the beauty of paaskrans

I have a confession – I like to make things sound grander than they are. My Christmas nativity is my creche. I own Santons, not figurines. My children never made confetti-filled eggs; they made cascarones (and I always rolled the “r”). You get the idea. So when I began spotting Easter wreaths made from natural elements, feathers and broken eggshells, I fell in love. Not only with their beauty, but with their name. Paaskrans. I even researched that word for days, certain I would uncover some romantic history and symbolism. I copied and pasted text from hundreds of foreign articles to translation apps to determine the language, so I could learn more. Okay, not hundreds, but at least ten. 

Finally, I ran into my friends Karen and Klaus (who are Dutch and German, respectively), anxious for them to unravel this mystery. I showed them dozens of photos of paaskrans, emphasizing that their unrefined beauty must certainly be steeped in some folkloric tradition. They studied the photos. They looked at each other. Then I asked, “So, do you know this tradition? And how is it correctly pronounced?” “Easter wreath,” they said. 

Apparently, these are simply trendy spring wreaths seen in Holland and especially Germany (called Osterkranz there.) Both Karen and Klaus remember their mothers making them. 

So for those of you wondering just what the deal is with these earthy, moss-covered wreaths, here are the facts. They are commonly made from grapevine and natural elements. The feathers and broken eggshells (I’m guessing) symbolize Spring, rebirth, and resurrection. They are often displayed on a tabletop. And they are wreaths. Made for Easter.

But in my home, they are Paaskrans.

Here’s my first attempt at making one, and it was actually a quick and easy craft.

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supplies needed:

• grapevine wreath
• moss
• hot glue gun
• bird’s nests
• floral vines 
• feathers
• water picks
• fresh tulips
• egghttps://amzn.to/2HQkw4Ks – white & brown
• dye

step 1 – add moss to wreath

I selected an oblong shaped grapevine wreath, as I plan to place this on the center of my dining table (which is also oblong). Using a hot glue gun, add pieces of dried moss to the wreath, giving it a woodsy effect.

step 2 – add bird’s nests

Next, remove the plastic eggs from bird’s nests, then add the nests to the wreath.

step 3 – add vines

Embellish it with few artificial vines or greenery to give it an even more earthy effect.

step 4 – add water picks

Add about 3 floral water picks to the wreath. Fresh flowers will be added later.

step 5 – add feathers

Using a glue gun, embellish the entire wreath with small, delicate feathers.

step 6 – add eggshells

Break several brown and white eggs in half. After thoroughly rinsing the shells, let them dry. To add whole  unbroken eggs, first use an egg blower to remove the yolk. Then rinse and let dry.  This video shows instructions on how to do this. 

If you want to add colored eggs (I added several hot pink ones), use this dye. It comes with clear instructions and gives you the brightest, richest colors.

When dry, glue the eggshells onto the wreath.

step 7 – add fresh flowers

Lastly, fill the water picks with water and add fresh flowers. I used pink tulips and baby’s breath. 

And see how lovely it becomes when a simple vase of flowers is placed in the center.

There you have it. A beautiful Paaskran. And roll your “r.”

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