Here are some good thrifty Easter basket ideas that are healthy and fun. Post your own ideas here!
The contents vary from year to year, but they always include bubbles (yes, even the grown-ups get them and probably have more fun than the kids do lol), toothbrushes and toothpaste and some type of religious symbol so that they remember why we are celebrating. The dollar stores have several to choose from, including guardian angel pins, crosses, statues, bookmarks, bibles, nightlights, magnets, etc. We will round this out with freebies that I have gotten mostly from the net and have been saving up.
When we lived near the beach, we got a wading pool and filled it up with floaties and beach toys and had each childs "basket" wrapped in a beach towel. This year, since we own our first home, we are going with a gardening theme, we found seeds 10 for $1 at the dollar store, straw hats $1 each, and little trowel and spade sets also $1 each. Use your imagination, the possibilities are endless. Hope this helps.
Last year, I made gardening baskets for each child, packaged in containers for growing their seeds; another year, I used yard sale backpacks (in unused condition!) and filled with inexpensive camping-type items, like a flashlight, bug jar (from the dollar store), inexpensive field guides, notebook, magnifying glass, bandanna, etc., and included a note explaining that we would be going on a camping vacation. You could do the same thing with beach gear, and include a coupon good for a day at the beach; sunscreen, visor, sunglasses, beach pail with shovel, notebook with pen, roll of quarters for the boardwalk games, etc., or even get a cheap suitcase from the thrift store and fill with small travel items for a planned vacation later in the summer.
I LOVE themed gifts, partly because they are so much fun to put together, they can be done relatively inexpensively but look like they cost more, and the kids really seem to get a kick out of them!
By one_ramp
By Julie
By Missy
By Vaden
By Kendra
My mom always bought that fizzly grape juice stuff from Welches that looks like champagne but isn't and a special cup each year to drink it in, so I plan on continuing that tradition. I got adorable rainbow cups for the little girls. For my boyfriend, I got a mug that goes in the freezer and gets extra cold so you don't need to put ice in it ever. I also made home made cards with Easter stickers so they can tell their baskets apart.
By Melissa
I do a similar idea for my two year old. Last year, I used a dump truck and filled it with little things. Also summer is coming, Summer camp is pricey. Last year, I registered them for Patriot "Matt Light" camp and put a computer certificate in their basket. Face it, you pay for it all anyhow so gather up as much as you can and wrap it up. :)
By Kathy
By Grbll
By Kelsie
If the children are young, small toys can go in the baskets; like jacks, jumpropes, marbles and balls. My favorite thing in my baskets when I was a child was a stuffed bunny. I kept one of them until I was in my late 20's, lost Mr Bunny in a move, he was ratty but deeply loved. Have fun!
By kcohenvt
Paste: Use 3 parts water to one part flour. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Dip each piece of paper in the paste. Apply the paper, on layer at a time.
Let dry thoroughly. Paint if you want to and seal.
To make eggs or ornaments, get a plastic egg and apply paper mache to each side of the egg, leaving the lip where the two sides connect clean. Don't apply the paper mache or paste to this part so you can connect the two sides together.
Finish both sides with paint and sealer. Once that is dry you can put the two sides together.
The possibilities are endless. You can also ball up newspaper in the shape of an egg and paper mache the ball, use a styrofoam egg or a balloon that is egg shaped.
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I wanted to create a healthier version of the Easter basket and came up with cutting out fruit with cookie cutter shapes and adding them on a skewer into a basket. This is great for young children, kids who don't need more sugar, and even an older person.
Our two older grandchildren are too old for Easter baskets, but they have a little three year old brother just getting into the fun so this year I made this basket for him to find and then to share which he loves to do with his sister and brother.
To mail an Easter basket to my daughter in their apartment, without making her look like a little girl anymore, I created a cute, transportable basket that can be used afterward.
When making Easter baskets, keep in mind such things as colorful pencils, fancy erasers, sugar free candies, cute little stuffed animals, flavored lip balm or gloss, crayons, colored pencils, modeling clay or Play-dough (or make your own).
This is a small plastic bowl, with ribbon and crochet accents. It holds little candy Easter eggs. I used tape to hold the ribbon, but you can use hot glue if you like.
Here's an Easter tip. When my children were babies, instead of Easter baskets, we picked out a cute summer hat and used it as a basket instead. We put little things in it a baby could use, like a small bottle of juice, a teething toy, a small book, etc.
Get a shoe box, take a ice pick or screwdriver and put holes on all sides of the box. Stick tissue into each hole and you have a beautiful basket for decoration.
You can have an Easter Egg Basket without spending money. You save your money and you help with saving the earth, too.