Creating displays can be difficult when you are first starting. Here is the 'how to' for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday by Jacqui Hicks.

The base of the display can be used for both.

Palm Sunday

To create the base place a flat topped flower pedestal behind a coffee table. Pedestals can be bought that extend so you can choose the height to complement the height of your table.

Two colours are used: purple as the base and patterned as the accent.

The purple is draped over the pedestal and the table and allowed to pool on the floor. A candle is placed atop the pedestal to signify Christ the Light of the World.

On the table is a circular twig 'crown' this was purchased from a garden shop and is the base for creating a wreath but could easily be created from locally gathered twigs. I added three palm crosses but these could also signify thorns. For Good Friday I added the drops of blood which are red glass beads again purchased from a garden centre.

The patterned fabric is slightly tucked under the 'crown' and allowed to pool on the floor this signifies the coats strewn to make stones softer for the young unshod animal to walk on. The palm crosses on the floor could have your congregation's names written on and be collected randomly at the end of the service so that each person is prayed for, for a whole year.

Easter Sunday

Using the pedestal and table I added another alongside it and also a small child's chair in front. You could easily use a small Gopak style table instead of two coffee tables.

A rich green fabric was used as the base; you could also use fake grass. Two displays of flowers were created using majority white with some yellow to signify an angel. This was placed on top of the pedestal with white lining fabric draped down to the table level. A photograph of a tomb with stone rolled away and the text 'He is not here, he has risen' is at the base of the pedestal.

Next to this is a smaller display of flowers with a mixture of white, yellow and purple flowers for the Easter garden. Under the photograph and the smaller display of flowers flows yellow and pale green lining fabric. These two flow down either side of the child's chair and pool on to the floor, leaving the 'hole' empty.

The 'hole' – my entrance to the tomb – is filled with a black mesh fabric which has minute diamante sequins, hardly visible but are just enough to stop the fabric being a dense black. The 'crown' from Palm Sunday is now the rolled away stone and beribboned with a golden yellow gauze fabric that spreads along underneath white folded 'grave clothes' to reach the now empty cross.

I hope you have found this useful. Do let us know if you use this idea or create your own.