Easter Traditions with Kids – Painting Handmade Wooden Easter Eggs

We are only a few weeks away from celebrating Easter and one of the things I am trying to be more intentional about this year (and also share more with YOU guys about), are ways to celebrate this holiday by supporting ethical companies and companies that give back.

Trust me, I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but when I think about the mainstream companies that are producing the Easter decorations, Easter candy, clothing, etc… most of it, is done with slave or child labor. In fact, almost every holiday we celebrate and the paraphernalia we buy is made by people who aren’t being paid a fair wage, treated well, work in unsafe conditions, etc. It’s truly awful. (source and source)

You know my passion for purchasing with purpose, and I am trying to do a better job of doing that in EVERY aspect of my life… including the holidays! So this year I am going to be sharing some ways that you can still celebrate Easter with your family while also supporting amazing companies and brands that are creating a culture of kindness and making a positive impact on the world.

I love doing craft projects with Lilly and she is really in an artistic phase (that I hope never stops). She is always wanting to color or paint or draw or create. When my friend Emily at Bought Beautifully contacted me about doing a painted wooden Easter Egg project with Lilly using their handmade wooden Easter eggs from Holy Land Designs, I knew this would be such a fun (and special) project to do!

I told you guys about Holy Land Designs (and Bought Beautifully) a few months ago. Holy Land Designs (HLD) is one of the amazing artisan groups that Bought Beautifully carries and supports. HLD works in Amma, Jordan and they support and equip deaf and/or disabled / disadvantaged men and women in the community. Currently they employ about 20 artisans full-time and provide support and training.

100% of the proceeds of the sale of these wooden Easter eggs go directly back into providing employment for the artisans who make them. Each egg sold also covers the cost of buying a chicken to feed their families, pay for school supplies, or take care of other essential needs in their lives.

The wooden Easter eggs are made from olive trees that grow in the hills of Gilead in the Holy Land – just 50 miles from the Mount of Olives where the Easter story began. I seriously LOVE THIS. The fact that these eggs COME FROM the place where Jesus laid down His life for us. How beautiful is that?

Each egg is handmade in stages by multiple artisans… first the men, then the women. Emad first cuts blocks from the pruned wood of the olive trees. Then Nader hand-shapes and sands the eggs on a lathe. Then Rania and Rihab hand sand and check each egg before packing them up.

Yes, everything you buy (even Easter decorations) is made by a real person with a real name.

So, as Lilly and I sat down to paint our wooden Easter eggs (which, you guys, she was soooooooo excited about. Seriously. So. Excited.), I talked with her about what these eggs represented, who made them, and why their stories are important and why they matter. 

For my egg, I used permanent marker paint pens and Lilly used washable paint and brushes. I just let her go to town and didn’t give her any direction!

(Can we talk about Lilly’s concentration face for a second?)

She really likes “rainbow colors” she said… 🙂 

Our finished wooden Easter eggs!

No, our painted eggs aren’t perfect. No, they don’t look “Pinterest pretty.” I’m not a painter… haha! But, the meaning behind them, the time spent with my little girl, and the chance to talk about the importance of all of this, was so worth it. This is definitely a tradition that I know Lilly and I (and Amos and other future kiddos) will carry on for years to come. I can’t wait to see what all our painted eggs look like all together years down the road…

You can get your handmade wooden Easter eggs from Bought Beautifully here! I would LOVE for you to get some wooden eggs and paint them and then share your finished product with me and also share with me what this new “tradition” means to you!

And be sure to check out the Bought Beautifully blog over the next couple of weeks to hear more stories about these wooden Easter eggs and see other Easter design inspiration!

*I was sent the wooden Easter eggs as a gift from Bought Beautifully… all opinions are my own! 🙂 I love this company and love what they stand for!