
Easter is one of those holidays that every kid (and sugar-obsessed adult) gets totally giddy about. From the candy to the adorable Easter bunnies to that epic Easter egg hunt, there are plenty of reasons to be on Team Easter Bunny. But, the *real* stars of the show are all those festive Easter egg, bunny and pastel-colored crafts. If you’re on the hunt (pun definitely intended) to make this Easter the best one yet for your kiddos, get them in on the DIY action with some of the creative projects below. You’ll pack some family QT and get your decorations done in one fell swoop. Scroll through for some kid-friendly Easter crafts that your little ones will want to hop on and share with their class STAT.
1. DIY Easter Egg Hot Air Balloons: Use string, card stock and plastic Easter eggs to create these hot air balloons. Once your child gets the tying rhythm down, they’ll soar right through this craft. (via Snowdrop and Company)
2. DIY Bunny Chalk: There isn’t a single kid (or adult!) out there who doesn’t love playing with chalk. Have a crafting day with your mini-me and make bunny chalk. Once it’s done, they’ll have a whole set so they can color on the sidewalk on Easter AND during the rest of the warm months. (via A Bubbly Life)
3. DIY Cactus Peeps: Say hello to the cutest Peep DIY ever. Use this recipe to make your own Peep marshmallows, and stick them in mini terra cotta pots to take them to the next level. Your little one will love decorating the marshmallows with edible glitter. (via Brit + Co)
4. DIY Easter Bowling: Bowling never gets old. Pick up wooden bowling pins at the craft store and let your child paint on the bunny faces. Once the paint’s dry, finish them off with some paper ears, and get ready to strike. (via Handmade Charlotte)
5. DIY Cardboard Easter Eggs: Looking for something that’s super budget-friendly and creative? Upcycle old cardboard boxes, and let your kiddo paint their favorite Easter egg designs. Once they’re complete, you can use them as decoration for your Sunday brunch. (via Hello, Wonderful)
6. DIY Bunny Party Hats: Kick the festivity level up a notch at your Easter party by having your kids DIY some bunny party hats. Not only are they simple to make, they’re also adorable for all the little ones to wear during the egg hunt and all those Instagrammable moments. (via The House That Lars Built)
7. DIY Clay Easter Eggs: If you’re looking for the most colorful way to amp up Easter eggs without worrying about working with messy dyes, snag a few blocks of clay and let your kids go to town. Whether the eggs have spots or stripes, they’re sure to turn out fabulous. (via Brit + Co)
8. DIY Envelope Bunnies: Bunnies are Easter’s #1 mascot, right? Hand over the printer paper and card stock to your kids so they can make these envelope bunnies. The best part for them will be filling it with all of the candy they get from the egg hunt. (via Martha Stewart)
9. DIY Painted Egg + Bunny Balloons: It doesn’t get any cuter than these painted egg and bunny balloons. To make them, just blow up a few pastel balloons so they can swipe on an original design using craft paint. After they’re dry, use them as decoration for all of your Easter festivities. (via The Sweet Lulu Blog)
10. DIY Easter Egg Finger Puppets: What kid doesn’t love a finger puppet? Use this tutorial and pattern to make felt puppets. It’ll require a little supervision if your kiddo is the one using the sewing needle to create the patterns, but they’ll learn a brand new skill. (via Wild Olive)
11. DIY Baking Soda Easter Eggs: It’s hard to say no to a DIY when you already have all of the supplies in your kitchen pantry. All you need is cornstarch, baking soda and water to make the egg, and then your kiddo can paint on a design of their very own. (via The DIY Dreamer)
12. DIY Bunny Ear Bags: If your kids are having an Easter separate from the adults, these make for the perfect party favor bag. Buy some white paper bags at the craft store and either let your mini maker do the rest, or help out the super small kids with the steps that involve scissors. (via Oh Happy Day)
13. DIY Mini Carrot Balloons: If you’re looking for an easy decoration for your Easter brunch, say hello to these carrot balloons. For the perfect size and shape, have your kids make this DIY out of orange water balloons. You can rent a helium tank or have them filled at the party store for table decor that everyone will want to take home. (via Jacks + Kate)
14. DIY Emoji Easter Eggs: Every techie kid will love these emoji Easter eggs. To make them on your own, dye hard-boiled eggs yellow and then your kiddo can use paint pens to draw on their favorite character. (via Studio DIY)
15. DIY Swinging Easter Chick: This DIY takes a little extra time and effort, but it’s sure to keep your child busy on a rainy afternoon. DL the printable template, and let them get creative by designing their own swinging Easter chick. (via Handmade Charlotte)
16. DIY Bunny Crayons: Crayons are right up there with chalk on the never-gets-old scale. Let your little one help you mix up these rainbow crayons so they can create some adorable Easter drawings that you can hang on the fridge every year. (via Moonfrye)
17. DIY Paint Chip Bunnies: Before you sit down to craft this one out, head to a paint or hardware store and have your kid pick out a few colorful swatches. Your little maker will love dreaming up an Easter scene like this one. (via Crafty Morning)
18. DIY Peeps Play Dough: Pick up a pack of Peeps at the grocery store, and combine them with corn starch and coconut oil to create this fun DIY. Your little bunny is going to be very happy when you let them know this project is edible. (via Growing a Jeweled Rose)
19. DIY Paper Eggs: This mess-free DIY is ideal for the kiddos. Simply staple egg-shaped pieces of paper together and fold them to create a 3D shape. Then plop their creations in a bowl to decorate your Easter tablescape. (via Craft and Creativity)
20. DIY Popsicle Stick Chicks: Popsicle sticks are a must for any kid-friendly crafting party. Glue a few on a piece of card stock so your child can create an adorable little chick. This one will give your fridge some major color AND look great all throughout spring. (via Crafty Morning)
How adorable are these Easter crafts? Follow us on Pinterest for more kids’ crafts and Easter inspo.
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures