I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright. — Millard Kaufman

Some areas of the Northern Hemisphere are already wrapped in the warm embrace of early spring.

Others, including our corner of Western Canada, continue to experience the telltale biting chill and starkly snowy landscape of wintertime proper.

Yet, even if a late-season blizzard comes barreling into town, there are usually captivating stirrings of the season that we are sitting on the precipice of. And that, for those who enjoy spring at least, is certainly a happiness-sparking prospect.

There is not a time in my life when I cannot remember madly adoring butterflies (and moths, too, for that matter – assuming they aren’t turning the contents of my closet into their own personal buffet! ).

It goes without saying that I am far from alone on that front. Countless others throughout the course of human history have been fascinated by butterflies and their immense beauty.

Items depicting or shaped like butterflies never seem to go out of style – and I highly doubt they ever will.

Though, that said, there have certainly been periods when butterfly-themed items experienced a notable spike in popularity.

One such time was the late 1990s and very early 2000, a point in history when I was in my teenage years.

From those super-easy-to-accidentally-bend-open-to-the-point-where-they-break mini butterfly hair clips to butterfly print tees (bonus Y2K points if they were cropped) to the revealing rhinestone covered Emmanuel Ungaro butterfly-shaped top that Mariah Carey famously wore to the VH9’s Divas 2000 tribute to Diana Ross, butterflies were landing everywhere and we could not get enough of them!

These days, with some of the fashions from that era enjoying their own moment in the sartorial spotlight, we are seeing butterflies appear a bit more often again in the clothing and accessory world. Right down to a Gen Z-led revival of those aforementioned butterfly hair clips.

And why not? Fashion was a blast back then. It could be glam and gorgeous, but it could also be silly, fun, girly, sporty, preppy, retro, OTT, sometimes futuristically inspired, and a million other things.

Though I am not slipping on a pair of wide-legged jeans that drag on the ground beneath my chunky (black) platform slip-on sandals, nor rocking a messy bun full of darling butterfly clips atop my head these days, my lifelong passion for butterflies is still going strong.

Butterflies are often one of the first harbingers of spring’s return. Their mosaic-like patterned wings flapping gracefully by our suddenly-once-again-open windows, taking said butterflies to land on the nearest flower, leaf, or other spot they wish to visit.

Recently, I found myself yearning to see real live butterflies again. Alas though, when I looked outside, the only thing fluttering around in the sky was a fresh load of snowflakes.

Knowing that I wanted to make a least one Ostara papercraft project this year, the idea quickly struck me to create one centred around the theme of butterflies.

As a big fan of these beautiful insects, I have numerous craft products that star their depiction. Therefore, I knew this project would not require much rifling around to find the products that I had in mind.

Once I had located them, I made like a busy butterfly and quickly set to work whipping up this vibrant, dynamic springtime greeting card.

Delightful butterfly-themed Ostara shaker card

While not a hard and fast rule by any means, generally speaking, it is somewhat rare for me to craft with the cheery, confectionary-worthy palette of spring – particularly outside of that season itself.

I tend to favour darker tones and autumn + winter palettes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy dipping my proverbial proboscis in the nectar that is spring’s upbeat hues from time to time.

Having selected the butterfly print papers that I would use on this project, I let them guide the remainder of the colour palette that I utilized here.

It is undeniably a bright, fun one. But it is toned down a touch by some mellow, sun-baked shades as well as hits of both navy blue and black.

I wanted a warm palette that was at once soothing and energizing at the same time, as that is a combo I often associate with spring itself.

This same menagerie of hues could very easily be used for craft projects intended for later in the spring, too, as well as those throughout the summer. Heck, I think it would even suit Mabon/the Fall Equinox as well.

Though there are a fair number of different colours at play on this card, I made sure to repeat some of them two or more times throughout its design so as to help create a cohesive overall look.

For example, there are three different areas of both pink ombre paper and dark gold metallic cardstock, four of light green cardstock, and some of the fussy cut butterflies are repeated as well.

In addition, all of those fussy cut butterflies have a twinkling line of Diamond (coloured) Stickles running down their thoraxes, thus unifying this bevy of winged friends all the more.

My choice of sequins colours echoes some of the shades found in many of the other elements of this card. This in turn helps them to look all the more coordinated.

This card design – for all that is going on here – is actually quite versatile.

For example, you could easily swap out the “Happy Ostara” sentiment for one pertaining to Easter, Beltane, Mother’s Day, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, christenings, graduations, retirement, bon voyage, good luck, congratulations, and scores of other events and reasons.

And if you are not feeling the palette, keep the general design but sub in a colour scheme of your choosing.

Products used to make this charming springtime butterfly shaker card

-Light green cardstock – Soft Tones 8.5”x11” Cardstock from Paper Accents

-Dark metallic gold cardstock – Foil Cardstock Paper from Recollections (Michael’s brand)

-All printed papers used in this project – Conservatory 12”x12” Paper Pad from Craft Smith (Michael’s brand)

-Clear acetate

-Smaller sized scalloped edge rectangular die

-Oval die – Nestabilities Classic Oval Dies from Spellbinders

-Larger sized scalloped edge rectangular die – Nestabilities Lattice Rectangles from Spellbinders

-Small butterfly cut out rectangle die (from AliExpress)

-Dark blue/navy blue ink – Memento Dew Drop Nautical Blue Ink from Tsukineko

-Iridescent clear glitter glue – Diamond (Glitter Glue) from Stickles

-“Happy” word sticker – Soup Labels Farmhouse Stew (Word) Stickers from Jillibean Soup

-Small black and clear letter stickers – Mambi Sticks Clear Stickers from Me & My Big Ideas

-Green and gold sequins mix – Evergreen Sparkle from Pretty Pink Posh

-Micro-sized gold heart-shaped sequins – Unnamed product from Pretty Pink Posh

-Pin sequins – Princess Sequins from Craft Medley

-White lace trim

-Peachy-pink crochet trim – Stella & Rose Hazel Memories Trim from My Mind’s Eye

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

How to make a beautiful butterfly themed shaker card for Ostara/The Spring Equinox

Begin by making a card base from light green cardstock (if you do not have light green, white cardstock would look lovely here as well).

Cut a piece of white lace trim the vertical length of the card base. Adhere on the left-hand side of the card base so that this trim extends out beyond the card base itself.

From the Conservatory paper pad, cut a piece of (white background) butterfly print border strip paper. Ink it on all four sides with dark blue or navy blue ink. Mat it with a piece of ever-so-slightly larger (than that strip) pink ombre print paper.

Layer and adhere this matted border piece along the left-hand side of the card, overlapping it somewhat with the white trim layer.

Cut a piece of gold metallic cardstock a little bit smaller than your card base. Cut two equal-sized pieces of peachy-pink crochet trim that are the length of the top and bottom of the gold metallic cardstock. Adhere trim to the underside of the top and bottom of that piece of gold cardstock, then adhere the cardstock to the card base.

Next, cut a piece of pink ombre paper (this paper, like all others used throughout this project, hails from the Craft Smith 12”x12” Conservatory paper pad; this is not a terribly old paper pad, so it may still be available at some Michael’s locations) just a tiny bit smaller than the gold cardstock layer. Adhere to gold cardstock layer.

Cut a piece of dark blue + multicolour butterfly print paper a whisper smaller than the previous layer. Adhere to the previous layer.

Next, cut out the border strip that says, “Happiness Blooms Within”. Mat it with an ever-so-slightly larger (than that strip) piece of the same light green cardstock you used for your card base.

Adhere the border strip to the green cardstock and then, using foam tape, pop dots, or a similar dimensional adhesive product, adhere the green cardstock to the far left-hand edge of the previous (butterfly print paper) layer.

Using the larger of the two scalloped edge rectangular dies, cut a rectangle from the pink ombre print paper. Then use the oval die to cut an oval aperture in the middle of that piece. Back the aperture with a piece of the same light green cardstock that you used for the card base. Adhere this scalloped rectangle piece to your previous layers.

Use the smaller of the two scalloped edge rectangle dies (mine comes with an oval opening in the center already; if yours does not, cut an oval the same size as the one on the previous layer in the center of that rectangular piece) to cut a rectangle from metallic gold cardstock.

Cut a small oval-shaped piece of clear acetate and adhere it to the back of the metallic gold rectangle.

Adhere the gold rectangle (with acetate) to the pink ombre rectangle so that the two ovals are perfectly aligned.

Flip that layered piece over and add in the various colours and shapes of sequins.

Use foam to create a border all the way around the oval shaker element opening. Carefully bring the green cardstock + ombre pink layer to the foam adhesive, gingerly apply some pressure to really stick the foam adhesive in place (as we don’t want any sequin going rouge and escaping our shaker! )

Next, measure and cut a piece of the same white trim that you used earlier so that it is the length of the pink ombre layer. Then cut that piece of trim in half, if so desired (only half of it will be showing, so why not save the other half for use on a different project?). Adhere the white trim to the underside of the bottom of the pink ombre layer.

Follow that up by adhering that rectangle layer “stack” to your previous card base layers.

Cut out a label piece using light green cardstock and the small rectangular-shaped butterfly (cut out) label die. Mat this piece with an ever-so-slightly larger piece of gold metallic cardstock. Adhere together.

Then adhere that “stack” a little bit below the central (rectangular layers), so that some of the dark blue + multicolour butterfly print paper is visible between the two-layered areas, as shown.

Use the “happy’ word sticker and black + clear letter stickers to spell out “Happy Ostara” (or the similar-sized sentiment of your choosing).

Take a piece of butterfly print paper from the Conservatory paper pad and fussy cut out several different sizes and colours of butterflies. Adhere them around the card as shown (or however you wish to place them).

Then cut out duplicates of a few of the butterflies. Apply adhesive down the middle of the backside of those butterflies. Gently bend their wings upward a bit, then adhere them down on their corresponding “flat” butterfly layers.

Lastly, take your iridescent glitter glue (be it Stickles or otherwise) and with a light touch, apply a small line down the thorax (middle vertical area) of each butterfly.

I know that the above instructs are a bit lengthy, but in reality, this project is not (IMO) very tricky and it does not take terribly long to complete. The most time-consuming part, by far, is fussy cutting the butterflies out.

I adore fussy cutting, so do not mind. However, if it isn’t your favourite activity or if using scissors for a long time is difficult for you due to health (or any other) reasons, you could use similar sized premade butterfly die cuts, chipboard pieces, butterfly die cuts that you make yourself, punched butterflies, or stickers here instead.

This festive Ostara/Spring Equinix/Easter card is a pleasure to both make and bestow upon someone special in your life – especially if they are a big fan of butterflies.

Ostara – like springtime sunshine – returns with gusto!

North of the equator, March houses the Spring Equinox. From that day onward until the Summer Solstice we will be surrounded by the beauty, gentle warmth, and the general air of happiness that is inherent to spring.

On – or in the general vicinity of – the Spring Equinox, a fair number of witches/Wiccans/Pagans opt to observe the calendar year’s second sabbat: Ostara.

A lively, hope-filled celebration of the earth’s reawakening, new life, new beginnings, optimism, and much more, Ostara is, for many, a jubilant sabbat that bounds into our life as merrily as a baby lamb.

If you are not familiar with, or would like to read more about, Ostara, I welcome you to do so via the following entries that I have previously penned about this sabbat:

–10 Free and Low-Cost Ways to Celebrate Ostara

–35 Wonderful Ostara Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for The Spring Equinox

–Ostara Candle Spell for Clarity and Renewal (Guest post that I wrote for TheWitchofLupineHollow.com)

While relatively few who are not witches/Pagans observe Ostara in its 21st-century iteration, many individuals – regardless of their spiritual path – enjoy celebrating the return of spring.

The upcoming Equinox is a stellar time to do just that.

A lot of people in my life were born in the spring and numerous loved ones – including my mom and her only sister – rank springtime as their favourite season.

They are far from the minority there, as spring takes top billing for scores of folks around the world.

It is not hard to see why. After months of freezing temps, long hours of darkness, and the need to wear more layers than you’d find on mille crepe cake, many of us are champing at the bit for even the slightest degree of warmth.

Our patience is, thankfully, rewarded sooner or later. And then, after a few sun-kissed days, as if by magic, we often all but forget the lengthy cold spell that we just endured.

Suddenly our lives are illuminated in fresh, wonderful ways again. And while we know that winter will eventually return, for now, we are as far away seasonally from that point as one can possibly be.

And that, if you ask me, is worth celebrating and sending out a butterfly-themed card or two in honour of!

Additional gift of mini butterfly hairclips, 100% optional!

Do you equate butterflies with the return of spring (or autumn, if you live south of the equator)? What is one of your favourite things about the upcoming sunny season?

The post Delightful Butterfly-Themed Happy Ostara Shaker Card for the Spring Equinox appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Though not all traces of winter have yet to abate from our area, there are subtle stirrings that let us know spring is on its way once again.

The first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere begins on March 20^th this year and will conclude three months later, on June 20^th.

In some parts of the world, spring is already out in full force, in others, it is a cinch to still build snowmen, and plenty of others fall somewhere in between.

The Spring Equinox brings winter to an end, on paper at least, and coincides for many witches, Wiccans, and Pagans with the sacred sabbat of Ostara.

As with each of the sabbats, however, one may choose to observe it on a different date, if so desired. The general date range to celebrate Ostara spans mid-March to mid-April.

The second sabbat of the calendar year, Ostara is a joyous celebration of renewal, revitalization, fertility, motherhood, rebirth (which is often symbolized via eggs, seeds, blossoms and buds), growth, greenery, merriment, hope, possibility, and balance – amongst other meaningful things.

Just as with its annual counterpoint, the Fall Equinox (Mabon), the Spring Equinox (which is also known as the Vernal Equinox) is about evenness and balance, with the hours of day and light being quite similar in length.

For a few brief months, light triumphs over darkness as we embrace the soft, beautiful days of springtime. Come the Summer Solstice (Litha), we will gradually begin to lose daylight straight on until the Winter Solstice (Yule).

Right here and now though, happily, we have a long way to go until we’re immersed in the heart of winter once again.

To my mind – and I would venture to guess those of many others – Ostara is an upbeat, jovial sabbat.

It celebrates sunshine and flowers, springtime rain showers, the beginning of the harvest season, the birth of many types of animals, growth, and survival.

If we are fortunate to experience a new Spring Equinox, it means that we made it through another long winter and can now look ahead to the blessings and beauty inherent to the warmer months.

If you would like to learn more about the history and meanings associated with Ostara, as well as some wonderful ways to honour the Spring Equinox, check out my post on Ten Free and Low-Cost Ways to Celebrate Ostara.

Time for some Spring Equinox and Ostara crafting

This past winter, I shared 50 Awesome DIY Yule Decorations and Craft Ideas You Make for The Winter Solstice.

I received a lot of positive feedback on this post, as well as some requests for similar entries that focused on the other solstices and equinoxes.

With Ostara upon us again, I’m delighted to take this opportunity to do just that with these 35 Wonderful Ostara Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for The Spring Equinox .

Much as with the Yule entries, some of these projects are of a distinctly witchy/Pagan nature, and others are broader and more apt to appeal to those whose spiritual journeys are not witchery or Paganism-based.

Naturally, a good many of these Spring Equinox craft ideas work splendidly for Easter (which falls on April 4^th this year) as well.

The seasons are a part of each of our lives and irrespective of our faith/beliefs, there is something so lovely, meaningful, and important about acknowledging and honouring each chapter of the year as it returns once more to our days.

By imbuing a part of ourselves into the crafts and other projects – from baking to incense making, dressing candles to performing spellwork – that we create as the Wheel of The Year turns, we are deepening our personal connection with the seasons and generating positive energy in the process.

What kinds of crafts for Ostara?

Being, as each of the sabbats is, a time rooted in nature and the cycles of life, growth, and death inherent to each year, Ostara celebrates and honours the outside world.

And it is from such that we derive many of the symbols, images, associations and correspondences of Ostara.

When crafting or decorating (be it your house, altar, backyard, or anywhere else you desire) for Ostara, look to the natural world around you.

Flowers, grass, eggs and chicks, early springtime fruits and vegetables (strawberries, carrots, asparagus, new potatoes, etc), farm animals, and the sun are just some of the natural elements that we can weave into our Ostara craft projects and springtime décor.

Many, though certainly not all, Ostara and Spring Equinox crafts include eggs in some capacity, be it the real deal or representations of eggs in one form or another.

Animals such as rabbits and hares (sacred to the goddess Eostre from whom the sabbat of Ostara gets its name), lambs, goats, calves, chicks and chickens, snakes, caterpillars and butterflies, ladybugs, earthworms, goldfish, starfish, dolphins, and a wide range of birds such as robins, chickadees, and hummingbirds are all linked to spring’s return and the coming months of sweet, life regenerating sunshine.

In terms of mythical and otherworldly beings, dragons, unicorns, pegasuses, faeries, and merpeople (mermaids and mermen) are amongst those who are connected to Ostara.

Most elements of planting and gardening are natural fits for Ostara as well, including seeds, gardening tools, potted plants, blossoms, flowers, grass, and gardening tools.

Scores of flowers are a natural fit for Ostara crafts and decorations, with snowdrops, tulips, daffodils, crocuses, nasturtiums, lilies, vervain, carnations, lilacs, jonquil, pussy willows, clover, violets, daisies, honeysuck, dogwood, and lotus flowers being some especially apt choices.

And likewise, on the herbal front, there are tons of different herbs associated with Ostara. Some of the stars in this field include thyme, lovage, mint, tarragon, dill, lemon balm, parsley, rosemary, tansy, lavender, and marjoram.

Elements of spring cleaning are also at home in one’s Ostara DIY projects and home décor.

For example, you could make or incorporate brooms (why not make some fun little DIY brooms like those featured in my YouTube video 5 Ways to Make Mini Brooms), air dried linens, mending and sewing materials, incense, and cleansing sprays and herbs.

In terms of colours, Ostara’s palette can run the gamut from soft, subdued earth tones like those seen in the landscape as winter melds into spring to bright, punchy sunshine filled colours.

Pastels and flower tones are especially well suited to Ostara, and the colours you normally associate with Easter are just as at home for the Spring Equinox itself.

When crafting for Ostara or the Vernal Equinox, the sky is the limit. You can celebrate fertility and rebirth, sunshine and flowers, bunnies and carrots – whatever your heart desires.

The following selection of 35 different Ostara crafts and spring décor ideas are here to both provide you with plenty of great DIY projects that you can make yourself, and to serve as a springboard for your own creativity on the seasonal crafting front.

35 Wonderful Ostara Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for The Spring Equinox

1. DIY Pagan Symbol Ostara Eggs: Celebrate your Pagan and/or witchy spiritual path this Ostara by creating your own set of hand-painted, immensely lovely Pagan symbol eggs.

You can do so on (hollowed out) real eggs, paper eggs, wooden eggs, paper mâché eggs, or (some types) of plastic eggs, and once your set of Pagan symbol eggs are dried, you will have a gorgeous treasure that can be utilized year after year.

In addition to symbols such as those shown in this lovely tutorial, you could paint things such as runes, astrological symbols, and sigils on Ostara or Easter eggs as well.

2. Raindrop Sun Catchers: One of my favourite ways to honour and celebrate the changing seasons is by working with the weather inherent to each chapter of the year.

In many parts of the globe, spring is typically the rainiest season and whether you bemoan or enjoy this fact, there’s no getting around spring’s association with rain.

This elegantly pretty project utilizes the simplest of materials to make dazzling raindrops that won’t leave you soaking wet and which can be brought out for your spring, Ostara, or Easter décor year after year – no umbrella required!

3. Wire Wrapped Bird’s Nests: While many wire wrapping projects require decently (or immensely!) advanced skills in this field of jewelry making, creating your own wire wrapped bird’s nests is not so difficult or intimidating that it can’t be tackled by those with little to no wire wrapping experience (I made my own line of handmade nickel-free jewelry for years, so know from which I speak).

This beautiful project creates a wearable and highly meaningful bird’s nest from beading wire and beads (which you can include as part of a ring, bracelet, necklace, pair of earrings, magickal charm, etc), which would be an incredible project to create, and/or consecrate, on Ostara itself.

Likewise, however, you may wish to make this beading project in advance and then wear it on Ostara – if not the whole year through!

4. Make Your Own Natural Easter Egg Dyes: While there is no shortage of store-bought dyes and recipes for homemade dyes using food colouring and other (potentially) artificial ingredients out there, for those who wish to utilize more natural egg dying options, creating your own dyes is often the way to go.

In this detailed, photo rich post from Leigh Anne Wilkes, you can learn how to do just that using several common materials, such as red onions, blueberries, and turmeric.

For those of a witchy persuasion, a project like this is an ideal time to include some magickal kitchen witchery into your crafting, utilizing ingredients for their known magickal correspondences or properties, and/or what you wish to manifest or focus on via your choice of natural ingredients.

(A handy list with some additional ideas for natural Easter or Ostara egg dyes can also be found on the website Ravenhawk’s Magazine.)

5. Adorable Clothes Peg Flower Fairies: Perhaps no other season is more closely linked to fairies (faeries) than that of springtime.

Whether you’re working with/honouring the realm of the fae or simply want to incorporate some darling fairy imagery into your Ostara décor (or altar), these enchantingly lovely clothes peg fairy friends are fantastic way to do just that.

6. Moss Covered Bunny Canvas Art: If you enjoy making your own wall art and are in the mood for a chic, timelessly pretty Ostara or Easter project, this delightful moss covered bunny might be just the ticket.

(If you are looking to source dried crafting moss, many dollar and craft stores, as well as some big box stores, Amazon, and Etsy are all handy places to do just that. I personally buy most of mine from Dollarama here in Canada.)

7. DIY Bunny Gumball Machines: Altered gumball machines have been experiencing a moment in the crafting world as of late.

Few examples of this – *cough, cough* – sweet trend are more darling or well suited to springtime than these ultra cute DIY Bunny Gumball Machines.

Personally, I’d be inclined to turn one of these altered gumball machines into magickal Ostara time witch’s ball, imbuing each component with my desires and intentions, and then utilizing it as part of a springtime magickal working.

8. Paper Stained Glass Kites: While we often associate various elements of nature with spring (and for good reason), two components of the season that might not be as immediately obvious as, say, cherry blossoms, are sunshine and wind.

Both are celebrated in this eye-catchingly gorgeous stained glass kite project, which honours the wind that helps to hold kites aloft and the spring sunshine that makes stained glass (be it paper or real glass) so incredibly beautiful.

9. Nature Impressions Pressed Clay Craft: As fresh green life sprouts up around us, consider ethically gathering some of the leaves, blooms, and ferns that resonate with you and creating some easy-to-make pressed clay pieces with them.

Once dried, these elegant clay crafts can be used as jewelry (create holes before drying), home décor, tablescape décor, place settings, altar tiles, paperweights, and more.

10. Ostara Egg Shell Candles: A wonderful use of a natural material, these DIY eggshell candles are a meaningful way to celebrate the glorious return of light that spring ushers in, while also honouring the connection to life and rebirth inherent to eggs.

11. Seed Packet Greeting Cards: It’s safe to say that around these parts, we love a cool card making project!

This one, detailed in the scope of an article that highlights several wonderful Ostara-related crafts and activities, is a meaningful way to share in the joys of gardening with friends and loved ones.

Plus, it’s quick, easy, and something that kids can lend a hand with making, too.

12. DIY Easter Egg Button Craft: Like many a crafter the world over, I have a perpetual fondness for buttons. Old or new, large or small, plastic, wood, metal, brightly hued or neutral – you name it, I’m there if buttons are involved.

If you’re also a fan of this versatile fastener turned crafting supply, then this super cute + fun Easter (or Ostara) egg button project might be a great way to use up a wee bit of your button stash.

13. Super Cute No Sew Sock Bunnies: When I was a little girl, I had a darling children’s book that included instructions on how to make stuffed toy pigs from pantyhose or tights. Together my mom and I made a few of these cuties and I have had a soft spot (pun intended) for DIY plush toys ever since.

As you might imagine then, these precious little no sew sock bunnies instantly appealed to me and I suspect that they’ll find favour with many of you as well.

Plus, there’s no reason to limit your bunnies just to spring. Why not whip up a few in colours or patterns that are especially well suited to each season, your home décor, a loved one’s favourite hues, or a special occasion, such as the full moon?

14. Dancing Princess Pipe Cleaner Craft: While these darling pipe cleaner figures can certainly represent princesses, I was immediately struck by what an ideal way they would be to represent the Goddess (be it in her archetypical springtime maiden form or otherwise) or a specific deity of one’s choosing – Eostre herself very much included.

15. Painted Egg Carton Flowers: Chances are, if you die real eggs for Ostara or Easter (or simply eat eggs on a regular basis), you may have some extra egg cartons kicking around.

This fun project puts them to good use by creating a bevy of brightly hued blooms that make for eye-catching spring, summer or year-round home décor (you could also incorporate them into various types of paper crafting projects, such as scrapbook pages).

If you do not eat eggs or don’t have any extra paper cartons on hand, check online for local hatcheries in your area, as some will happily sell you paper egg cartons at a reasonable price. As well, Amazon, craft, dollar, farm supply, and gardening supply stores sometimes also sell empty egg cartons.

16. Handmade Potato Easter Egg Stamps: The classic art of carving raw potatoes into versatile stamps gets the springtime treatment in this lovely project that, while fabulous for kids, can just as easily be used by crafters of all ages.

Why not whip up a few carved potato Easter (or Ostara) egg stamps and, using suitable paints for each of the following ideas, put them to good work on things such as table linens, scarves, wrapping paper, handmade tags or cards, gift bags, or the outside of springtime parcels?

17. DIY Tulip Wreath: This fantastic idea is the brainchild of Kylie from How to Mom and has become a widely shared and frequently created project ever since it hit the internet. And for good reason – just look at how incredibly pretty and bursting with springtime cheer it is!

You can make your own DIY tulip wreath in a similar pastel rainbow colourway or with any colour faux tulips you can find (or spray paint, come to think of it).

If you do, why not make likes scores of others and tag Kylie so that she can see your own fab springtime flower wreath?

18. Easter Egg Painted Rocks: The delightful art of painting rocks is far from new, but it has definitely been experiencing a revival in recent years.

If you’re looking for a fun and festive way to include rock painting in your Spring Equinox celebration, this charming Easter (or Ostara) egg version absolutely nails it!

19. Quilted Easter Egg Placemats: I mean, come on, are you honestly going to tell me that these quilted Easter egg placements aren’t off-the-charts cute?

I love that while some sewing is involved here, this is not an overly complex or difficult project. This makes it all the more appealing to those of us who aren’t the most advanced of sewers (a camp that I myself fall squarely into).

You can whip up a set of these splendid springtime egg-shaped placemats in any colour(s) and pattern(s) you desire. And I cannot help but think how awesome one would be as an altar cloth or otherwise included on an Ostara altar.

(And speaking of quilted Easter/Ostara table related projects, this adorable Flip and Sew Carrot Table Runner is all kinds of fabulous as well!)

20. Ostara Mini Wildflower Bouquets: More ephemeral in nature than most of the other crafts in this post, these lovely little Ostara wildflower bouquets utilize real wildflowers and a few simple craft/household items to create mini bundles of springtime joy.

21. Rustic Wooden Bunny: This project is a bit more involved (re: you need a chainsaw or other power tool method to slice through wood) and might not be doable for everyone. That said, if you have access to the materials and tools involved, it creates one seriously darling wooden bunny that you can use as part of your indoor or outdoor springtime décor.

If you’re not game to bust out the chainsaw, you could use this wooden bunny’s design and some precut pieces of wood in different sizes (sometimes found at places such as craft, hobby, and hardware stores, as well as on Amazon and various craft supply websites) to create your own take on this charming Ostara/Easter season craft idea.

22. Baker’s Twine Easter Eggs: Much like buttons, baker’s twine is a beloved product that you’ll find in many crafters’ stashes. Inexpensive, versatile, and available in a wide range of colours, this handy product is a year-round pleasure to work with.

Come the return of spring, why not jazz up some basic plastic (or wooden) eggs by enrobing them in baker’s twine?

A bowl, basket, dish, or jar of these cuties makes for an instant and very attractive springtime centrepiece or inclusion in a larger festive display (while also being awesome on one’s Ostara altar).

23. Fresh Greenery Butterfly Craft: If you or your little ones are a fan of gathering fresh leaves, herbs and flowers, this sweet, simple butterfly-themed project is apt to strike a chord.

If you’d like to create something (potentially) more permanent, utilize leaves, herbs, and flowers that are already dried instead of using fresh greenery.

How wonderful would a page like this be in one’s Book of Shadows, Grimoire, art journal, or used as part of a scrapbook page or handmade card?

24. Paint Chip Easter Egg Garland: Far beyond their intended purpose of highlighting a plethora of paint colours, paint chips can provide a goldmine of uses to crafters and creative folks everywhere.

In this easy project, you’ll utilize a rainbow (or the colours of your choice) of paint chips to create an eye-catchingly and surprisingly beautiful springtime garland that delivers all of the charm of real dyed eggs, with none of the work (and potential mess) of actually dying eggs.

25. Carrot Treat Bags: Perhaps no other vegetable is more associated with the start of spring, Ostara, and Easter than the humble, versatile, and very delicious carrot.

In this step-by-step sewing tutorial from Make It & Love It, you’ll learn how to whip up a garden’s worth of these handy, adorable carrot treat bags yourself.

You can use these carrot bags for everything from hiding candy eggs to including in happy mail for your fellow crafty friends to Ostara spell and mojo bags.

26. Egg Shell Place Card Holders: Green and cottage witches rejoice, this one is for you! But that isn’t to say, of course, that plenty of others won’t be drawn to this beautiful way to mark the places around your spring feast table as well.

Real egg shells (though you could likely use hollow faux eggs, too), microgreens, potting soil, and something (such as thin wood or bark) to write each diner’s name on is all you need to make these fantastic springtime place cards.

27. Make Your Own Easter Tree: Whether decked to the max or understatedly lowkey, Easter trees and Ostara trees are a marvellous way to inject a big dose of seasonal beauty and symbolism into your home décor.

28. Easy DIY Victorian Easter Eggs: It just wouldn’t be a craft project roundup post if my love of all things vintage and yesteryear didn’t shine through in at least one or two inclusions.

Case in point, these gorgeous Victorian-style Easter Eggs from Jennifer at Celebrating Everyday Life. These lovely eggs are sophisticated, captivating, and apt to become instant family heirlooms.

29. Crocheted Easter Eggs: I’ve said it before, but I’ll happily say it again: while not a crocheter myself, I adore this craft and like to keep my eyes open for creative free crochet patterns to share with my readers.

Naturally, given that Ostara and Easter are both rounding the bend, a free crocheted Easter Egg pattern was in order.

Enter this gem from Cheryl at Crochet 365 Knit Too. It is cute, versatile, and would make for such a sweet, thoughtful springtime gift.

30. Natural Ostara Altar: It is easy think that altars have to be grand, elaborate, and potentially expensive affairs. Goodness knows that social media would often have us believe as much. Happily though, this is a million miles from being the case.

An altar can be as ornate or simple, decorated or unadorned as your heart desires and your current resources permit.

This lovely nature-based Ostara altar from the Penniless Pagan blog is just the thing to inspire you as you set up your own Spring Equinox season altar this year.

31. Mini DIY Easter Egg Pinatas: File this one under the headers of both “That’s genius!” and “Why didn’t I think of this before?!”.

Fun, festive, and an incredibly logical match for Easter and Ostara, mini egg-shaped pinatas are a great way to deliver sweet treats to friends, relatives, coworkers – you name it!

32. Lovely Mrs. Easter Bunny Tea Cosy: Just because the worst of winter’s chill is behind us (in the Northern Hemisphere) for another year, doesn’t mean that it’s time for our beloved teapots to go into hibernation.

If you’re a knitter who enjoys a warm cup of tea during the spring, then this elegant Mrs. Easter Bunny Tea Cosy might be just the project to whip as the sunny days return (that said, this tea cosy/cozy so lovely, I’d be inclined to use it the whole year through).

33. Moss Covered Easter Eggs: You didn’t think this moss loving witch was going to stop at just one mossy craft did you?

From the beautifully named Love Grows Wild blog, comes this whimsically charming take on the classic springtime egg. I adore it and may have to whip up a carton’s worth of my own.

34. Spring Carrot Door Hanger: I am smitten with the idea of using one springtime symbol (in this case tulips of the faux flower variety) to create another: a big bushel of carrots.

Not the edible type, but the kind that you can hang on your door (or elsewhere around your home) to inject a cheerful hit of springtime loveliness to your décor.

This project is a breeze to make and looks thoroughly impressive – not to mention gorgeous – once displayed.

35. Feather Easter Eggs: There is something so strikingly beautiful, earthy, and elegant about these feather adorned (faux) eggs.

The marriage of feathers with eggs is as natural as they come and creates a décor (or altar) piece that honours the symbolism and spirit or springtime itself exquisitely.

Which of these Ostara Crafts and DIY projects is your favourite? Are there any that you are eager to try your hand at creating?

(Note: All 35 images used above are copyright of their respective creators. Please follow the coordinating link in each list entry to be taken to the craft project shown and described therein.)

Welcome the light back into your life

For many of us, the road to Ostara and the Spring Equinox has been a long, often icy one.

We may still have a wee while to go until the last vestiges of winter vanished from our areas, but we’re getting there thanks in large part to the longer hours of sunlight and trend towards warmer temperatures.

As much as Imbolc is a celebration of the return of light, so too is Ostara. Indeed, the Spring Equinox is a portal of sorts to the sunny months of warmth and golden, life-giving light that lay ahead.

Instead of having to symbolically create a lot of the light that we need, Mother Nature takes care of illuminating our days for us.

That is not to say, however, that things like candles, balefires and bonfires aren’t at home on Ostara – they certainly are. But rather that we are able to avail of literal sunlight more now than we have been able to during the fall and winter months.

Letting the light back into our world happens both literally and symbolically. Just as we may throw open the curtains and blinds in our homes, so too can we choose to focus on areas of our lives that spark joy and let our inner light shine out most brightly.

Part of the reason why colours like white, yellow, and pastels are so at home during Ostara is that they help to reflect light.

They are not inherently heavy colours, but rather ones that have a soft, gentleness to them that seems to brighten and expand all they come in contact with – much like how the returning sunshine of spring will spread over the natural world and coax it back to life once more.

I hope that you enjoyed the 35 Ostara craft project and home décor ideas highlighted in this post and would love to hear in the comments below about any Spring Equinox DIY ideas you may have.

From my heart to yours, I wish you each a bright, beautiful, happy, healthy, and abundantly blessed Ostara.

Now, let us make like an adorable bunny rabbit and hop to crafting, creating, and decorating for the spring’s first sabbat!

The post 35 Wonderful Ostara Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for The Spring Equinox appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Like many of us, I’m drawn to the sweet, tender shades of the current season when paper crafting during the spring months (which I got the ball rolling on a few weeks ago with my Be Amazing Springtime Bird’s Nest Card).

With that very palette in mind, as my paternal grandma’s birthday rounds the bend next month, I recently set to work creating a card for her special day.

Shabby chic springtime happy birthday card

My grandma is a lovely woman who has had a lifelong passion for crafting (particularly knitting, sewing, and fabric doll making) and beautiful home décor.

Years before the term “shabby chic” entered mainstream vernacular, she had peppered her home with elements that would now fit squarely under that banner – along with ones that were rustic country and American primitive.

I learned about Victoria magazine, how to make a sublime English trifle, the best way to hang laundry on an outdoor line, and when a raspberry is perfectly ripe for the picking all from my grandma.

I attribute several of my own lifelong interests and passions to her as well – not the least of which is my unending love of, and interest in, the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Growing up, my grandma’s house was full of soft, sweet, thoroughly feminine touches. There was white wicker furniture on the covered deck, cabbage rose print bedding, a pale blue bathroom, crisply pressed table linens in Easter worthy shades, and much more.

My grandparents moved from that house over twenty years ago now. Some of those same elements went with them to the home they relocated to after retiring. Naturally though, a fair number changed with their new abode, downsizing, and shifting interests.

Still, when I think of my grandparent’s home as it looked in my early youth, the colours that I used in this birthday card are amongst those that jump out at me first. As such, I was eager to incorporate them in my grandma’s birthday greeting this year.

As much as I would have loved to go for an even more dimensional card, Canada Post has a rather irksome letter mail height limit of just 2cm (not inches, centimetres!) under which letter-sized mail must fit. If it goes over that thickness, you’re looking at parcel rates, which even at a national level are nothing short of comically steep in this country.

Therefore, if I know a card that I make is going to be mailed off (be it within Canada or abroad), I try to keep it on the flatter side.

This doesn’t automatically mean that I can’t still involve multiple layers, embellishments and plenty of engaging details. Thankfully that remains possible for many different types of cards.

Putting this feminine spring birthday card together

Funnily enough, I had originally taken some of the elements used on this card out to make a different birthday card that day. As soon as this design started to take shape, however, I knew that it was destined for my grandma.

I began with a sheet of lightly textured pale pink cardstock for my card base. This was then topped with a beautiful piece of white on cream lace print paper.

Another layer of the same light pink cardstock, pale blue printed paper that I embossed (though the embossing ended by being so obscured here, I won’t even mention the folder in the product list), and  various ornate die cut frames and border pieces were the next to be added.

I then fussy cut the large piece of floral print paper from a gorgeous sheet of Prima paper and positioned it to intentionally overhang a wee bit off the left-hand side of the card.

Next, I dug around in my stash for a vintage-y looking piece that tied into the theme of birthdays and found it in the lovely Webster’s Pages mini calendar page that I tucked behind the flowers (and banner).

After that, it was on to the banner. A few die cut banner pieces created from pale sage green and the same light pink cardstock used before, each of which I added faux stitching to with a white Uniball pen.

I topped each banner flag with a round pink and white Jenni Bowlin alphabet sticker to spell the word “happy” and strung them on a length of rustic braided garden twine that I attached to my card with mini clothes pegs.

If you don’t have banner flag/pennant dies, you can cut as many matching shaped and sized strips of paper or cardstock as you need by hand instead (I’ve done this many times for various projects over the years).

I wanted a bit more texture on this card, so I included a springtime perfect piece of classic daisy chain style white trim. To complement this trim and to help the fussy cut floral panel stand out a bit more, I die cut some leaves with trailing vines from basic white cardstock.

Next, I die cut the banner outline from pale brown cardstock and the decorative label shaped piece from light sage green cardstock. I stamped my classic sentiment of “happy birthday” in dark green ink and added some faux stitching around it with a white Uniball pen.

A few soft pink Prima gems nestled here and there, a flourish of pink pearls atop the fussy cut flower panel, and some strategically placed Glossy Accents on various parts of that panel finished off this pastel hued birthday greeting that I suspect many shabby chic lovers would enjoy receiving.

Card making tips and ideas from this project

-Obvious though this may sound, card bases do not have to be white, kraft, or black. They can be any colour that works for your project and are a great way to help set the tone for the rest of the palette that you’ll build on top of it.

-Look for trims that match or complement your die cuts and vice versa. Here, the white fabric trim goes awesomely with the border on the rectangular die cut piece that I used behind my sentiment.

-If you’re working with a large area of patterned paper (in this case, the fussy cut floral panel), try to match/harmonize as many of the other elements used on your card to that panel. This is what I did with my choice of light pink, blue, and green cardstocks.

–Hand drawn stitching works fabulously for small pieces and fiddly shapes that might be tricky to machine stitch on without potentially damaging (or if you don’t have – or don’t want to use – a sewing machine).

If you don’t already have a good quality white gel pen, I suggest investing in one if possible. They’re hugely useful for drawing stitches by hand on a huge range of different cardstocks and papers.

-I used rustic garden twine here for the string that the banner flags hang from, but you could easily swap in baker’s twine, hemp cord (natural or dyed), yarn or wool, a skinny piece of ribbon, beading chain, or a strip of paper or cardstock instead.

-Mini clothes pegs/pins are one of my favourite embellishments (they last appeared here in my Only Love Lets Us See scrapbook layout). They’re tons of fun, can be found from various online and offline sources (from eBay to Etsy to some dollar stores and craft stores), and add heaps of charm to any most any project.

-Let a little bit of your card base show. A design this full and eye-catching isn’t exactly overflowing with empty space. To help the eye rest and the design stops short of being too busy, I often like to ensure that a wee bit of the card base is visible in at least two areas of my design. In this case, that occurs at the top and bottom of the card.

Repeating the same pale pink colour of cardstock in the center panel of the card also helps to give a sense of open or white space, as it tricks, so to speak, the eye into thinking that it’s part of the largest area of the card (the base), when in fact it’s one of the last layers.

Products used to make this pastel floral birthday card

-White, light pink, light blue, light sage (or similar toned) green, and light brown or kraft coloured cardstocks

-Floral print paper – Rose Avenue Suite Collection Paper from Kaisercraft (the white + cream lace print paper that I also used here is the pattern on the back of this sheet)

-Happy birthday sentiment stamp

-Dark green ink pad – Ranger Archival Ink in Library Green

-Various decorative frame metal dies (or border punched pieces)

-Elegant border die (or punch or premade fancy border strip)

-Mini calendar page – Mini Calendar Cards from Webster’s Pages

-Mini alphabet stickers – Butterfly Pink Stickers from Jenni Bowlin

–Mini wooden clothes pins

-Natural braided twine (see tips above for alternative product ideas that you can use here, too)

-Pink pearl embellishment flourish (this one is from Zva Creative – Prima and Recollections have released similar ones over the years as well)

-Light pink faceted adhesive gems – Midnight Garden Say It In Crystals from Prima

-White floral design trim – Vicki B. Wraps from Bo Bunny

–Ranger Glossy Accents (optional)

–Signo Uniball white ink pen

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

Keep your recipients in mind when creating cards

While it’s definitely useful to have some general purpose cards on hand for birthdays and various other occasions that work well for a wide range of recipients, whenever possible, I truly love tailoring my projects to the person (or people – say a couple or family) who is going to be receiving it.

That’s exactly what I did with this cheerful, confectionary hued birthday card for my dear Grandma.

The past couple of years have not been the easiest for my grandparents, including on the health front, and I really wanted to convey my wishes for a positive b-day celebration and year ahead (which is why I purposefully used the word “happy” here two times).

I sincerely hope that my grandma’s birthday abounds with happiness – just as trips to her house did for me when I was growing up – and that this pastel floral card helps to make her special day all the more so.

Project share

Pin the image below – or any other in this post – to Pinterest, pop it into your Instagram Stories, post in on Twitter or Facebook, or share it anywhere else you wish to help yourself find it again and to inspire others at the same time.

If you make a project based on or inspired by this card – or want to share any of your other handmade crafts with me – please use the hashtags #WitchcraftedLife and #WitchcraftedLifeMakes on social media so that I see can your beautiful creations.

The post Elegant springtime happy birthday card appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Winter is still holding on for dear life here in our woodland corner of British Columbia, but even with the lingering mountains of snow and nights that dip below freezing, it is nearly impossible not to sense spring’s return and to beam like the very sun itself over that fact.

The first two months of 2020 were heavy ones for our household and family. So much so, that in some respects, it feels like we’ve lived two years since the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve and the first year of the new decade sprang into being.

Amongst the thorns and uncertainties, challenges and obstacles of life, there have been numerous positives too, however, and I am wholeheartedly grateful for each of them.

Spring began to gently stir back around Imbolc and while it has yet to awake fully yet here, I know that we’re not too far away from that point.

As much as I adore the darker half of the year that houses fall and winter, I’m quick to usher in springtime all the same – even if it often feels as though it only lasts for about 5.74 seconds here in Canada.

This year, I’m getting a head start on my seasonal paper crafting projects and am delighted to share the first one of 2020 here with you today.

Shabby chic Be Amazing Springtime bird’s nest card

In for a penny, in for a pound, I’m keen on saying and that motto often applies with my seasonal paper crafting projects.

Once the creative springtime ball got rolling, there was no stopping me with this card. Flowers, leaves, whimsical little toadstools, butterfly ephemera pieces, soft hues paired with earthy kraft brown, tiny birds, and the piece de resistance (to my mind at least), the die cut bird’s nest.

I had the upcoming sabbat of Ostara in mind as I was creating this card, but did not include direct mention of either it or Easter, as I wanted this to be a card that I could send to a wide number of possible recipients (not all of whom observe one or both of those special days).

Yet by the same token, this design is 100% suitable for either occasion and the sentiment I stamp or write inside can easily be tailored to suit Ostara or Easter.

There’s nothing to say this card couldn’t be used for Beltane, too – especially if you live in a part of the world where spring doesn’t tend to appear in full force until around the start of May.

Or, perhaps with a different sentiment on the front, for Mother’s Day as well. (Adjust the colours if needed to reflect your mom or grandma’s personal favourites.)

Stop and smell the roses while you craft

Fun fact, like most of the cards I make, this one took several hours to complete. I am a methodical crafter and will often spread the creation of a single project out over the course of multiple days (especially since it isn’t always feasible for me to craft for extended periods of time in one go).

I delight in the process. In mixing and matching possible products to include, in how I arrange the end results, in seeing something tangible materialize before my eyes.

This card was no exception and while it was completed in a single day (a rarity, I assure you!), the journey from bringing my (plastic) bone folder down on the kraft cardstock base to the very last embellishment was a soothing, wonderful pleasure.

There is no right or wrong speed to craft at, of course. Some people seem to have an almost superhuman ability to create multiple detailed projects in a single day, others, like myself, work at a slower pace and may spread their work out across multiple crafting sessions. Plenty fall squarely in the middle.

Whatever speed or pace you tend to craft at, I encourage you to actively remember to savour the act of creating. Try to ensure that crafting continues to feel like you’re making artwork (which you are!), not simply working at breakneck speed on one project before plowing straight on to the next without taking time to delight in the creative process and the end result that you’ve spun into being with your own hands.

With spring’s return looming in the Western Hemisphere, now seems like an especially apt time to stop and smell the roses as we delve into a new season of crafting and enjoying the fabulous passion that is paper crafting.

Putting this beautiful springtime card together

A base of classic kraft cardstock – a perineal favourite of many a paper crafter the world over – kicked things off for this card.

Next, I layered a piece of cream/ivory cardstock slightly smaller than the size of the kraft base atop the base itself. This was followed by, once again, a slightly smaller layer. In this instance, a piece of cheerful green and cream polka dot print paper.

I then cut three equal-sized elongated rectangles of the same kraft cardstock that I used for my base (note that the third rectangle is largely obscured by the embellishment on the left-hand side of this card), each of which I topped with equal-sized rectangles of a sweet, springtime perfect floral print paper. The edges of both layers were lightly inked to help them stand out all the more.

Next, I cut another (longer) strip of kraft cardstock, which I inked the edges of and topped with a piece of the same green and cream polka dot paper that I used before. Before attaching this strip, I dug through my stash for some pretty pink trim, which I tucked beneath this horizontal strip.

With what I like to call my “base components” in place, I set to work die cutting up a storm, selecting premade die cut ephemera pieces, choosing embellishments, and arranging the layout of my final design.

The nest/wreath was cut from the same cream cardstock that I used for the second base layer and is comprised of two layers of the same die cut, to give greater depth to the bare branches that comprise its classic shape.

While similar in tone, I did not repeat the same kraft cardstock again the branches or leaves, opting instead for a very pale milk chocolate tone coupled with some branches cut from a dark brown woodgrain print paper.

For the die cut leaves and some of the vines, I used both a medium green cardstock that teeters on olive and a tone-on-tone green print paper.

As soon as I settled on the use of a wreath meets nest component for this card, I knew that birds were going to be involved. Two cute little avian friends appear here, both die cut from the same kraft cardstock and lightly inked just on the edges to add subtle depth and to make them stand out a bit more from their surroundings.

In the center of the nest/wreath area, I placed a simple die cut circle of the same floral print paper that I used on the three background strips.

I then placed these components on a piece of woodgrain paper (the same one that I used for some of the die cut branches) that I die cut a mini hole circle from.

After all of my manual die cutting was complete, I created a bow from olive green seam binding, selected the pre-made die cut shapes I’d be using, plucked some lovely little white dimensional flowers from my stash, determined what I’d be using for my sentiment here, added some super cute teal and white faux toadstools along with some pale pink faceted bling, and that was that!

While this card may, at first glance, look a bit fiddly or difficult to make, IMO, it really isn’t. Plus, so much of the fun of designs like lies in building up the layers and playing around with the arrangement of your design elements until you hit on a winning composition.

Card making tips and ideas from this project

-Layer or otherwise combined two (or more) of the same die cut shape in both a light and a darker tone to help give a greater sense of dimension as well as a potential sense of shadows.

-Base your cardstock colour choices off of the colours in the patterned papers that you plan to use (or vice versa) for added cohesiveness throughout your finished project.

-Use dies that are intended to be wreathes to make nests and vice versa. This die was designed to be a wreath, but it works like a charm as a nest, too (you could also cut more layers and curve them upwards on the edges to add to the sense of the dimensional quality of most real life nests).

–Not everything has to match perfectly, just stick with similar tonal ranges and colour families, striving for a general sense of harmony throughout each of the colours used on your projects.

-While I was fortunate to have some olive green seam binding to hand, it’s worth keeping in mind that seam binding, twill tape, and certain other kinds of trims and ribbons can often be dyed with various mediums such as spray inks or ink pads to match or coordinate with the colours of your projects. Just make sure they’re dry as a bone before using them on your makes.

-Going “off card”, especially with foliage related elements, is a stellar way to not only increase the overall size of your project, but to help create a more dynamic and visually appealing design.

-As upbeat and springtime-y as many of the colours that I used here are, we’re currently in the early throes of the season and so I wanted to ground a more Ostara/Easter appropriate palette with earth tones. This was chiefly accomplished via the cream, olive green, and browns.

If this was a summertime card, I might have opted for brighter or starker colours, such as white, aqua, yellow, or larger swaths of upbeat shades of blue.

Come fall time, this same design could be gorgeous with rusty oranges, dusty peach or rose, teal blue or forest green, and a dark brown cardstock base.

And for winter, shades of icy blue, white, grey and silver would no doubt turn heads!

-If you didn’t want to use birds here, you could make opt for any number of other critters instead from bunnies (perfect for both Ostara and Easter) to ladybugs – or simply forego animals/insects altogether.

–Use dies to create shapes or designs other than what they’re intended for. Here a wreath die helps to create a nest, but that is just one of an endless number of examples of when a die could do double (or triple, etc) duty in terms of the shapes and images it may be able to help you create.

-Blend nature themed and vintage inspired pieces together. The pair is a winning combo that has strong visual appeal and which helps each of these different components to highlight and enhance the presence of the other.

–Opt for uneven numbers of embellishments for greater visual interest. In this instance, I used five white flowers, three teal mushrooms, and two kraft birds partnered with a single nest. These elements themselves then become an uneven number of three groups of standout embellishments.

-Don’t be afraid to arrange your design elements – including your sentiment – at an angle. Doing so is often eye-catching, engaging, and one of those awesome paper crafting tricks that can help take your makes to the next level.

Products to help you recreate this Be Amazing Springtime bird’s nest card

-Kraft, cream, green, and light brown cardstock

-White and blue floral print paper and green + cream polka dot print paper  – both are from the Garden Party 12×12 inch pad from Pebbles (6×6 inch version available here)

-Dark brown wood print paper and green tone-on-tone patterned paper – both are from the Cider Woods 6×6 inch Mat Stack from DCWV

-Various small leaf and branch dies (included in the ones I used here are the Tim Holtz Alterations Small Tattered Florals Thinlits Dies from Sizzix)

-Circle die or punch

-Teal and brown ink – Tsukineko Memento Dew Drop Ink in Peanut Brittle and Teal Zeal

-Assorted vintage style ephemera die cuts – Simple Vintage Botanical Die Cut Ephemera from Simple Stories

-Small white paper or cream paper flowers (premade or store-bought; foam flowers can be used as well)

-Teal or other coloured miniature toadstools (check hobby shops, eBay, Etsy, craft stores, and shops that specialize in dollhouse supplies to find these kinds of tiny ‘shrooms)

-Pink trim – Lost and Found Christmas trims from My Mind’s Eye

-Olive green seam binding – Lost and Found Christmas trims from My Mind’s Eye

-Springtime sentiment sticker – Spring Fling Element Stickers from Echo Park

-Light pink stick-on gem embellishments – Pretty Pale Say It In Crystals from Prima

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

Here’s to an amazing spring!

As rocky and curveball filled as the first couple months of this year have been on certain fronts, I’m sincerely grateful for each moment they housed and am really looking forward to everything that I sense spring holds in store for us.

I generally celebrate Ostara on the Spring Equinox (which, for those north of the equator, falls on March 19th this year,) with the season of this sabbat extending for multiple days on both sides of that beautiful date.

Gradually, much like the returning season itself, elements of Ostara are weaving their way into my life, my witchy workings, and my paper crafting alike, so be sure to stay tuned here for more festive springtime makes between now and the Summer Solstice.

With all my heart, I hope that spring is a time of warmth, renewal, abundance, optimism, positive happenings, fresh starts and beloved longstanding favourites alike for each of us.

And, may it bring all of my fellow paper crafters and creative folks of kinds ample time to create a garden’s worth of exciting new projects!

Project share

Pin the image below – or any other in this post – to Pinterest, pop it into your Instagram Stories, post in on Twitter or Facebook, or share it anywhere else you wish to help yourself find it again and to inspire others at the same time.

If you make a project based on or inspired by this card – or want to share any of your other handmade crafts with me – please use the hashtags #WitchcraftedLife and #WitchcraftedLifeMakes on social media so that I see can your beautiful creations.

The post Be Amazing Springtime Bird’s Nest Card appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

For my final guest post there, I shared 10 Free and Low-Cost Ways to Celebrate Imbolc.

In that post I stated:

“I am a firm believer that celebrating and working with the sabbats should be accessible and open to anyone who wishes to do so, regardless of their personal budget.”

This is certainly the case and it’s a mindset and approach to witchery and Paganism (as well paper crafting, for that matter) that is both central to my own path and which will permeate throughout this blog for as long as it is online.

When I penned that post, especially as it was to be my last for TWOLH, I didn’t automatically think of turning it into a multi-part series.

With the next beautiful sabbat of Ostara rounding the bend in a few days time, the idea of doing so – with the other seven sabbats being covered here on Witchcrafted Life – popped into my head faster than the first crocuses and tulips of the season making their way through the damp soil of spring.

The number of entries may vary from post to post (aka, some posts may include fewer or greater numbers of entries than ten), and the posts themselves may end up all being penned in 2020 or might be spaced out over multiple years.

Each will be linked, as they are shared online, to the others so that you can easily read as many of them as you’d like in one handy go.

Today we will be taking a look at 10 free and low-cost ways of celebrating Ostara, the second of the different three springtime sabbats (with Imbolc and Beltane being the other two, respectively).

What is Ostara?

Ostara is named for the goddess Eostre and is one of the eight sabbats that comprise the Wheel of the Year. It takes place in the third week of March each year, as spring stirs and new life begins to return to our world with force, beauty and purpose.

Because Ostara celebrates and honours the spring equinox, it is – much like Easter – directly linked to many elements and symbols of springtime.

These include, but are not limited to, rabbits, chicks and birds in general, eggs, baby animals of all sorts, blossoms and flowers, fresh green grass and plants, the first fruit, vegetables and herb offerings of the season; light, warmth, and soft, bright colours.

Even if the weather has other plans in some areas, Ostara gets the ball rolling on spring.

It invites us to give thanks for the winter we just experienced and all that it hopefully taught us, brought our way, and meant to our lives and to, in turn, open our hearts and spirits up to the magnificent beauty and sense of prosperity that spring houses.

At Ostara, we are just starting to enter the light-filled chapter of the world (in the Northern Hemisphere). From here on out, we can most likely look forward to at least a few months of sunshine, bountiful flowers and food crops, warmth, and vibrant energy.

It is an invigorating, terrific point to reach and one that encourages us to take our cues from nature and to focus on areas such as balance and harmony, planting new seeds and setting fresh goals in our lives, fertility (which can simply mean areas that we wish to have multiple; it does not have to mean literal procreation of new human or animal life), growth, hopefulness, lightness of being and spirit, and things that warm our innermost hearts as much as the glorious spring sunshine does the outdoor world.

Many who connect and work with the concept of the divine Goddess and God, see Ostara as the point in the year where the two are wed or handfasted. A union that heats up and manifests itself even more intensely at Beltane, at the start of May.

Ostara is also linked to the Maiden aspect of the classic Maiden, Mother, Crone iteration of the Goddess.

Not everyone, naturally, relates to this concept or feels that it applies to their path (and that’s totally okay!). In general though, spring does have a certain undeniably youthful quality to it that can help us to feel especially jovial and young at heart.

When is Ostara?

Ostara is the second sabbat to fall after the Gregorian New Year. It is often observed on the Spring Equinox, which has a floating date (north of the equator) of March 19^th to March 21st.

As with most Pagan and Wiccan sabbats, there is some leeway and personal interpretation in terms of when one chooses to observe Ostara.

Generally, there will be a “season” that buffers both sides of a sabbat, meaning that its energy, spirit, correspondences, and ancient gifts are with us for a few days or longer.

Some people – myself included – feel that these elements of a given sabbat carry forth to a degree until the next sabbat (which, in this case, is Beltane).

Thus workings and manifestations done during this period of the year that tap into Ostara’s correspondences, sense of fertility, balance of light and dark, and blossoming newness are especially potent during the height of the sabbat itself and straight on through the next few weeks.

This year (2020), the spring equinox occurs on March 19^th.

In the following three years (2021, 2022, and 2023) the spring equinox will fall on March 20^th.

What does the word equinox mean?

Rooted in ancient Latin aequus nox, equinox means “equal night” and denotes the fact that on both the spring and fall equinoxes, the length of the day and the night are relatively equal to one another.

This happens because at these points in the year, the sun is shining directly on the equator. From the spring equinox onward, the sun will once again cross the celestial equator, heading south to north until the fall’s return.

Are Ostara and the Spring Equinox the same thing?

The spring equinox, also called the vernal equinox, March equinox, or Northward equinox, is the first astronomical day of spring. As mentioned above, its precise date varies slightly from year to year, yet no matter what date it falls on, the spring equinox marks the official astrological start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

While plenty of Pagans use the terms “Ostara” and “spring equinox” interchangeably and choose to celebrate the former on the later, technically speaking, Ostara is a Pagan sabbat and the spring equinox is an astrological occurrence that launches the beginning of spring.

The world goes through the vernal equinox each year and its occurrence not a matter of personal belief, whereas Ostara is a Pagan celebration that people can to either opt observe and celebrate or not. In that respect, the two are not entirely the same thing. 

Is the spring equinox the first day of spring?

Yes and no! Weather conditions aside, the spring equinox is the first official day of spring from an astrological standpoint, however meteorologically speaking, spring begins on March 1^st and runs until May 31^st each year.

Meteorological seasons are determined based on annual temperature cycles, not the earth’s position in relation to the sun

A lot of us, Pagan and non-Pagan alike, work in terms of the astrological arrangement of the seasons that start with the two equinoxes (spring and autumn) and two solstices (summer and winter) that occur at roughly three-month intervals throughout the year.

However, if you prefer to align with spring’s start at the beginning of March, that’s a-okay as well and still ensures that Ostara will be the second of the year’s three sabbats (proceeded by Imbolc and followed by Beltane).

10 Free and Low-Cost Ways to Celebrate Ostara

1. Create a butterfly feeder. Butterflies are immensely important to our planet’s ecosystem (heartbreaking, the populations of some types of butterflies, including monarchs, are rapidly declining), while also being gorgeous creations and poignant symbols of spring alike.

Help to attract more butterflies to your yard by putting a butterfly feeder of your own. Doing so is relatively easy and need not break the bank. You may already have some or all of the material required to hand and if not, dollar stores should have most of what you need.

Here’s a handy tutorial on how to make a butterfly feeder. I would add, just remember not to place the feeder in an area that is likely to be a popular hunting ground for cats, birds, reptiles or other critters that might look upon the increase in butterflies their own personal buffet.

When possible, spend time watching your butterfly feeder, taking note of what species appear, and letting the gentle spirits and great beauty of these incredible insects inspire you this Ostara season.

2. Connect with and honour the genus loci in your area. Genus loci is the inherent spirit of a location that is specific to that particular part of the world. In a sense, you can think of it as the protective soul of the natural world as it exists in each unique or different corner of the globe.

Every area had its own fascinating, powerful, and engaging genus loci. This year, as spring emerges anew and nature bursts forth with vitality and incredible beauty, why not establish or further deepen your knowledge of, and connection to, the natural settings and protective spirts that exist where you reside?

3. Work on your balance. While this could also apply literally to your posture, in this instance, I’m referring to the sense of balance and harmony in your life.

As touched on above, spring equinox is one of the two days of the year when day and night are viewed as being equal (the other is the fall equinox). This harmony between these two forces which are prevalent in, and necessary to, an unimaginable number of things in our universe invites us to look for ways to create deeper balance in our own lives.

What can be banish or let go of? What to do we need to invite more into our world? How could we shift the metaphorical weighs so that both sides of the scale are more even?

While perfect balance in all areas of our lives is most likely impossible, chances are that most of us have certain things we need to better balance right here and now. Ostara is a superb time to take stock and begin setting actions, including magickal workings, into motion to help create the balance that you seek and need.

4. Make a rainbow in a jar. In many parts of the world, spring means ample rain and if one is lucky, at least a rainbow or two before the dog days of summer come calling again.

No matter if rainbows are almost as rare as the mythical pots of gols associated with their ends or if they’re almost daily occurrence in your area during the months of spring, there’s rarely such a thing as too many rainbows. If you’re looking to add another, why not create your own?

Making a rainbow in a jar is relatively simple and straightforward – while also be an awesome activity to do with kids or groups in general (each person could make their own rainbow at the same time, for example), including covens.

Rainbows hold great meaning, significance and magickal energy. They’ve been revered since time immemorial, are vital to the chakra system, and suit the vibrancy of spring’s return superbly.

In creating your own form of a rainbow in a jar, you can imbue your rainbow with all manner of magickal blessings, intentions, hopes and desires.

This craft can also be used for spellwork, manifestation, to adorn your altar at Ostara, to honour those – especially pets – who have crossed over the rainbow bridge, to celebrate LGBT+ pride and community, and as a way of working with colour magick – amongst other possible uses.

5. Greet the dawn and draw down the sun. While the amount of daily sunlight technically began to increase back at Yule (the Winter Solstice), we often start to see and feel a more noticeable bump in sunshine from mid-March onward.

This season, much like life on Earth itself, is hugely dependant on sunlight. It helps to grow the food that we eat, the trees that we rely on for many different purposes, and plays a roll in the natural mating cycles of scores of different animal species.

If possible, stay awake or set an alarm and wake up early enough (check local sunrise times in advance) to greet the dawn on Ostara.

Give thanks to the sun for its return and warmth, for the many ways it supports existence and for the incredible beauty it produces year after year.

One magnificent way to celebrate the dawn on Ostara morning is to draw down the sun.

Similar to the more common and widely known practice of drawing down the moon, drawing down the moon involves standing outside beneath the sun (as always, avoid staring straight into the sun as that can do serious damage to your eyesight) and allowing the warmth and radiant energy of the sun to fill your body and soul alike.

Let it permeate your whole being. Open your mouth (or visual doing so) and allow the light to quite literally enter into your body. Absorb the strength, vitality, and luminosity of the sun and use it to help filter unwanted or stagnant energy from your being.

Connect with or speak to any deities or spirit allies that correspond with the sun and/or your path and feel right to you for this particular solar-powered act.

When you feel this meaningful ritual is complete, extend heartfelt thanks to the sun for all that it is, gives, and brings to your life and world at large.

6. Connect with Pisces season. Fascinating, depending on whether the spring equinox falls on March 19^th, 20^th or 21^st, it will either land in the month of Pisces or Aries.

This year the spring equinox takes place on March 19^th, which means that it is still technically part of the month of Pisces. However, if you personally observe Ostara later in March, you will be working with Aries from March 20^th onward.

The placement of Ostara at the cusp of both the last and first, respectively, signs of zodiac system brings an immense amount of celestial energy, rebirth and newness to the Spring Equinox.

These themes are ones that are inherent to Ostara itself, so the double dose means now is a phenomenal time to embrace change, new starts, plant seeds for long-term magick and manifestations, shake up your routine, and embrace the watery energy of Pisces and the fiery energy of Aries.

As Pisces is a water sign, water magick and rituals are especially well suited to this sabbat. I love gathering rain (or snow, depending on what Mother Nature is up to in our Canadian neck of the woods at this point in the year), charging it, and using it in various springtime workings.

Cleansing, purification, renewal, empowerment, and liberating magick, as well as magick and rituals that include water (including rain, snow, storm, river, lake, ocean, and that which has been magickally charged) are all strong natural fits for the month of Pisces.

And for more great ideas to help you connect with the twelfth sign of the zodiac, check out Uncustomary’s post featuring 25 Ways to Celebrate Pisces Season.

7. Go bird watching. The ever-increasing sunlight of spring is largely responsible for watch triggers birds the world over to sing. And, let’s face it, plenty of humans feel like busting out into a merry tune as the days grow longer as well!

Weather and location permitting, consider going bird watching in your area. You do not need to be a hardcore ornithologist to engage in birdwatching or buy any special equipment (though a good pair of binoculars is, objectively, quite handy).

Many parts of the world have dedicated bird (or more general wildlife) sanctuaries, parks and other natural settings that can potentially offer up a bevy of avian friends to observe this spring.

Even if such dedicated spaces do not exist where you live or you don’t have easy access to them, birds can be seen in most parts of the world, especially in verdant areas and near bodies of water.

Spend a leisurely morning, afternoon or early evening observing the local birds where you live. Pay attention to how seeing each type of bird you spot makes you feel, if you felt any were signs or messengers that specifically crossed your path for a reason, give thanks to the environment in general at some point in your bird watching session for the lovely sky critters it brought your way, and consider looking up any correspondences pertaining to the various birds that you spotted.

And if you should happen to find any feathers along the way, consider yourself extra lucky, as they’re gifts whose colour holds meaning and which can be utilized in innumerable magickal and spiritual ways (always ensure feathers are clean or thoroughly clean them yourself before storing them in your house).

8. Volunteer with animals. A vast number of animals mate and/or give birth to their young during the spring, while at the same time, various critters have long provided those who consume animal products with nourishing foods such as eggs, milk and fresh meat which may have been scare or even non-existent in their diet prior to the modern industrialized age of food production and manufacturing.  

Lambs, chicks, and rabbits (and hares) are some of the most common animals associated with Ostara. Many of us who observe this sabbat include representations of one of more of these beautiful beings in our Ostara altars or other forms of sacred décor.

Spring, with its abundance of new natural life, is an incredible time to work with animals both big and small alike, and in doing so to honour the extraordinary animal kingdom that we are blessed to share our planet with.

There are many different ways to do so (far more than this entry could ever encapsulate) and the options that are available to you personally will depend on various factors such as location, your health (including any animal-related allergies), the amount of time you’re able to commit, and what you’re personally comfortable doing.

Check with local vet offices, animal shelters and rescues, humane farms, reputable pet shops, pet groomers, and community volunteer associations in your area to see what options might be available.

You could also offer to pet sit or walk for friends, family members, coworkers or neighbours who might be in needs of such services, foster one or more animals in your home, clean up a local green space where animals reside, make a monetary donation or one of needed items to a local animal shelter or rescue, or get involved with animal rights activities – to name but a few ways of assisting our precious animal friends.

9. Honour your inner child. Early springtime is new, young, lively and bursting with joie de vivre! Why not take a page from this season’s book and celebrate your own inner child?

There are countless ways to do this, many of which cost little to nothing. Think about the activities, foods, places, music, people, and passions that mattered most to you when you were growing up.

Which of these still resonates deeply with you or would be things that you’d love to spend some time focusing on this season?

From flying a kite (so much potential for string, knot, colour, shape, and wind magickal workings!) to skipping rocks on a pond, drawing with chalk on the finally-free-from-snow sidewalk (great opportunity for sigil magick) to going berry picking, spring offers up a treasure trove of ways to become BFFs with our inner child.

The activities you choose do not have to be spring-related, however. What matters most is that they bring you happiness and spark a sense of childlike wonder and contentment in you as you engage in them.

10. If your beliefs and personal ethics align with such, consider engaging in some good old-fashioned egg divination.

Somewhat similar in certain respects to reading tea leaves, egg reading or divination (aka, oomancy) is commonly carried out by dropping raw egg whites (separated from the yolks) into hot water and divining from the shapes that one sees in the pieces of egg white.

Should you not be keen on working with eggs for any reason, another very apt springtime form of divination is nephelomancy.

This approach involves observing the clouds and the sky around them to look for shapes, signs, the speed of the cloud, mental images that staring at the sky brings to mind, and the colour of the clouds themselves as a method of overhead scrying.

Nephelomancy is great fun – not to mention something that some of us start doing early in life whether we fully realize it yet or not, simply by playing the classic “what does that look like to you?” game when gazing up at the clouds.

If you’d be interested in a post focused specifically on nephelomancy, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments below.

Additional ways to honour and celebrate Ostara

The ever-increasingly bluer sky is the limit when it comes to additional ways of celebrating Ostara!

You can hold an Ostara feast and/or picnic (here’s a list of some delicious Ostara recipes to get your creative culinary juices flowing), set up or decorate an existing altar for Ostara, decorate eggs, work in your garden, go on a nature walk or hike, meditate outdoors, curl up with a lovely book under a tree that is teeming with new leaves, dance in the gorgeous sunlight that is here once again, create flower crowns and wreaths, wear green clothing and/or jewelry, perform plant and flower magick, make a springtime wreath or centrepiece, create your own Ostara cards to give to fellow witchy, Wiccan and Pagan friends; research traditional springtime beliefs, legends and practices from around the world; make an Easter tree (the Pagan/witchy version of an Easter tree), or treat yourself to some chocolate eggs or other favourite seasonal sweets, and so much more!

As Witchcrafted Life is just a few weeks old at this point, today’s entry is my first so far on the Pagan sabbat of Ostara. I’m sure that as the years roll onward, many more will appear here and that additional ideas for observing, celebrating, and honouring the spring equinox will be a part of those festive entries.

However you observe, celebrate or engage with Ostara and the start of spring, I hope that this is a blessed, beautiful and light-filled time that helps you to plant and germinate the seeds of many incredible things to come in your life this year and beyond.

Joyful Ostara wishes to one and all!

The post 10 free and low-cost ways to celebrate Ostara appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.