When it comes to planning meals, I'm a fairly firm believer that the emphasis should be on the food. Everything else just feels like distraction. But when there are holidays and guests and springtime involved, I can't help but put just a little energy into tabletop decorations. At Easter, one of my favorite ways to brighten a table quickly is with fresh forsythia branches.
Neon yellow and as well-suited to carefully manicured lawns as they are to the sides of highways, you can find forsythia just about anywhere. An early Easter this year means that the forsythia in the Northeast haven't quite bloomed. But if you didn't think to clip a few branches to force indoors, there's no need to worry: florists and grocery stores have forsythia ready for you by the bucketful. Here, a simple idea for dressing up your Easter table.
Photographs by Erin Boyle.
The supplies for this last-minute Easter table setting are simple and easily exchangeable for what you have on hand. I used simple linen napkins, forsythia branches, twine and an upholstery needle, and hollow quail eggs.
I purchased a set of 12 hollow quail eggs from a local florist but you can often find them in craft stores. A set of two dozen Hollow Blown Quail Eggs is $22.75 at From the Farm.
If you can't find hollow shells on short notice, quail eggs are commonly sold in Asian markets and specialty food stores. You can use a needle to poke two holes in the shell and blow out the yolks yourself! Just give them a good wash first.
I used an upholstery needle to thread thin twine through the two holes in my hollowed-out eggs. The eggs are fairly fragile, so it's worth it to do this part slowly. Make sure the eye of your needle is small enough to pass through both of the holes easily.
I'm a fan of keeping table linens simple enough that they can be dressed up with something from the garden. I love using these super soft white linen napkins from Caravan as a simple starting point.
I tied my twine twice around a rolled up napkin and finished it with a simple knot. If your egg doesn't end up exactly in the center, you can carefully slide it along the piece of twine. If you'd like to prepare your napkins ahead of time, tie them loosely, without the forsythia, and then just slide a small length of branch under the twine alongside (or directly underneath) your egg.
Like with my napkins, I'm partial to simple ceramic dinnerware that I can dress up according to my mood and the occasion. These creamy white dishes are made in the US by Brook Farm General Store.
I always prefer to use the fresh flowers, but if you don't have access to fresh forsythia branches, you can find pretty good silk replicas online and in craft stores. Fresh branches should ideally be kept in water, but the flowers are hardy enough that they can last several hours without water and still look perky. A large vase of forsythia branches makes a stunning addition to a sideboard or entrance, but for tables where guests will be eating, I like putting clipped branches directly on the table where they won't get in the way of conversations happening across the table. If you don't think you'll have time to clip branches soon before sitting down to eat, you might consider cutting short branches and displaying them in small juice glasses instead.
Finally, if you have a hunch that your guests will think the tiny quail egg looks good enough to eat, you might consider having a bowl of the chocolate variety on hand. Just in case.
Explore more: Hanging Easter Posies, Easter Egg Radish Centerpieces