I have three kids( 12, 6 & 6 months) to make baskets for. I refuse to spend $10 each on a basket to fill. My kids could care less about the basket just the stuff inside. I, however, want some inexpensive ideas on what to use for baskets. I'm hoping to use something that they can use more than once. I ordered some things from Amazon that my older two have asked for and used my Giftcards I earned online. I did order some baby items as well. Anyone have any ideas on what to use for Easter baskets?
I'm not sure were you are located, but if there happen to be any Pat Catan's stores near you I am almost certain they sell the baskets for much cheaper than that (I used to work there about 15 years ago). They are similar to Michael's but all their prices are typically much cheaper. If not there, I would check your local dollar stores. We used to have a tradition every year where my brother and sister and I would each get a new kite with our Easter baskets. These can also give the basket some "height" if you need something to prop the other stuff up against and the baskets themselves aren't quite big enough. Do you typically buy new baskets every year? I would just save the baskets to re-use them year after year.
My mother always reused the Easter baskets from year to year (we each had our own special one), so I would recommend just buying one set, even if it's a little pricey, and then you have them to use every year after that. You could try dollar stores, discount shops, or even hardware stores to look for cheap basket substitutes. Craft stores like Michael's might also sell cheap, plain baskets that you could decorate yourself cheaply, or just use as they are.
I usually like to buy a bunch of inexpensive small items for my kids Easter baskets and then throw in a little candy. I'm thinking of trying what megshoe mentioned and reusing a basket/bucket this year. I have been collecting them, it seems, as I end up buying a new one each year, which is now starting to seem a little redundant. Anyway, I like going to the Dollar Tree store, try it, if you have one locally. They usually keep everything needed, plastic eggs, bunny ears, Easter games, coloring and activity books, bubbles, stuffed animals etc. I just try a few different combinations for my 4 and 8 year old each year and it has been working out pretty well.
There is a very simple solution to this. Buy a pre packed Easter basket. There are tons of stores like Walmart, and K-mart that sell Easter baskets that already have treats in them already. They have plenty of them to choose from. They are also specified. They have baskets specifically made boys, and basket specifically made for girls. That is your best option in my opinion. If you do it manually you pay a lot more money. Saving money is the goal right?
If they only care about the contents ,then just buy some plastic Easter buckets at Dollar Tree or use some plain pastel gift bags.
You can always use alternatives to baskets. My kid's never use their baskets after the holiday is over, so I started to get other containers to use. Sometimes I get decorative boxes, or gift bags, and even closet organizing containers, or beach buckets so they have something else to play with or store their arts and craft supplies in after the holidays. They appreciate these much more than the baskets.
I think Rosyrain had some great suggestions, with the beach buckets being my favorite. Really, though, I would think you can find some baskets for much less than ten dollars apiece. We're talking Easter baskets here. Not home decor items, after all. I would try Dollar Tree, Fred's or Dollar General. Or maybe pop into the GoodWill and see what they've got.
I've often picked up baskets at charity shops and cleaned and painted them up for holidays. You can also find lots of cute baskets, buckets, tins, and other containers at dollar stores. You can even make your own. You can even upcycle stuff to make Easter baskets with stuff you have around the house. I've done the sand pail one before, or filled the back of a plastic truck with goodies for a little boy. I really don't care for pre-made Easter baskets at the stores. I find them to be overpriced yet look very cheap. They are filled with junk and a lot of filler, at least the ones I usually see are.
I go to the dollar store for the entire basket. There are 10 kids I like to gift for Easter, so I get the baskets and grass and little candies and toys I end up spending less than ten dollars per basket easily. Also if you wait till the day before Easter they go on clearance at Walmart and Walgreens. Keep in mind it's kind of risky that way because they can sell out of the good ones or even completely sell out.
Well, Walmart in my area doesn't start marking anything down until the day after the holiday. A few days after that, they mark down again. That is the best time to buy things for the following year (not candy, but the non-perishable stuff like baskets, little toys and novelties, decorations, supplies, etc). I'll have to give Walgreen's a look sometime, but I don't get near one often. You can also save money by making your own filler. It's free when you fold and cut up junk mail into skinny strips and use it for Easter grass.
Maybe opt out of baskets & have your children decorate similarly sized boxes? Makes it a fun thing to keep the kid's busy while you cook & it's relatively cheap seeing as you usually have all the things you need to decorate if you have children already.
I have had the kids decorate their own before, when they were little. Some people don't let the kids see the Easter basket ahead of time though. They do the, "Oh, look what Easter bunny left for you," thing. We just set the baskets out empty and let the bunny fill them up. I used little storage baskets from the dollar store once and let the kids add fabric, ribbons, bows, etc. to decorate them however they wanted. Then we made our own Easter grass too.
I bought metal planters and some little knick knacks to fill in there, plus some flower seeds or vegetable seeds depending on what the kid liked. They later planted those seeds in their own planters and they seemed to like that.
That's a cool idea, Icy. Sounds like fun. I bet the kids enjoyed it. I've seen some really creative stuff on Pinterest and whatnot too. One idea was to glue boxes of candy together to form a basket. You don't have to buy a basket, and you already have the candy that way too. I just couldn't get too excited by that one though, because it is way more candy than I would ever give a child at one time. Still, it was cute and creative. I love to see all the neat ideas people come up with.
