Easter decorating is NOT my thing, but I do love a bit of spring decorating. So let’s call this grass Easter basket that you can grow in 5 days, a SPRING THING. Not Easter.
It’s that time of year again. The time I bring you an Easter DIY that has NO pastels, NO fake eggs and NO Easter bunny dressed in yellow plaid overalls.
I’d like to welcome you to my annual post where I talk about how much I don’t like Easter decorations. Because they make me barf. I don’t know what it is about Easter specifically that seduces people with perfectly good taste to throw all their design sense out the window but it’s a genuine phenomenon.
Homes that are normally rustic and cozy or chic and sleek suddenly have mint green buck toothed rabbits sitting on their coffee tables. Homes that are eclectic and charming have a sad bowl filled with plastic grass and 10 year old plastic eggs from the dollar store in it.
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. There is help.
I can cure you of this horrifying design disease in just 5 days.
Create a for-real, beautiful, no doubt about it, worthy of your home, Easter decoration in just 5 days.
The live grass Easter Basket. Which by the way can also double as the greatest Easter basket ever for your kids.
Grass Easter Basket
Materials
- 1 package of Rye grass
- 1 basket
- Garbage bag or other plastic to line the basket
- Soil
- Moss (totally optional)
Instructions
- Line your basket with plastic then fill it with soil.
2. Trim the plastic so it’s level with the soil or just a bit above it.
3. LOAD the soil up with seed. Over-seed.
Like this.
4. If you’re using a basket like mine where you can see the plastic and soil from the sides, fill that area with moss. Most baskets won’t be like this though.
5. Scratch and press the seeds so they’re all in contact with the soil.
6. Spray the seeds until they’re damp. Don’t pour water, only spray. If you pour water onto the soil it’ll wash the seeds in all different directions and you’ll have patchy grass, as unattractive as a 14 year old boy’s first moustache.
7. Cover the top of your basket with something plastic. You want to trap as much moisture in there as possible so the seeds will germinate. As soon as the seeds germinate (in as little as 2 days!) remove the plastic and keep the grass watered; first with spraying and once it’s established you can use the tap or watering can.
No joke. This is what your baskets will look like 5 days after planting the seeds. I had mine under my grow lights which was helpful, but this will also work in a sunny window. Rye grass is pretty forgiving (i.e. almost a weed).
Trim your grass at this point but don’t take too much off. Just a little off the top.
The next day you can trim a little more, until the grass is as short as you’d like it. Then just keep it trimmed every couple of days to keep it where you like it.
You might like it nice and neat and level with the top of your basket or you might want it a bit higher.
Now you have 2 options; make some sort of arrangement in the basket with a few natural elements like twigs and flowers.
Or use it as a genuine Easter Basket. If you have kids ( or a husband/wife who insists on an Easter Egg hunt for themselves every Easter morning) there isn’t a kid in the world who wouldn’t like using an Easter basket with real grass growing in it on Easter morning.
Yes that is a little Rough Linen pinafore.
No it isn’t pink, no it isn’t plastic, no it isn’t tacky. But Easter doesn’t have to be.
Unless you want it to be.
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I love your projects and they always work out when I try them myself. This is going to be a definite try! I am just wondering how to keep my CAT from eating the grass!
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
hahahahha seriously!!! this is a real phenomenon. I’ve seen it. I think I’ve BEEN it.
This is a DELIGHTFUL alternative.
I have one cat who voraciously eats cat grass, but since he usually stays on the floor, maybe on a table this would be safe….
That girl with the basket could audition for the role of Wednesday’s younger sister.
Lay off on my buck toothed green plastic bunny! I have had him forever. EVERYONE always comments on how cute he is. LOL
Joyce
Another way to speed up the timetable – use a piece of sod from the nursery near you. So pretty and can be used for a while before and after Easter, also.
I LOVE. That necklace !,,, where did you ever find that !,,,and yes The niece can be a tad scary.
Funny story! I bought it at Cruikshanks. Then Pink Tool Belt saw it on me and went nuts over it. So I tracked down the maker, and after months of searching finally found one for sale on Ebay in London, England. She got it for Christmas a few years ago. ~ karen!
Now I really want to build a shallow planter for my bay window, would be a lovely to have a grass bench in the window. I have a feeling my dog would get the wrong idea though
It’s so easy to grow it’s hilarious! ~ karen
I have a collection of eggs on a lovely plate in my bookshelves. They are mostly mineral – quartz and malachite, with a few plain wooden ones. All stacked into an artistic pile. You would be proud. No cheesy duckies or rabbits. Here is hoping Spring is finally coming.
I have been growing real grass for my Easter baskets for years too. I hate that plastic grass that sticks to everything and still shows up somewhere in your house in August!
So…. I started mine on Saturday, and today is Tuesday, and I’ve got nothing- I’m really wanting something! Green. And Lovely. What do I do next?…. so sad
If you have nothing ellen then you haven’t kept your seeds wet. Did you cover the container up with plastic or something to hold the moisture in until they started to sprout? That’s a very important step. ~ karen!
I want to shove my face in it and suck in all that green goodness.
I need to reseed where my daughter’s pool was last summer anyways.
I have a bag of dollar store soil in my back porch waiting for something to do….this is brilliant. I almost bought some pale, yellowy cat grass at the grocery store this week. So sad looking.
Are you still afraid of your niece? Because now I am too. That picture of her looks sooo lovely, and sooo Gothic, and sooo much like if I do something wrong she will come at me with her teeth.
I will never steal her Easter candy. I promise. Never.
Not even when she’s sleeping.
Never.
Little bit afraid of her, yes. You’re wise to be slightly afraid too, lol. ~ karen!
And apparently, I can do this inside a real basket.
Karen, I dislike the idea of buying $13 worth of rye grass so that I can use .50 worth. Is this stuff edible? I mean… the grass? The seeds? Any of it? If I can eat it, I will buy it. Because whether you believe me or not, I’m such a “highly sought after” dinner guest that I’ve already got an easter dinner invite and I think this will be the perfect thing to bring as a gift to the hostess. Might even put a few wrapped chocolate things in it for the kids.
You just need to make more friends so you can give away more baskets. Also I searched around and you can get a bag for $5. ~ karen!
So to be clear… this rye grass stuff is not edible?
And you think I’m going to waste my Easter-Egg-Eating time, driving around dropping off these baskets, when what I really want is ONE really good looking basket.
Because I actually am likely to be able to get them to come up two inches… and then die… all within that five day period.
My cat is able to detect gras everywhere… So within one week i have nibbeld and brown
leaves of gras! This year i will grow it in a big Punchjar. Thank you for eliminating that horrible colourful bigtooth bunnys! I hate them like scarecrows on a Stick wearing orange Overalls and moronic smiles….
I LOVE this! I’m going to do it for my one and two year olds for Easter!
I’m a social media manger for a couple small businesses. May I please share this on one of the pages that I manage? I think other moms would love to do this for their kids too!
Rough linen pinafore. Didn’t see a connection from your blog. Could be an option. I immediately thought about your previous post, re: “5 free tools” I’m searching for pinafores (several) as a result of your site. BTW the pic is cool. Looks a lot like my granddaughter.
Never mind. I found the rough linen site. Could you put that near the picture? Of course I would have finished the blog before I went pinafore shopping!
I also like more natural things for a Spring holiday Karen…This is so pretty I have to do one..I’ll also plant a dish for the cats so maybe they will leave my basket alone…ya right…One question..What The Hell Is That Thing Growing Out Of The Back Of Your Head!!!!
Great idea. I especially love the photo of your great-niece. Very Gothic feel to it. Or at least I am assuming it is your great-niece rather than some random child on the trail.
I’m SOO going to do this. THanks again for the fun pick-me-up!
BTW: I just used that kind of moss inside a tall glass jar & snuggled up around a white candle . LOVE that moss-stuff! Ta-Ta~
Love it!
that little girl just about has to be your niece, i seem to detect your patented not-taking-crap-from-anybody aura with a dash of i-totally-got-this spirit in her. a wonderful combination.
she’s adorable and so is your awesome idea of growing some grass *snort*
i love your Easter idea’s, all of them. i did manage to get me some dollar store pool noodles and tons of moss a year ago for the awesome wreath. but somehow i haven’t gotten around to getting a glue gun yet… golly!!! how hard can it be to buy a glue gun?!?!?! i should be ashamed of myself.
and i am, deeply. i shall be slinking to the glue gun store shortly.
Karin
You’re so funny-made me snort-and brilliant-and, oh well, you keep giving me new ideas that make me look smart! So thank you–
I am filled with nameless yearning – why don’t I ever think of elegant things like this to do? Thank you for giving the recipe so well ahead of time Karen, I’m going to do it! I shall have an ikebana Easter!
So pretty! I’ll be decorating eggs with my grandson later this week. Would love to do this with him as well!
I had forgotten about rye grass! I once planted it in tea cups for decorations at a baby shower.
Thank for the reminder…off to Pet Smart to buy my rye grass. You can get it there in small amounts. Love your floral arrangement.
Love it! I was wondering what to do for the Easter table centrepiece!
It is so sweet! Modern… yet organic. Lovely!
Thanks
Yep, my cat Ginny loves it when l do this, since my only child is grown, l make a basket full of rye for Ginny a few times a year….l want a rough linen pinafore soooooooo bad, but then l want everything she has, l am working on getting a full bed of the Orkney…
I agree with you on this horrible pastel ritual. I love the grass and sure the goats and horse may like some Easter baskets of grass to snack on. Think the goat boys would spit peeps at me if I tried that instead. Although the giant always hungry horse may like peeps. Ick. Honestly the goat boys may just like eating the baskets too. Hmmm better think this one out before a vet bill happens! Anyway grass is always welcome here in this desert. Great idea!
Oh Karen, I hope you have a post coming soon using the grass baskets as you did the Christmas present toppers. I can see the fairie swing now hanging from a long bent twig. PLEASE, PLEASE, Pretty please with Peeps on top?
Love the little girl pic . . . so dark and pensive and moody! She looks like she would rip yer face off if you touched her chocolate bunny. And she’s wearing a linen pinny. Gotta be related to you.
Grreat picture!!! Great model, great mood, great idea! I wanna take one like that, too! Wait, where is my daughter …. let me dress her up like that …. and find a garden like that ….
Here in New England, a few years ago during snowpocalypse, I planted vast window box planters with grass, and anything else that would hold pebbles was put to use forcing bulbs. I needed GREEN, because any stray glance out a window revealed nothing but white white white more than waist high… I shudder now even thinking of it… but this is a great idea also as a pick me up during the long cold white days of winter too…
I think the little girl looks pensive is because she has scallions in her Easter basket!
I love your artsy fartsy arrangement Karen. Your photography skills have gotten great! I never thought they were anything but stellar; but then they just kaboomed.
This is no fail..because I have grandchildren..I wanted to make Easter special..started about 10 years ago..and we have never been w/out grass inside at Easter..outside..that’s a different story.
A few years the hunt was in snowbanks.Not as fun!
Love it!!
Karen, thanks for making it real!
You have dogs???
I have done this little ritual for 20+ years now; borrowed it from dear friend who did this for her 2 yr olds. I used to take a basket to work and we had great fun ” mowing the grass”.
Like any other holiday/ season, you can dress it up and be sophisticated or get crazy and go kitschy, your house, your choice.
Lovely arrangement, Karen, thanks for the inspiration.
I will use this as the base for my Easter tree, which probably would offend your sense of style. I got the idea from a traditional decoration which I saw on a holiday to Denmark. The Danes are lovely and their towns are impeccably clean, and in spring all their shop fronts have an easter tree. This is usually a live, young, twiggy tree in a planter, often underplanted with narcissi or crocus, and the branches are hung with either blown dyed or painted eggshells, tiny wooden eggs, little chicks and bunnies and card silhouettes of spring flowers.
Traditional, pretty, a perfect spring celebration and the only problem I have is that I tend to go a bit over the top!
After seeing your almost Ikebana -style arrangement, I’m going to scale it back this year and aim for elegance over abundance.
I’d love the Easter tree Penny. Especially if it’s a live, young twiggy tree with bulbs/corms. That’s the sort of Easter decorating I like. Plus I’m Danish and all. :) ~ karen!
Have you ever thought of doing portrait photography because the photo of that darling little girl is just genius!
Aww the last picture is so cute! I can do this, I already grow wheat grass for my cat and dogs,
I will just plant it in something similar. Thanks :)
Your floral arrangement is simply beautiful, Karen! Am wondering where I can buy grass seed this time of year?
The garden store where I now live is closed. I’ll never understand why they do this (last year their sign said “for renovations”) yet I remember garden stores used to make a killing after Christmas as usually us Canadians are busting to add real greenery to our homes! It’s long gone now but White Rose (in Burlington) were always crowded selling palm trees, ficus trees, etc.
That particular grass seed comes from William Dam seeds in Greensville. I had to buy a really big bag because that’s all they had but it was under $10 and I can use the extra it up at my garden plot. Not that you asked, lol. ~ karen!
Can you use it to overseed bare patches in your lawn?
How about some Chia from the grocery store?
Thanks, P, good idea, too!
Elaine,
Try Home Hardware stores (I would call rather than driving from one to another). Some of them are a bit more garden-y oriented and they carry grass seeds. I have one just like that here, they actually have a selection of different grass seeds.
Thank you, Alena!
Any tips on where to get the seeds?
Most garden centres that sell seeds would have them. These were from William Dam. ~ karen!
Pet stores often sell rye grass and/or other mixtures as “cat grass.” The rye grass has finer blades than the other mixtures. My 4-footed co-habitator doesn’t like the rye grass, so I guess that’s what I should use if I want a grassy basket for any length of time!
Every time I see photos in TAODS, I marvel at home meticulously clean your home is. I think the fur-bearing creatures in any image is simply an audio-animatronic automaton… :)
Haha! I think that you might be right there Mark. I have two dogs, one of them a bearded collie cross, and two cats. My house often has lumps of fur rolling round like tumbleweed in an old cowboy movie. Every time I vacuum, it looks like I have picked up another dog’s worth of fur!
My entire family is laughing their heads off right now Mark. :) ~ karen!
This is a really cool & fun looking project. I work with elderly who suffer from Alzheimer’s and think I’ll do it with them before Easter. They’ll love it I’m sure as will I! Thank you for this great idea:).
It’ll be perfect for them. Almost immediately gratification (honestly it’s shocking how much they sprout and grow in 3 days) and everyone who sees it loves it and wants to touch it. It’s kind of magical. ~ karen!
Love your blog!!! As always it is impeccably timed. It comes just after tucking myself in after a long night at school…and a short trip to the bar.
HAHAH! Sweet dreams. ~ karen!
Beautiful idea! Now to go find a 24 hour gardening store… Also-in the first picture, it looks like the basket is trying to get your attention, “Excuse me…”
I have very demanding arrangements. You should see how they behave when I’m on the phone. ~ karen!
:-)
I actually shivered when I first saw the photo, like it’s tickling you neck. ighhhhhhhhh!
Rye grass will also make your cats very happy…mine love to munch on it!
True! ~ karen
I was just fixin’ to ask if it was pet friendly, thanks!
The technical term for a 14 year old boy’s first moustache is “canardly”. (Because you can ‘ardly see it.)
;€
Ew, lol. ~ karen!
LOL!!!!
I was all ready to post this tidbit but I see I’ve beaten myself to the punch!
I forgot how easy it is to sprout seeds. I remember that we did this to see how high the germination rate was for the wheat…pretty green grass! In time for St. Patrick’s Day, also! Put a couple of golden chocolate coins in there…
That’s a great idea Patty. :) ~ karen!