Politics

How to have an amazing Easter on a budget – from bargain gifts to tips for making your own decorations

GET ready for your most Egg-stravagant Easter ever.

With lockdown restrictions finally easing Brits deprived of Christmas celebrations are making up for it with big plans for the Spring bank holiday.

There are some amazing Easter bargains on offer this year, so you don’t need to break the bank with gifts, decorations or snacks

Supermarkets report sales of Easter themed decor including artificial trees, crackers and front door wreaths are currently almost double that of this time last year.

And alongside the usual chocolate treats, additional goodies such as hanging egg decorations, carrot bunting and rabbit-themed ceramics have all seen a huge surge in popularity.

Rules now allow up to six people or two households to meet outdoors meaning garden Egg-hunts in small numbers are go.

Make your at-home family Easter eggs-tra special without blowing the budget with our suggestions for fabulous seasonal treats.

Interiors Queen Steph Briggs and Masterchef the Professionals winner Oli Martin also give us their top money-saving styling and dining top tips.

Best food bargains

Original Biscuit Bakers Chick & Easter Egg Gingerbread Biscuits – £6 johnlewis.com

These gingerbread egg and chick biscuits make a tasty alternative treat for Easter

Aldi Blue Bunny – 79p aldi.co.uk

Aldi’s chocolate bunny is an absolute steal for less than a quid

Pick & Mix London Easter Mix – £9.99 (500g) picknmixlondon.co.uk

Pick & Mix London also offer Easter chocolate and fudge varieties

Hotel Chocolat Happy Easter H Box – £11.89 very.co.uk

Hotel Chocolat’s delicious eggs contain a mixture of different decadent fillings

Asda Easter Bunny Crumpets (4 pkt) – £1.00 asda.com

Asda’s Easter crumpets make for a festive breakfast at a bargain price

M&S Easter Bunny Cheddar Cheese – £3 (170g) Marks and Spencer (in stores)

M&S’ cheese gives an Easter twist to their classic cheddar

John Lewis Milk Chocolate Fried Egg Spoons – £8 johnlewis.com

John Lewis’ chocolate spoons are hand decorated and can be stirred into a hot chocolate

Easter Mini Cupcakes (9 pkt) – £4 Marks and Spencer (in stores)

At just £4, M&S’ delicious Easter cupcakes are an absolute bargain

Cook up an Easter feast

Oli Martin, head chef at Hipping Hall, Lancashire, and current MasterChef: The Professionals Champion gives his suggestions to make Easter feasting

Lamb is the classic Easter Sunday roast. The key is to go ‘low and slow’ to make sure it quite literally falls off the bone. With a leg or shoulder when you can easily pull it apart – job’s a good’un.
If it’s a smaller affair this year opt for individual lamb shanks instead. Prep the night before, pop in the fridge, and put the tray straight into the oven in the morning. After 4-5 hours at
120 degrees, they’ll be soft, melty and the sauce will be out of this world. I’d cook in stock, a little wine, half a bulb of garlic and some thyme.
For something a bit different, and even more affordable, don’t overlook chicken. A fun, unusual way to jazz it up is a Chick Wellington. Flatten a chicken supreme, top with mustard
and cooked down mushrooms, then roll and wrap in shop-bought puff pastry. It’s a showstopper!
Hot Cross Bun eggy bread, with bacon and maple syrup makes a great Good Friday brunch. Soak your bun halves in egg and milk, pan fry in butter, top with crispy smoky bacon, wholegrain mustard, and maple syrup.
One of the best bits about Easter is the leftovers. Lamb can be fatty so suits being crisped up and served in sandwiches and wraps. Use it all up making crispy lamb pancakes, or lamb kebabs with some red onions, yoghurt and wrapped in a flatbread or naan.
hippinghall.com

Best decoration bargains

Easter Egg Hunt Signs – £5.97 amazon.co.uk

Now egg hunts are back on the cards, make sure your hunters know where they’re going

Easter Tree – £15 johnlewis.com

John Lewis’ Easter Tree, which also comes in white, is the perfect place to hang your decorations

Easter Wreath – £3.99 homesense.com

Easter wreathes are great for hanging on doors to show your neighbours some seasonal cheer

Easter Crackers – £8 (6 pkt) Marks and Spencer (in stores)

Crackers aren’t just for Christmas – M&S sells Easter versions too

3D Hanging Carrot Garland – £2.50 sainsburys.co.uk

Hanging carrots make a nice Easter alternative to traditional bunting for parties[/caption]

Handmade Bunny Straws (10 pkt) – £4.99 amazon.co.uk/handmade

For when you really want to drink in the joy of Easter

Bunnies in Basket (3 pkt) – £2 hobbycraft.co.uk

Hobbycrafts’ sweet bunnies in baskets are a great decoration to hang on an Easter tree

Hanging Eggs for Easter Tree (6 pkt) – £3.49 littlecraftybugs.co.uk

Painted eggs are another classic Easter decoration

How to do decor on a budget

Top interior designer and ‘Queen of Upcycling’ Steph Briggs gives up her tips for egg-cellent Easter home decor on a budget:

Daffodils and Tulips are a cheap, easy way to add Spring sunshine to any home. Pop a 2p piece in the bottom of vases to prevent bunches from drooping.
Make your own Easter tree to decorate by finding a small twiggy branch and painting it white. Use a plant pot with gravel in to make it stand upright.
Get the kids involved with making Easter decorations. Cut out card shapes of bunnies, eggs and chicks, decorate with felt tips and thread with ribbon or string. Cotton wool balls with black or white card for legs and a face make cute lambs.
Floral wreaths are a big Easter front door trend this year. Pastel colours like pinks, yellows, whites and greens give the ultimate look. Faux flowers work brilliantly for making DIY versions.
Paint flower pots in a matching colour palette and create a display by your front door to compliment your wreath. Fill them with flowering spring bulbs.
Easter wouldn’t be complete without decorating eggs! Use either real shells or craft eggs then add tissue paper, ribbon, paint, glue and anything else fun and colourful you fancy.

ladida-andover.com