Learn all about the German Easter Egg Tree tradition, and, how to make a spring Easter Tree with these easy step by step instructions!
An Easter egg tree is a fun Easter tradition that originated in Germany long ago. Originally, an outdoor tree or bush was selected to decorate with hollowed-out eggs. Today, they are decorated both inside and outside of the home with Easter eggs and many other types of Easter ornaments and Easter tree decorations.
Our family has come to come to cherish the Easter tree tradition. We enjoy making new Easter ornaments and decorating our Easter egg tree every year. We like to display our Easter tree as a centerpiece on our spring nature table in the weeks before Easter. It is also the perfect decoration to place on the dining table for Easter brunch.
Related: Family Easter Traditions and Fun Things to do on Easter
What is an Easter Tree?
An Easter egg tree is a tree or bush that is decorated with hollowed-out eggs, Easter ornaments, and other Easter tree decorations.
Easter trees are quick and easy Easter decorations for your home, workplace, or classroom. They also make a gorgeous centerpiece for your Easter table.
Make homemade Easter ornaments and decorate an Easter egg tree with the kids as a fun Easter tradition that the whole family is sure to love.
Related: Spring Bucket List Seasonal Activity Guide
German Easter Egg Tree Tradition
As mentioned above, the Easter egg tree tradition, also known as Ostereierbaum, is centuries old and is said to have originated in Germany.
Making a spring Easter Egg Tree is a fun way to connect with the kids and an easy way to add Spring decor to your home. Children love to decorate Easter egg trees as much as Christmas trees!
Easter eggs, Easter ornaments, and Easter decorations can either be hung on trees and bushes outside or on bare branches and small trees inside the home.
We like to use our Easter tree as a centerpiece on our spring nature table in the weeks before Easter, and as a centerpiece on the dining table for Easter dinner.
Decorating a tree with eggs and other fun ornaments that we have made over the years is an Easter tradition cherished by our whole family.
Related: Fun Easter Traditions to Start with Your Family
Easter Egg Tree Ideas
Use these quick and easy Easter egg tree ideas to make an Easter tree for your home, classroom, business, or workplace.
Either use natural bare branches and large twigs to make an Easter egg tree similar to the Easter tree pictured above or, buy a small twig tree, a small tree with lights, or one of the Easter trees to buy that we have listed below.
Next, decorate the Easter egg tree with Easter eggs and other Easter ornaments.
Easter Egg Tree Supplies
- Collect bare branches, or, purchase a small twig tree or a small tree with lights
- Vase
- Sand, pebbles, rocks, or flat-backed marbles
- DIY Easter Tree ornaments and/or ready-made Easter Ornaments and Easter Tree decorations
How to Make DIY Easter Egg Tree
Learn how to make an Easter egg tree with bare branches and twigs with these quick and easy step by step how-to instructions.
- Collect fallen bare branches and large twigs that will fit in a vase.
- Use pruning shears to trim each bare branch to the shape and size desired.
- Leave branches and twigs natural, or, use spray paint to paint them white.
- Place the Easter egg tree branches and twigs in a medium to a large vase.
- Add sand, pebbles, rocks, or other vase filler to fill in the spaces between the Easter egg tree branches.
- Optional–Glue pom-poms onto the branches of DIY Easter tree. Have a look at the pom-poms that we glued onto our Thankful Tree to learn how!
- Decorate Easter tree with the DIY and ready-made Easter egg tree decorations and ornaments listed below!
Related: How to Color Natural Brown Eggs
Decorate Easter Egg Tree
Put the DIY Easter egg tree or small twig tree on a table and invite students, co-workers, or family to decorate it with any of the fun Easter egg tree decoration ideas listed below.
Our daughter LOVES to decorate our Easter tree with ornaments every spring before Easter.
How to Decorate a Tree for Easter
Traditionally hollowed eggs were used to decorate Easter trees. This is why they are called Easter egg trees.
While eggs of all kinds make fantastic Easter tree ornaments, there a few other items you can use to decorate an Easter egg tree.
We’ve rounded up a gorgeous collection of DIY Easter Tree Ornaments that you can make including pom-pom chicks, toilet paper roll birdhouses, and traditional hollowed eggs. Or, scroll down to find a list of gorgeous ready-made Easter egg tree decorations.
Easter Tree Ornaments
Decorate an Easter tree with any of the gorgeous Easter tree ornaments listed below.
- Easter Egg Ornaments
- Real Eggshell Hand Painted Bunny Easter Eggs
- Stained Glass Easter Egg Ornaments
- Real Eggshell Hand Painted Bunny and Flowers
- Floral Wooden Pysanky Easter Egg Ornaments
Related: Rustic Walnut Shell Baby Jesus Ornament
Decorate a Tree for Easter This Year!
Add a touch of meaning and magic to your home with an Easter egg tree. Children love decorating seasonal trees and an Easter tree is no exception.
An Easter tree adds a spring element to your home decor. It also makes a perfect centerpiece or a lovely addition to your spring nature table.
Once Easter is over we love to turn our Easter tree into a butterfly tree that we keep up and continue to decorate with various ornaments, nature finds, and crafts that we make throughout the summer.
Next, we make a Thankful tree in the fall for Thanksgiving, and finally, we are big fans of decorating a Christmas tree as a family Christmas tradition.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
More Easter Ideas
- Easy Bunny Craft
- Fun Family Easter Traditions
- Easter Egg Decorating Ideas
- Wooden Easter Egg Decorating Ideas
- Watercolor Surprise Easter Egg Art
- Eco-Friendly Easter Basket Ideas
- Easter Art Projects
- Natural Toys for Easter Baskets
- DIY Easter Baskets
More Spring Ideas
- Spring Bucket List of Fun Activities
- Magical Spring Books for Children
- Baby Chick Craft Ideas for Kids
- Rainstick Musical Sensory Bottle
- Spring Vernal Equinox Traditions
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Beautiful – I love decorating for all holidays! Thank you for recommending our homemade eggs too!
I love decorating too! You’re welcome 🙂
Kids just love decorating trees, right? How funny that you had to hold back and let your little one do it all by herself … I’m the same! Thanks so much for linking up to my felt Easter tree decorations post!
They sure do and they don’t like it when you move what they have placed–haha! You’re welcome 😉
What a sweet idea! I am always looking for new additions to our nature table. The kids will love this. 🙂
Thanks! You’re kids will love this! I wish we made some of the crafts instead of using store bought one’s. It would have made it even more fun! There’s always next year!
So cute! We have a tree outside that my kids would love to decorate like this. Thanks for the idea!
Decorating trees in your own yard is an excellent way to make an Easter tree. I like to keep ours on our spring nature table, and then put it on the dinning table on Easter weekend 🙂
Ooh, I love Easter trees! I wish we had a tree in our yard to do this with — we might have to go hunting for some sticks!