4 Egg-cellent Easter Ideas the Whole Family Will Love

"Bunnies are, without a doubt, my favorite Easter symbol," says Kevin Sharkey, our holiday and home-design aficionado. "What's cuter than a bunny butt? That little cottontail just gets me." Get hopping on your Easter plans with this adorable napkin homage, plus more unforgettable ideas from Living's archives.

Bunny Fold for Napkins

"There's no need to choose between whimsy and elegance," Kevin says. "These napkins are just all-around delightful."

Materials
Cotton or linen napkins, starched

1. Fold starched napkin into thirds to form a rectangle. (If you're using a square napkin, you'll need to fold in half, and then fold in half again to get a long rectangular shape.)

2. Crease in half to create a center line for reference; fold top corners down along this line.

3. Fold up from bottom corners along dotted lines.

4. Bring left and right edges together on center line.

5. Flip upside down and over. Turn up bottom point.

6. To fasten: Fold left and right corners back; tuck one corner into the pocket of the other. Pull out bunny ears first; open up base.

Related: Martha Stewart's Ultimate Organizing Solutions

Muscari Arrangement

"Flowers and chocolate aren't just for Valentine's Day. This gorgeous muscari needs almost nothing, but a little sugar never hurts."

Materials
Vessels
Pea gravel
Muscari plants
Fresh or dried moss
1/2-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon
Shallow rectangular tray
Foil-covered chocolate eggs

1. Line each vessel with 1/2 inch of gravel. Remove plants from containers; set one in each vessel. Cover root-ball with moss. Secure stems loosely with ribbon.

2. Set vessels in tray. Fill tray with eggs, and tuck a few into moss.

3. Water immediately and when they start to dry out.

Related: Dishwasher Dos and Don'ts

Chocolate Cake with Crepe Paper Flowers and a Phyllo Nest

"Carrot cake may be traditional, but it's not my favorite. This cake has me ready to renounce my drugstore candy. Almost."

For the Cake
Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pans
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Frosting
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
18 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups sour cream

For the Garnish
1 thick 16-ounce block bittersweet chocolate, room temperature
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
Phyllo nest
Small candy-coated chocolate eggs
Crepe paper flowers

For the Nest
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for mold
1/2 ounce ( 1/2 cup) kataifi (a type of phyllo), thawed
Cocoa powder, for dusting

1. Make the nest: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush a 1/3-cup-capacity round silicone mold with butter. In a bowl, gently toss butter and kataifi to combine.

2. Lift kataifi out of bowl, gently stretching strands to form a loose rope. Lay 1 end in the cupped fingers of 1 hand. Gently spiral rope to shape into a nest.

3. Fit nest into mold, pulling up edges to rest over rim. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in mold on a wire rack. Unmold. Dust with cocoa.

4. Make the cake: Butter two 10-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment cut to fit, and butter parchment. Dust with cocoa, and tap out excess. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a mixer. Add remaining ingredients. Mix on low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Divide batter among prepared pans.

5. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into centers of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire racks for 45 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn onto racks. Remove parchment, turn cakes right side up, and let cool completely.

6. Make the frosting: Sift confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and salt into a bowl. In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add sugar mixture, beating until combined. Beat in melted chocolate and sour cream until combined.

7. Make the garnish: Using a vegetable peeler, scrape chocolate at a 45-degree angle. Using a spatula, transfer curls to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 days).

8. To assemble: Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to create level surfaces. Reserve trimmings. Place 1 cake, cut side up, on a cake stand. Spread 2 cups frosting over top. Top with remaining cake, cut side up. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Finely grind cake trimmings in a food processor. Sprinkle crumbs over top of cake.

9. Using tweezers, gently press chocolate curls to sides of cake. Dust top with confectioners' sugar if desired. Decorate with nest, chocolate eggs, and flowers.

Related: 47 Ways to Maximize Space in Your Kitchen

How to Make Marbleized Easter Eggs

"Easter doesn't have to be pastel overload. This palette is a bit more sophisticated -- and a marble print is always impressive."

Nestle each of your marbleized eggs in its own bed of grass. Using cardboard dividers, create 12 compartments in a shallow box or an empty shirt carton, then fashion a snug nest of dried grass inside each square. Save the lid for storage.

Materials
Egg blower, Aunt Marge's 2-hole Egg Blower, surmastore.com
12 eggs
Several mixing bowls, shallow and deep
Measuring spoons
Liquid measuring cup
White vinegar
Food coloring, including liquid brown food color, lorannoils.com
Spoon and fork
Olive oil
Paper towels

1. With an egg blower, pierce the top and bottom of each egg, puncturing the yolk; carefully expel the contents. Rinse, and let dry.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine 3 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and a few drops of food coloring. Place egg in dye, and leave it submerged until it turns the desired shade.

3. In a wide, shallow bowl, prepare a second batch of dye -- which will provide the swirls -- in a darker shade or a different color. Liquid should be 1/2 inch deep. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Run a fork through this mixture, creating curlicues of oil on the surface.

4. As oil swirls, place dyed egg in mixture, and roll it once around the bowl to pick up oil streaks; remove the egg.

5. Gently pat egg with a paper towel.

6. Let it dry. You can experiment with color combinations: Vary the base tints and the swirls to achieve striking contrasts, subtle shadings, or multihued richness.

More from Martha Stewart Living:
10 Ways to Save Energy at Home
19 Tips for Perfect Laundry Every Time
12 Tools to Use in Your House in Unexpected Ways

Watch for More: