Create a vintage-style spring display for Easter

Mix blousy florals, thrifted china and touches of nature for a beautiful Easter decor

After a long winter of hibernation, the arrival of spring always brings a sense of joy and reawakening. Whether I’m just decorating my home for Easter or laying a table for a special gathering, I love to mix my vintage finds with spring bulbs, floral motifs and a wash of pastel pinks, blues and purples.

Layer up your table with floral fabrics for a delightful afternoon tea. Make a simple table runner and napkins by cutting up old curtains or furnishing fabrics. For the easy, no-sew version, use pinking shears to prevent the edges fraying. Look for fabrics in shades of apple green, pale pink and lilac for a pretty pastel display.

Vintage Sanderson fabric is the best for big, blousy blooms in delicious colours. Two of my favourite sources for finding gorgeous vintage fabrics are The Linen Garden or The Old Haberdashery. Transferware is still very easy to find at car-boot fairs and charity shops, or try Vintage Farmhouse Antiques.

If your garden is still waking up, use artificial flowers to decorate a myriad of homeware, including old baskets. Perfect for collecting eggs on an Easter hunt!

I painted this basket using chalk paint mixed with a little water. Then, using a glue gun, I stuck the flowers on one at a time, gradually working my way around the basket. To make a floral garland (seen in the background), I simply tied a few flower sprigs to a long piece of twine, and knotted at each end. Hang over a mirror or mantelpiece for the prettiest floral touch.

This Easter display has pretty painted eggs, where I’ve picked out the pale lilac shades from a stash of vintage fabric folded underneath. Once I removed the insides (follow instructions here), the eggs were painted with a mix of chalk paint colours from Annie Sloan – Emperor’s Silk, Napoleonic Blue, Old White and Emile.

Nestle your eggs in a faux or real nest and display in a bowl as here, or hang from twigs popped in a vase for a table centrepiece.

For a real touch of nostalgia, track down beautiful old chocolate moulds and use them as part of your Easter decorating. Mix with botanical postcards and tiny blooms in bottles to make a spring-like vignette, and if you’re lucky enough to find a chocolate egg mould (these are from The Vintage Kitchen Store), plant them with moss and primroses.

Bring some of the outside in, to remind you that spring is a time for new life. Gather an assortment of vintage vessels such as old baking tins or china serving dishes, and turn them into planters, potting up with narcissi or hyacinths bulbs covered in a velvety layer of moss. I get most of my vessels – such as this marmalade jar and serving tureen – from car-boot fairs, but keep an eye out in charity shops too. The scent as the flowers open is divine!