Homemade Easter Baskets

Easter Treat Baskets

Make miniature treat baskets with pin dot cardstock papers and embellishments to celebrate spring or Easter.

Easter Treat Basket

Make miniature treat baskets with pin dot cardstock papers and embellishments to celebrate spring or Easter.

Approximate Time: 45

Supplies:

• primary pin dot cardstock papers
• paper flowers
• Easter grass
• lace
• glue stick
• ruler
• craft knife

Primary Pin Dot cardstock papers, Easter grass, paper flowers, lace are available at Michaels.

Click Here to download the Easter Treat Basket Template in PDF format.

Steps:

1. Download and print the template and cut it out along the solid lines.
2. Trace template onto patterned paper, and then trim.
3. Fold the box flaps up and join the tabs of each corner together with a glue stick.
4. Cut 3/4 x 8 1/2 inch strip of paper for the handle. And attach it to the basket with a glue stick. Or punch hole on each side of the basket and attach it with brads.
5. Embellish the basket with lace, paper flowers, and sticker.

By Maricel

Homemade Recycled Easter Basket

For a quick, easy, and cheap Easter basket, rinse and clean an empty liter soda bottle, cut a 1 inch "ring" at the top of the body of the bottle (after the spout), and cut in half. Trim the rest of the body of the bottle to the height of the "basket" you'd like. Attach both ends of the ring you cut out (above) to the sides of the basket with plain or decorative brads. Use a small paper punch to place holes on opposite sides.

Decorate the outside of the basket with stickers (letters to spell the child's name and/or Easter stickers). You can also make your own stickers with either a Xyron machine (found at Michael's, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, etc.), cut out magazine pictures lightly glued to the basket, or go online for other methods of making your own stickers. Shred scrap papers (white, colors, scrap pages) and put inside basket for the "stuffing" and fill with inexpensive candies or little gifts. Enjoy!

By caseye from Allen, TX

Craft Project: Easter Egg Gathering Basket

A child would be thrilled to have their own gathering basket or it could be used as a centerpiece after filling with colored eggs and surrounding with Easter grass.

Approximate Time: 1 hour

Supplies:

• plastic container
• 1/4 yard spring fabric not a fat quarter
• 1/4 yard flannel
• stiff cardboard
• tacky glue
• hot glue
• newspaper for pattern
• scissors
• heavy scissors to cut cardboard

Instructions:

Plug in your glue gun; it will be a few minutes before you are using it. Your flannel is to cushion the eggs in case your little one should drop them into their basket. You could use any fabric you want. You can use a container larger at the top than bottom, but is much easier to cover a straight one.

If your container is not straight up and down; lay your plastic container on your newspaper and trace its shape. Roll your container (keeping the angle bending if the container angles) ending at the point where you started. If your container is straight up and down, you just have to measure its height and distance around. Cut out this pattern and try it on your container to be sure it fits.

Add one half inch on the top and bottom and one end and cut it out of your flannel. Repeat with your spring fabric, adding the one half inch all the way around. Trace the bottom of your container onto your stiff cardboard, cutting just inside the line on both.

Trace this cardboard pattern onto your flannel and your spring fabric. Cut out, leaving a 1/2 inch border and use your tacky glue to assemble one cardboard template on each of your fabrics. Glue one cardboard to the wrong side of each of your fabric pieces with tacky glue.

Take your long flannel piece and lay it inside your container as a liner with the wrong side to the container. With your hot glue, put a line about 2 inches long along the bottom edge where the two ends overlap. Secure one end only then work your way around the bottom of the container, overlapping the ends when you get back around. Now for the top, you have your choice here; leave the extra fabric to hang on to while gluing the top down and trim afterwards or trim it now. I trimmed mine later just to be sure I had it cut right.

Go to the top directly above your starting point and, with your tacky glue, repeat gluing around just under the top lip of your container. Let your tacky glue dry while gluing your flannel/cardboard piece inside your container with hot glue.

Your glue should be dry enough to finish your inside lining. If you didn't trim the extra now is the time.

In the second photo, you will notice I started gluing my outer fabric from the bottom and you can see my glue ready for my turned under edge. You can do this or working from the top down, fold one quarter inch in to the wrong side all down the length of one long side, finger press it down. Lay your container on its side. Starting at one end or where you want the sides of your basket, use your tacky glue and glue this folded edge on the inside of your basket, over the top of your container covering the raw edge of your flannel lining. Continue until you reach the starting point, fold the end under and glue it down.

Let this dry while you make your handle. I braided mine out of the same spring fabric, poked holes through my fabric and container, ran the braid through and tied a knot in the ends. You could use a container with a handle and skip this step. Make your handle now, but do not attach it yet.

Back to the outer covering of your basket, bring your fabric down over your container. Make sure your pattern was correct and your fabric will meet covering all of your container. If for some reason it isn't, now is the time to fudge by gluing a scrap on your container where the two don't meet. No one will know when you are done and your little one won't care.

Glue the fabric over the bottom of your container with hot glue or tacky glue and secure your spring-covered cardboard over your raw edges of the bottom with hot glue. Attach your handle and your Easter Egg Gathering Basket is ready for that excited little one. You could let them decorate the outside, maybe cut out the letters of their name and glue them on.

By Ann from Loup City, NE

Craft Project: Recycled Easter Baskets

These are Easter baskets recycled from a dinner out at Kentucky Fried Chicken and from empty containers of products I use on a daily basis. It's a great way to recycle and make a child happy in the process!

Supplies below are for all the baskets. Instead of loading up the land fills with the empty containers, I decided to load them with Easter goodies!

Approximate Time: Approx. 1-2 hours

Supplies:

• empty Kleenex box
• empty plastic cylinder container
• KFC bucket from chicken and lid
• KFC box from biscuits
• foam, your choice
• felt, your choice
• paper fasteners
• clear packing tape
• posterboard
• heavy cardboard box
• items for decoration
• glue and/or double backed tape
• pre-cut foam designs
• fleece pants
• beads

Instructions:

Pretty in Pink Basket:

This basket was made using an empty Kleenex box.

1. Cut off top.

2. Cover entire outside with clear tape. This will help make it sturdier.

3. Use box as template and cut sides and bottom from heavy cardboard.

   

4. Glue sides to inside, then bottom. Do the same with foam or felt and glue to outside of box. I use double backed tape on foam with dabs of glue.

5. Cut handle from posterboard and 2 from foam or felt. Glue paper handle in between and whip stitch all 4 sides.

6. Poke holes on sides of box at top and in handle. Attach handle by tying bead on inside and out. I also strung some that hang off handle. I added a small teddy bear that I made from felt.

   

7. Decorate outside of box to your liking.
   I used pre cut foam flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, and hearts. I decorated them first by stitching buttons and beads on, then glued to box.

Football Basket:

This one is made from an empty Lysol wipes container.

1. Pop lid up and cut off extra excess plastic so you have a bigger opening.

   

2. Sand off any rough edges.
   I put strips of double backed tape around canister and covered with felt. I stitched the seam closed.

   

3. Glue a felt circle on bottom base.

   

4. I cut a football from foam and a slightly larger one from black felt and glued them together. Then I hand stitched features on the ball.

5. I glued that to the front side and whip stitched around the black felt backing of ball.

6. I made a goal post and field from foam and drew on yardage lines with black marker. I glued those together and onto the back of canister.

   

7. I drew a bunny with helmet on to posterboard and colored with markers and pencils. I glued that to the pop top tab.

   

Purple Puff Bucket:

1. Cut 2 circles from heavy cardboard using bucket base as template.

2. Cut off one leg of the fleece pants as high to the top as possible and slide clean bucket inside until it fits the snuggest.

3. Cut off at top and bottom, allowing enough excess at bottom to glue under and enough at top to bring down inside bucket to glue on bottom.

   

4. Once cut, glue to both bottoms, inside and out. You do not have to glue the sides on the inner bucket.

5. Lay cardboard circle on leftover material and cut 2 circles slightly larger. Put glue around edges and cover with material circles.

6. This bucket has a recessed bottom and your covered circle should fit right in and be flush with bottom. Glue this in.

7. Put glue inside of bucket and place other circle to cover bottom.

8. Take the lid to bucket and use as a template. Trace onto heavy cardboard and cut out for lid.
   Cover with circle of material and glue around edges to secure.

9. Trace another circle from posterboard and cover with material or cut one from felt. Glue to underside of lid.

10. Glue an item in center of lid on top to use as a knob. My pj's came with big pom poms on drawstring so I used one of those.

    

11. If a handle is desired, poke a hole in each side at top. Use cord or yarn (I used the draw cord from mine), thread through one side and tie knot on inside. Thread beads on and slide other end into bucket and knot.

    

Treasure Chest Basket:

1. Lift up fold down top on box and cover entire front with clear packing tape. This will aid in making box sturdy.

2. Use box as template and cut all sides and bottom from heavy cardboard. Put these aside for now.

3. Cut sides and bottom from foam or felt. I used foam. Glue on to all sides and bottom. I like using double backed tape and a few spots of glue.

4. Cut strips for side seam buckles and glue on. Poke holes and insert paper fasteners.

5. Cut handle from posterboard and 2 from felt, making these slighter larger. Glue paper handle in between and whip stitch all 4 sides.

6. Poke holes through basket and handle. Attach with paper fasteners. Glue cardboard pieces to inside of box and bottom. This will hide the paper fastener prongs.

7. Make front lock buckle and glue on. I slid a strip of white foam through a key ring and sewed that on to a black backgound. I glued (with double back tape) to front of chest. I also strung beads to handle at side.

By Mary from Palm Coast, FL

Craft Project: Tisket Tasket Bean Bag Basket

I love to recycle and find myself staring at items I use on a constant basis, thinking, "What can I create with this?" Not only does it save space in the land fills, I don't have to empty the garbage as often! One of my most used items is Kleenex and I came up with this idea for my grandson on Easter.

Approximate Time: 1-2 hours approx.

Supplies:

• empty Kleenex box
• discarded cardboard box
• paint
• foam- assorted colors
• glue
• black thread for whiskers
• large google eyes
• black marker
• felt- assorted colors
• strip of thin cardboard or posterboard for handle
• wide tape

Instructions:

1. Cut off top of Kleenex box and cover with tape. This will make project more substantial and last a longer time.

2. Use the box for a template and cut out all four sides from felt, allowing a slight overlap on all pieces and cut even to box at bottom. Remember, you want extra at sides and top.

3. Cover one side at a time with glue. Then, cover with felt pieces. Bring corners together and hand stitch to make seams. Do not glue felt overlaps at top sides yet.

4. Cut square from cardboard box for base and glue to bottom of box on the outside.

5. To make the strap, cut a strip from posterboard and two strips of felt to cover, allowing extra on all sides. Glue handle between felt and hand stitch all sides. Poke a hole on each side of box and both ends of handle and use paper fasteners to attach. Lay a piece of tape over fastener prongs on inside.

6. Glue down top flaps of felt on all four sides.

7. I used dried split peas for my game, but any dried bean or rice will work.

8. Cut out square from discarded box that will fit inside basket at bottom. Pour a level amount of beans in and glue down square of cardboard over. This will keep box upright for game.

9. Cut rabbit face from cardboard box. I used an xacto knife so cardboard would not bend during cutting.

10. Paint face pink, giving two coats, if needed. I covered mine with a coat of jigsaw puzzle saver so the paint would endure kid's usage. It also gives it a nice shine.

11. Cut ears from foam and draw lines with black marker.

12. Glue or stitch paws, carrot, and feet on. I did both. It's quite easy to stitch through the box.

13. Glue on cheeks and lay whiskers on top. Glue nose on top of whiskers. Make cheek spots with marker. Glue on eyes and felt flower, if desired.

14. Glue face inside box.

15. Handle is movable by using paper fasteners and can be pushed down while playing game.

16. Cut egg shapes from felt using different colors for each set for each player. I made mine for two players, making 3 eggs for each. I cut numbers from felt and stitched one on each egg so they can keep score.

17. Stitch eggs closed, leaving small area open. Fill with beans and finish stitching closed.

How to Play

Kids take turns trying to toss the eggs into the bunny basket. Make up your own rules for the scoring system.

Note: You can omit the eggs and just make the basket. Fill with goodies for a great Easter gift!

By Mary from Palm Coast, FL

Frugal Easter Baskets

Make your own Easter baskets. Use baskets from around the house or reuse strawberry baskets. You can use fresh grass from outside as basket filler!

Mary from Flagstaff, AZ

Craft Project: Easter Lily Treat Bag

This quick treat bag is easy enough for grade schoolers. Use it for your Sunday School Class and talk about the symbolism of the Easter Lily. Or, wouldn't Grandma love this filled with marshmallow peeps and jelly beans from her favorite little Easter bunnies?

Approximate Time: 10 minutes

Supplies:

• White Lunch Bag*
• Dark Green Ribbon
• Yellow Highlighter Pen
• Optional, Gold Pen or Sticky Foam Letters
• Easter Stickers, optional
• Easter Grass, Treats

*I found a big box of white lunch bags at a warehouse store for about $11. They are very handy for all kinds of craft projects, in addition to lunch!

Instructions:

Add name or phrase such as "He is risen!" along bottom of bag with foam letters or a gold pen.

Cut top of lunch bag as shown. Cuts should be about 2 1/2 inches long.

Fill bag with Easter grass and treats as desired.

Carefully gather the top of the bag, just under the cuts, arranging the petals neatly. If some petals seem too wide, just cut down the middle.

Tie bag with dark green ribbon. (A coordinating ribbon may also be added). Tie into bow.

Color center of lily in with yellow pen, adding 2 or 3 yellow streaks to each petal.

When marker is dry, curl ends of petals by wrapping around a pencil.

Add stickers such as a butterfly to one petal, if desired.

By Cindy from Waynesburg, PA

Can-Can Easter Baskets

Recycle cans to make these charming little baskets. I used a large vegetable can, soup can, and tuna can. Embellish with ribbon, buttons, stickers, etc. These are great for Easter or May Day!

Approximate Time: About 30 minutes

Supplies:

• empty, clean tin cans
• scrap wallpaper, wrapping paper or scrapbook paper
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
• ribbon, buttons, and embellishments
• chenille stems
• pencil
• scissors
• Easter grass or shredded paper

Instructions:

For the baskets pictured, I used wallpaper, but you can use wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, etc. Carefully remove labels from cans to use as templates. Place label on wallpaper and use pencil to trace around label; cut out. Attach paper to cans with glue. Embellish with ribbons, buttons, stickers, etc. Bend and glue chenille stems to the inside of the can for the handle. Try twisting two chenille stems together for larger cans. Fill cans with Easter grass or shredded paper. Add candy or small gifts.

By Rachel's Mom from Wilkesboro, NC

Craft Project: Wooden Easter Basket

Simple wooden craft with many decor possibilities. For anyone and all ages, but it offers a more masculine Easter basket for a boy. Later, it can be used as a tool box or garden crate to get the most out of your time spent crafting.

Craft sticks are great because they easily snap together, as well as apart into smaller pieces. I had about 2 boxes' worth of craft sticks just laying around, so I came up with this. Enjoy.

Approximate Time: 20-25 minutes

Supplies:

• craft sticks (on hand, or buy 1 box; need about 80 in all)
• hot glue

Instructions:

1. Lay 10 craft sticks next to each other.
2. With 14 other craft sticks, snap (break) off both rounded ends of all the sticks, at the end-most cuts in the sticks. These will be used for support.
3. Hot glue 7 or 8 of the endless sticks across the 10 craft sticks (made in step 1) for support. This is the bottom of the basket.
4. Form a square by interlocking 4 craft sticks at the endmost notches in the wood. (This is kind of like building with Lincoln Logs, so think of it in that way if that helps you.)
5. Add more craft sticks on top of the square in step 4, until it is 10 craft sticks high on all 4 sides. This makes the sides of the basket.
6. Hot glue 2 endless craft sticks (made in step 2) vertically on the inside of each of the 4 sides of your basket, where there is blank wood and "no" holes (don't cover the holes that are made with the sticks being next to each other). I put hot glue on the endless sticks, then glued them on the insides, if that's easier.

7. Hot glue the bottom of the basket (made in step 3) onto the sides (at the edges), so that the bottom part's cross-wise glued endless sticks face down, away from the sides of the basket.

8. Now, hot glue vertically at the inner-corner lengths of the sides. If your hot glue gun doesn't fit into that angle, dab hot glue on a new craft stick, and use it to sort-of "hot-glue putty" the corners where the inner sides meet. This is for added support and will dry clear.
9. For a handle, which is optional, interlock 3 craft sticks to form a "U" shape, in the similar way you made the basket sides. Add one more craft stick to the middle stick, and 2 to the sides of the "U" shape. (See picture for end result.)

10. Using the little end bits that you broke off of the craft sticks to make them endless, hot glue the little pieces to support the inner sides of the "U" shape, "gluing to the blank parts" of the craft sticks, to not interfere with the wooden hole designs.
11. Hot glue the handle (made in steps 9 and 10), to the basket, with the sides either outside or inside the basket sides. I glued mine on the outside, where there was more room to glue them without pinching at the form of the handle.

Bring your wooden basket and go hunt those Easter eggs.

Optional Decorative Additions

• You can thread ribbon through the side/handle square holes for variety and accent.
• Add plastic Easter grass (that all of us have in abundance, most likely) and Easter goodies inside to give or decorate your home with.
• Paint someone's name or designs, like a cross, flowers, eggs, bunnies, lambs, chicks, etc. on the outsides.
• Hot glue wooden letters or other ready-made wooden craft accents on the basket.
• Add a simple ribbon and a sprig of spring flowers to the handle.

Have fun personalizing.

By Erin R. from Seffner, FL

Craft Project: Little Bunny Bucket

Transform a small metal pail into a bunny to hold Easter treats. These are a snap to make and they make cute little Easter gifts.

Approximate Time: About 30 minutes

Supplies:

• white craft foam
• pink craft foam
• wiggly eyes
• small pom pom
• 3 cotton balls
• 2 white chenille stems
• hot glue gun & glue sticks
• scissors

Instructions:

Cut bunny ears from white foam. Cut inner ears from pink foam and glue to white ears. Glue on wiggly eyes. Cut 2 chenille stems in half. Glue three pieces just below eyes for whiskers. Glue pom pom nose to top of whiskers. Glue 2 cotton balls just below nose. Glue one cotton ball to lower back of pail for the tail.

By Rachel's Mom from Wilkesboro, NC

Chocolate Bag Basket

Buy small brown paper bags and paint them with vegetable oil until the paper is translucent. Turn them upside down to drain out any excess oil. Pour tempered chocolate inside the bag and turn and tip the bag until all sides are covered. Turn the bag upside down to pour out excess chocolate. Move the bag to a parchment paper covered tray and place them on the tray upside down. Put the tray in refrigerator to chill.

When firm, "carefully" peel off the paper. You may have to coat the inside of the bags a second time to get a thick enough coating of chocolate. This is a bit tricky, so you may have to experiment for best results.

Craft Project: Cotton Ball Lamb Basket

Recycle an empty box or plastic container to create this little lamb basket.

Approximate Time: About 30 minutes

Supplies:

• empty box or container
• white craft foam
• Styrofoam or papier mache egg
• wiggly eyes
• cotton balls
• ribbon
• white acrylic paint
• scissors
• glue gun and glue sticks

Instructions:

1. Paint Styrofoam or papier mache egg white for lamb's head and allow to dry.
2. Cut two ears from craft foam. Make a small slit in each side of the lamb's head. Put a little glue on each ear and push into the slits.
3. Tear apart cotton balls and glue to top and back of head.
4. Glue on wiggly eyes. Tie ribbon into a small bow and glue to side of head as shown.
5. Glue cotton balls all around container to completely cover it.
6. Glue egg close to top of container for the head.
7. Cut a one-inch wide strip from the foam for the handle. Glue ends to the sides of the container.


By Rachel's Mom from Wilkesboro, NC

Formula Can Bunny Easter Basket

This Bunny Easter Basket is made from an empty baby formula can. I made this bunny for a cheap and quick Easter basket this year for my Pioneer Club (kid's bible study) class.

All you need is:

• an empty can (I used a similac formula can - the powdered kind - it's a little bigger than a soup can)
• white spray paint
• white paper (bunny ears)
• pink construction paper (inside ears and nose)
• black sharpie marker
• cotton ball (tail)
• hot glue and glue gun
• easter grass

Directions:

Put hot glue all around the top of the can where the lid was so its not sharp. Spray paint your can. Let it dry. Use your sharpie to make the ears and nose on the pink and white paper then cut them out. Glue on the ears and nose with hot glue. Glue the tail on the back of your can. Then draw on a mouth and eyes on your bunny. Put in your easter grass and add a few pieces of candy and some little trinkets. I found a really good deal at the dollar store -- 15 Easter whistles for a dollar! I also found some little tablets shaped like crosses at Wal-Mart.

You can also use this as an Easter decoration.

By luv2craft from Normalville, Pennsylvania

Easter Basket from Cottage Cheese Container

Here's an easy and cheap Easter basket that the kids can make. All you need is:

• Cottage cheese container (sanded and painted)
• 3 pipe cleaners
• Hole punch
• Cross made from thin cardboard
• Purple tissue paper
• 2 pieces of thorns

After you've sanded and painted your cottage cheese container (it may need more than 1 coat) punch holes in the top for the handle and so you can weave the pipe cleaners along the top. Hot glue on the purple tissue paper to your cross and glue the cross to the basket. Then hot glue on the thorns (I found some thorns in the woods behind my house)

On the other basket I just printed out a picture of a cross with lilies, colored it with markers and glued it on the basket. I also weaved the pipe cleaner different on this basket. You can do it any way you want. If you're going to let the kids do this themself I suggest using tacky glue or elmer's.

You also need some Easter grass for in the bottom of your basket. These are a nice size to give as gifts for Easter.

By luv2craft from Normalville, Pennsylvania

Summer Themed Easter Baskets

I have four children and Easter baskets can get messy, expensive, and just full of junk, so every year I give them everything they will need (and ask for anyway ) for a fun summer. The basket is always a big sand pail. I fill it with: sand toys, goggles, inflatable water toys such as beach balls, tubes, and swimmies, water guns, kick boards, beach towels, hats, sunglasses, sun block, chapstick and so on.

The kids love it because they know that winter is over and summer is on its way. I love it because it is a fun cute basket, no candy, and when the first hot day rolls around we are ready for the pool, beach, lake, whatever!

By Mae11197 from Branford, FL