can fill these eggs with smarties, jelly beans, little toys etc. To join the two halves, just run some melted chocolate around the edges with a knife and hold together until set. Then trim the rough edges, wrap and you have a really frugal Easter egg!
- Contributed by Linda, Nunawading
- Contributed by Linda, Nunawading
Easter Baskets for Goodies
This year I've made a basket for each of my 3 children from the bottom of an empty 3 litre milk bottle. Inside they're getting a homemade candy egg, homemade biscuits in an egg shape with chocolate icing and sprinkles on them and some bits and pieces of other lollies I have left over from their birthday parties in January. Since everything I needed I already had on hand Easter hasn't cost me anything as such so far.
- Contributed by Jodie, March 16th, 2005
- Contributed by Jodie, March 16th, 2005
Chocolate Making Day
Every Good Friday I gather my daughter's friends and mine too and have a chocolate making day. You can buy the chocolate moulds very cheaply on eBay or even at your confectionery store or Spotlight for under $3.50! Last week I decided to be an early bird and at a store in Bendigo I was fortunate to come across some older stock (the plastic had slightly yellowed as moulds don't have a huge life expectancy) for only 50 cents each! That was an amazing find. If you like filled chockies and eggs do not waste money buying the expensive filling and fondants. Hazlenut spread (Like Nutella) is delicious filling, if you love strawberry fill just use jam and icing sugar and for creamier fillings use icing sugar and any flavoured topping mixed well! The flavour possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination and trial and error will do the trick. I just think that an easter egg making session with the kids all together is a messy but memorable experience! If you want to get really crafty buy white chocolate buddies, and colour them with powdered food coloring (liquid colors destroy chocolate) and watch your kids artistic ability fly! HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!
- Contributed by Paula, March 16th, 2005
- Contributed by Paula, March 16th, 2005
Easter Egg Alternatives
My husband and I are on a strict budget, but we still like to give a little something to his nieces and nephews at Easter time. They range in age from 7 through to 19 and there are 9 in total. I have been scouring the bargain papers as they arrive, looking for ideas. We have decided to give them all their favourite chocolate bar (some like Twix, some like Time Outs etc)tied with a yellow bow. I can usually buy them for around $1 each from The Warehouse, so for under $20 they will all have something from us at Easter time and it will be something that we know they like.
- Contributed by Tamara
- Contributed by Tamara
One Gift for the Family Idea
We have three children (under 6) and we don't want to turn Easter into another huge present getting event. We decided to get one gift that the family can share, usually to the value of around $40, and then each of the kids gets a chocolate rabbit (usually an Elegant Rabbit) from the East Bunny on Easter Sunday. This way, we are restricting their 'junk' intake and also giving them something that will last for at least a year. So far we've added to the Duplo (huge bucket for just $30 from the Trading Post), bought some really great DVD's on sale, picked up Lego on sale and bought some big tip trucks for the sandpit. The kids love them, and at this stage they are still happy with the rabbit.
- Contributed by Meredith, Penrith
- Contributed by Meredith, Penrith
Look Before You Buy!
Don't buy the first Easter eggs and chocolates that you see. I love the Cadbury 'yolk'eggs, but they are $1.69 at Safeway. When I was shopping at ALDI last week, they were along the checkout for just 79 cents each! I couldn't believe it - less than half the price at Safeway. Now I know where to buy my Easter treat from.
- Contributed by Rena, March 7th, 2004
- Contributed by Rena, March 7th, 2004
$4 for 20 Easter Gifts!
My daughter loves to celebrate - any excuse will do. With Easter coming, she has been looking for gift ideas for her teacher and classmates - we would need 19 gifts! GoLo has boxes of 20 little yellow chicks for just $2 a box and packets of 30 strawberry filled mini eggs for just $1.99. We took one egg, a blob of blu-tack and stuck a chick onto the egg. We made 20 really cute little Easter gifts for the girls in her class, for just 20 cents each! They've turned out so cute that now her big brother wants some for his classmates too!
- Contributed by Cath Armstrong, 2004
- Contributed by Cath Armstrong, 2004
Catching the Easter Bunny's Tail
Fluff up that cotton ball ladies ! get a cotton ball and gently pull to increase size. On the night, creep out and close in inside the sliding door (sticking out) at bunny level!!! In the morning ... "Whats that?" " Easter Bunny must have got his tail stuck in the door ! , Awww"
- Contributed by BJ
- Contributed by BJ