Easter > Easter BasketsMarch 20, 2007

By Tawra Kellam

Easter is a great time of the year to celebrate. Here are some ideas for Easter gifts. Try some of them and if the creative juices start flowing, make up some of your own!

Easter Baskets:

You can find inexpensive Easter baskets at garage sales and thrift stores. I never spend more than .25 for one.

If you don't have Easter baskets, you can also use:

Easter Basket Ideas:

• Plain wicker baskets

• Baskets spray painted an Easter color

• A cute straw hat

• A pail for the sandbox

• A bowl wrapped in tissue paper

• Paper sacks that the kids decorate. Cut out pictures from magazines or use stickers. Glue or stick them on and then paint or color around them.

• Any sort of plastic storage container. These often can be used later for storage.

• For a "family" Easter basket, set a nice plate on the table with Easter grass and goodies arranged on the plate or platter. This is great when you have older kids.

Fillers for Easter Baskets:

• Buy candy after Valentine's Day at half price and keep to fill Easter baskets.

• Make Easter cookies in the shapes of bunnies, eggs, crosses or any other Easter shape that comes to mind and decorate.

• Popcorn Balls or Rice Krispie treats colored in pastel colors.

• String fruit loops onto yarn and tie to make a necklace.

• Do not fill baskets, but instead put jelly beans and candy in plastic eggs so the kids can fill their own baskets. You can also put nickels, dimes, toy soldiers, bugs, stickers, barrettes or hair ribbons in the eggs. Hide them outside or in the house if you live in a climate where it's usually cold on Easter.

• Make coupons for getting out of chores, staying up late one night, having a friend over for a sleep over or a special dinner they like.

• Like new books purchased at garage sales or thrift stores.

• Homemade slime, play dough, sidewalk chalk, bubbles or the ingredients for crystal gardens.

• Wacky crayons: Crayon pieces melted together in a muffin tin to make a "big" crayon.

• Flower seeds that the kids can grow

• Mini-stuffed animals purchased at garage sales or on clearance the year before.

• Paper dolls or coloring books. There are many available on the Internet that you can print yourself.

• For teenagers, put these items in baskets: lotions, soaps, suntan lotions, fingernail polish, movie tickets, tickets for getting out of a chore, ticket for $5 worth of car gas, clothes purchased on clearance and of course lots of candy!

• Leave a trail of jelly beans or candy kisses from their room to their Easter basket.

• Easter Kisses: Put some Hershey Kisses or chocolate chips in a plastic bag and attach the following poem:

  This cute little bunny has hopped all day
  Been delivering baskets for the holiday.
  His paws are so tired and his little nose itches.
  He left you something specialsomething to fill all your wishes.
  These cute little hugs and Easter kisses.

• Put 1 Pound Jelly Beans into a bag, and attach this poem:

  Jelly Beans
  RED is for the blood He gave.
  GREEN is for the grass He made.
  YELLOW is for the sun so bright.
  ORANGE is for the edge of night.
  BLACK is for the sins we made.
  WHITE is for the grace he gave.
  PURPLE is for His hour of sorrow.
  PINK is for our new tomorrow.
  A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet,
  Is a prayer, is a promise, is a special treat.

• Easter Carrot Treats: Buy disposable plastic decorating bags and fill them with orange jellybeans or cheese balls.

  Then stick some green Easter grass in the top of the bag (leave some hanging out) and secure the bag with a rubber band and then ribbon so that it resembles a carrot.

About The Author: Tawra Kellam is the editor of http://www.LivingOnADime.com/ Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income.

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