How to Create an Easter Basket for a Male College Student

Whether your favorite college man will be spending Easter at home or far away, he'll love dipping into the basket of treasures you and the bunny have put together just for him.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Plastic Eggs
• Blankets
• Egg-shaped Boxes
• Wood Baskets
• Easter Candies
• Jelly Beans
• Concert Tickets
• Gift Certificates

1. Choose a basket that's large, attractive and sturdy enough to hold books, school supplies or CDs long after this Easter has gone.
2. Line the basket with a polar fleece sports blanket in a springlike but masculine color. It will provide lightweight and festive protection for the contents if your basket will travel through the mail.
3. Buy colorful plastic eggs that come apart in the middle, and stuff each one with a paper treasure: gift certificates to book, record or sporting goods stores; passes to a local movie theater; or tickets to a concert or ballgame you know he'd like to see.
4. Encourage his interests. Give him his own membership in the local science, natural history or art museum, or tickets to a lecture series by experts in his field of study.
5. Tuck in a book or two related to his chosen major or his favorite subjects. To lessen the chance of duplicating something he already has, and to help build his library, go for attractively bound classics in literature, history or science. Or comb a used bookstore for titles long out of print.
6. Pass along a family heirloom. If you've been planning to give him Uncle Ben's favorite cuff links or Great-Granddad's pocket watch, wrap the treasure in an egg-shaped box and nestle it into the basket.
7. Don't overlook the obvious: Easter wouldn't be Easter without jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks.

Tips & Warnings

• No law says an Easter basket has to be the traditional oval shape with a big center handle. For the ultimate in long-term usefulness, find a sturdy square or rectangular hamper with a lid.
• If your Easter basket will be traveling through the mail, eschew real eggs; they don't travel well. Likewise, save a family heirloom for his next visit home. No amount of insurance could compensate for its loss.