Easter treats and craft ideas

1. Rice krispie rocky road nests 

To whip up these colourful bites, combine 4 cups Coles Rice Puffs, 50g chopped marshmallow and 1½ tbs coloured sprinkles in a bowl. Place 180g white chocolate and 20g copha in a heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring, until chocolate melts. Pour over the rice puffs mixture and stir to combine. Spoon into 12 lined muffin pans, making a small indent in the centre of each nest. Chill until set, then decorate with mini chocolate Easter eggs. Find the full recipe here: Rice krispie rocky road nests.

Top 'em your way: We’ve used mini speckled chocolate Easter eggs here, but you can top the nests with whatever treats you have on hand.

2. DIY egg hunt baskets 

Make the most of empty jars and food containers by turning them into cute baskets for collecting Easter eggs. Line the base of a clean glass jar, yoghurt tub, plastic bottle, or fruit punnet with tissue paper. To make handles for the tub and bottle, cut out strips from an extra tub or bottle and attach with a stapler. To make handles for the punnet and glass jar, use a hot glue gun to securely attach jute twine. Cover handles and edges with washi tape, pompoms or whatever is in your craft tub.

Team work: Depending on the age of your kids, you might need to help them when using a hot glue gun or to cut and cover any sharp edges. 

3. Bunny pancakes

Make Easter morning extra special with this easy idea. To do it, prepare a 350g pkt Coles Original Pancake Mix following packet directions. Transfer one-third of the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain nozzle. Place a greased non-stick frying pan over low heat. In batches, pipe the mixture into the pan to make ears and paws. Cook for 1-2 mins, or until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes. Turn and cook for 1 min or until light golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make heads and bodies. Arrange pancakes into bunny shapes. Find the full recipe here: Bunny pancakes.

Cheat’s piping bag: Don’t have a piping bag? Place the pancake mixture in a sealable plastic bag, cut off 1 small corner and pipe away!

Fruity finish: Decorate pancakes with fruit, including blueberries, banana, watermelon and strawberries cut into bite-sized shapes. To make a tail, cut a vanilla marshmallow in half, and use black writing icing to draw a nose.

4. Meringue pops

These adorable Easter meringues make fun gifts and table decorations. To make a batch, whisk 4 egg whites in a bowl until firm peaks form. Add 1 cup (200g) caster sugar, 1 tbs at a time, whisking well after each addition. Divide into 4 portions and use food colouring to tint 1 portion pink, 1 portion orange and 1 portion green. Transfer to piping bags or sealable plastic bags (see our tip for making a cheat’s piping bag, above). Arrange 20 lollipop sticks on 2 lined baking trays. Pipe white and pink portions over lollipop sticks on 1 tray to make bunny faces. Decorate with black cachous to make eyes. Pipe orange and green portions to make carrot shapes over remaining lollipop sticks. Bake at 100°C for 1¼ hours. Turn oven off. Leave meringue pops in the oven, with the door ajar, to cool. Find the full recipe here: Meringue pops.

Hop to it: To decorate your table, place meringue pops in glasses filled with coffee grounds or finely crushed chocolate biscuits. The pops make cute cake toppers, too.

5. Easter egg holders 

Here’s a resourceful craft project: Turn clean toilet paper rolls into bunny-shaped holders for mini Easter eggs. Paint the rolls with quick-dry paint. Fold up 1 end, then decorate with coloured paper shapes. Use some extra toilet rolls to make ears, and a permanent marker to draw eyes and a nose. Adhesive googly eyes add a fun touch, too. 

6. Egg carton snack trays 

Save your empty egg cartons and upcycle them into cute containers to share at morning tea or on road trips. To do it, decorate cartons with quick-dry paint, coloured paper and washi tape. Line each hole with tissue paper, then fill with bite-sized snacks – think berries, grapes, nuts, popcorn, trail mix, mini pretzels, bliss balls and cereal, plus mini cookies, lollies and Easter eggs for a treat. To make it a gift, decorate with ribbon and a tag.