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.
Older children that have outgrown your typical Easter basket still love getting a basket, so I put new summer outfits, passes to a movie, gift certificates or cards to fast food places, and favorite candy bars, cookies or even gum.
Little kids like little things-so use your samples and hotel size toiletries that you don't want as Easter basket fillers. Just make sure the kids are old enough to know what they are.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have small children and much of the stuff to put in the Easter baskets is candy or are not really suited to little ones. I'd like to include healthy snacks rather than candy. Does anyone have suggestions for a safe and healthy Easter basket?
Fresh fruit is colorful, fun and healthy. So is dried fruit and nuts. You can bake healthy easter miniature-sized muffins, cookies and granola bars. There are tons of inexpensive treats and toys at the local dollar store.
Chex, goldfish crackers, Cheerios, all flavors graham goldfish crackers, teddy grahams, raisins, stickers
- Shawn
Raisins
Other dried fruit
Fresh fruit
Bread sticks or crackers and dip
Carrot sticks and peanut butter
Home made cookies or muffins: Use half the sugar and replace half the fat with either applesauce or mashed banana.
Ants on a log: celery stick stuffed with peanut butter, and studded with raisins
finger sandwiches
Coupons for healthy homemade meal of choice: Give the child a short list of choices, mother-approved things he or she seems to enjoy.
Non-edibles that encourage learning and exploration: Puzzles, art supplies, books, games, music toys, jump rope, jacks, origami kit, kite, etc.
- Rose B.
My son loves those "diet" tortilla chips (yes, its my fault) with home-made salsa. I share custody of him with his father and Easter is one of his holiday's, but we have used tortilla chips and salsa for Santa instead of milk and cookies. He also thinks it's cool to get the same snack from Santa in his stocking. I get some "cheap" double compartment containers and put chips in one side and salsa in the other. Decorate the tops with permanent markers and wrap in plastic. (my son is four and hasn't figured it out yet!!) plus after the holidays, I have more storage containers!
KC
I have found they love getting books, erasers, stuffed animals and figurines. My older daughters still have all the figurines they got in their Easter basket.
By Jane Squires
The baby food section has many toddler snacks available. I buy the gummy bears, crackers, puff wheat, cookies and juices to give to my two year old. He loves them and they do not have as much sugar or salt as other foods.
I find that EnviroKids organic crispy rice bars are a great source of low sugar and low sodium and also glutin free snack. Also the Fiber One bars in peanut butter or chocolate chip have a very high fiber content and yet sweet enough to please the picky eaters.
My son loves those "diet" tortilla chips (yes, its my fault) with home-made salsa. I share custody of him with his father and Easter is one of his holiday's, but we have used tortilla chips and salsa for Santa instead of milk and cookies. He also thinks it's cool to get the same snack from Santa in his stocking. I get some "cheap" double compartment containers and put chips in one side and salsa in the other. Decorate the tops with permanent markers and wrap in plastic. (my son is four and hasn't figured it out yet!!) plus after the holidays, I have more storage containers!
KC
My 10 year old DD is getting a movie and a Webkin this year plus a few candy snacks
The 16 year old is getting a Pilates video , weights and an exercise band plus some candy snacks
I've included gift certificates, toys, movies, hand held travel games, beauty items, socks, etc in baskets from years past. Give what the child needs and likes-not just candy
my grandsons are 1 and 18 months. I bought the 100 calorie snack packs that had cheese its, and 2 different cookies in it. also bought snack size baggies and filled them with cheerios and cheese curls
Any suggestions as to what to use instead of the traditional basket at Easter time for a boy? In the past I have used a dump truck, baseball helmet, small tackle box, childsize wheel barrow, small wagon, and of course the sand pail with shovel. I need some ideas appropriate for 6 and 8 year old boys.
By Helen from SC
Any ideas for men's Easter baskets? I have done food, so I looking for something new I can purchase or make. We do an adult basket exchange and it can change hands 3 times before it is kept. With that said we have all size men from small to XXL. That makes it more difficult.
I have cuff links I am making for Christmas prizes, so I don't need that and that is the top gift I seem to find on the internet for gifts for men. I can't do sports as each person likes a different team, some golf and some don't. I need something generic. Please Help.
By Di from MT
I'm making a small gift basket for my husband for Easter and am running low on ideas. We don't have the $ for me to go out and buy the video game he really wants, but I'd really like to get him some small inexpensive things. He's so hard to buy for.
His family is Hawaiian so that's a theme I could work with. He's 26 and a bit of a geek (loves video games and books, not sports or being outdoors as much). He also loves DVDs and cooking. Any ideas would be more than helpful. Thanks.
By Katrina from Baltimore, MD
My son is 10 yrs old. He loves WWE wrestling more than anything. I need creative ideas on how to make him a wrestling Easter basket. Last year he didn't have a good Easter at all. I have a disabled daughter and I'm a single mother. I promised them I would make it up this year. It's really important because we have no other family. What I get is all they get. Please help me.
By Angela
I am looking for duck bills/beaks. They are used for making baskets for Easter. I have searched the web and have not found any.
Sarah
Hi! I sell these in my craft shop! contact me off list @
beadlady @ preferred.com. (remove spaces) I have 2 sizes.
Thanks!
Cindy
I bet you could make them easily out of fun foam!
I am trying to find a pattern for an Easter basket made from a 2 liter bottle. The handles and ears are cut from the bottle. Holes are punched in plastic so you can crochet around the bottle. The bunny face is a large pom pom.
By Donna C.
Gallon milk jugs can easily be cut down to make inexpensive Easter baskets. Decorate them to make each one unique. This is a page about recycled milk jug Easter basket.
Tin tubs make wonderful Easter baskets and come in a variety of bright colors. They can be used after the holiday for storage in a bedroom or bathroom.
Gardeners love the spring time, so Easter is a perfect time to give them a gift of flower bulbs. Here are some Easter basket ideas for a gardener in your life.
