Easy ways to transform your home this Easter
What you need to know:
You do not have to break the bank in order to decorate for the season. A few small items here and there cancreate a different atmosphere within your home.
It is just a few days to the long awaited day and season of celebrating the risen Lord, Easter. Easter is a great time to host family and friends and celebrate together. For those decor enthusiasts, here is your chance to redecorate and make changes in your home. You do not have to limit yourself only to the interor of your home but you can also make some upgrades on your exterior.
Decor experts advise that the best way to bring Easter into your home is embracing the season’s decorations. Among the items you may need are Easter eggs, bunnies, themed cushion covers, curtains, wreaths, candles, Easter tree, wall hangings, among others.
Below are some of the ideas you can play around with to give your home a holiday makeover.
Clean up
Your guests will feel more comfortable if the space they are welcomed into is clean and tidy. Get rid of dust and dirt by dusting your entire home with a damp cloth. Make sure to focus on rooms and spots that your guests will frequent so that they do not see a dusty home. Make sure that your floors are nice and clean and, if you have carpet stains that you are embarrassed of, try using a stain remover.
Re-accessorise your living room
The change is coming with a few items such as cushions, rags and probably door mats. Irene Kajubi, an interior designer with Interior Expressions says, you can have new cushions or rags that blend well with the overall colour theme. If you have the budget to go big, you can also consider changing your curtains or sofa covers.
But you do not have to break the bank in order to decorate for the season. A few small items here and there cancreate a different atmosphere within your home.
Have that Easter tree
It is amazing how a simple tree can transform a space. Although not a common tradition in Uganda, Easter trees will effortlessly bring the season into your home. Do not know where to get an Easter tree? Why not get your Christmas tree back up? All you need is hanging seasonal appropriate decorations such as Easter eggs or Easter bunnies. This tree according to Faridah Babu can be placed in a corner of the living room.
Re-arrange the house
Moving your furniture around will create enough space to accommodate company and also give the home a fresh look. Create centre pieces using Easter eggs or beautiful fresh flowers in elegant vases.
Do not forget fairy lights
The beautiful Easter fairy lights range from small too big and are popular decorations for parties, churches and Easter events. Opaque lights in pink, yellow and purple give off a pastel glow in the colours of the season. You can string your lights in compound trees, your Easter tree and along party tables.
Make an effort with your table
Easter is one of the most important parts of the year for gathering friends and family and enjoying a delicious meal together, so why not mark the occasion with a fancy dinner setting? It is time to get out that special china and cutlery and set your table for the occasion. Add a splash of colour with different coloured napkins and a table cloth.
“You can fold the napkin into a flat tube, wrap it round the egg and tie the top with piece of ribbon of any bright colour,’’ Babu explains. Give your dining chairs a special touch by tying small bundles of dried, fresh, or mixed flowers with coloured ribbon to each chair back. Alternate colours on each chair for a cheerfully relaxed, mix-and-match approach. For place setting you can make use of your Easter egg by adding the name of the guest in the egg’s decor.
Easter wreath
An Easter wreath is just one of the favourite Easter decorating ideas that create a big impact. It is a versatile piece of decor that can be placed on your door, your dining table or displayed on a gallery wall.
‘‘A bunch of well decorated eggs will make the wreath the perfect kind of outdoor Easter decor,’’ she notes.
Your outdoor
Ivan Mukisa, a landscape designer says since guests will not only be inside your home, but also in your compound you will have to make sure that it is clean and presentable. Start by cutting the grass to an inch and trim the edges with a half-moon tool. Remove all unwanted weeds by hand or with a hoe. Smother weeds with mulch or use groundcover fabrics to suppress re-growth. Take care to remove pet droppings from your compound. Nothing messes up a party fast like a guest stepping in animal messes.
Clip away any dead, dying, or diseased branches. While you are at it, cut back any branches that are encroaching on walkways or high-traffic areas, so they do not get accidentally broken off by guests. Mukisa says not only will this make your compound more inviting, but it will also allow more sunlight and air to reach the center of trees and shrubs.
Outdoor furniture
Start by cleaning your upholstery so that your guests have somewhere clean and neat to sit. Take the protective covers off your garden furniture and dust away any leaves or dirt. If you’re metal and plastic outdoor furniture needs a good clean, mix a generous amount of dish liquid soap with warm water in a bucket. Then spray the furniture down with a hose. Using a nylon scrub brush, wash the chairs with the solution; then rinse thoroughly.
Hang flowers and lights
Even your outdoor can do with a little bit of decor. If you already have natural flowers in your compound, this is the time to make use of them. Make floral arrangements that you can hang on your balcony pillars. You can also string those fairy lights in your trees.
