Ideas to Make Easter Baskets
Every year on the day after Valentine's Day, many stores replace chocolate hearts and flowers with candy eggs, marshmallow chicks and jelly beans in preparation for Easter. But before you spring for the pre-made Easter baskets and their variety of cellophane-wrapped goodies, take a look at what you've got at home. Try making your own basket. You'll save money, and you can spend some quality time with your kids by involving them in the project. Does this Spark an idea?
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Don't Overspend on Baskets
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Chances are you already have a few unused baskets around the house that would make a perfect Easter basket. When basket searching, don't worry about color; you can fix that later. Instead, look for one that's not too big or too small so the contents you're filling it with will fit inside. If you don't have any baskets, check your local thrift stores; many have a large and low-priced selection.
Make It Pretty
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Some colors simply won't do for an Easter basket. You can fix this by spray painting your basket using non-toxic paint. Let it air out for a few days before adding goodies. Covering it with flowers is another option if you'd like, but be sure the stems have wire in them for shaping purposes. Cut the stem 2 to 3 inches from the bud, stick the stem through the basket weave and wrap the excess stem to secure. You can cover the entire basket or a few areas. Wrap the handle with a pretty ribbon and bow to finish.
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Bunnies Made Out of Milk
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If you want to try something different than the traditional basket, all you need is some paper, a cardboard milk carton and a few other things. Lay the clean carton on its side with the spout-opening side down. Cut the top side completely off and wrap the entire carton with colored paper inside and out. To make the bunny's face, glue or draw some eyes and insert pipe cleaners through the spout edges for whiskers. Use your colored paper to make bunny ears to add to the head, and secure with glue or staples. Add a cotton ball to the back for a fluffy tail.
Baskets for the Older Crowd
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Jellybeans make good decorations, as well as yummy treats. Even if your child is too old for baskets like the milk carton bunny basket, you can still have fun making him a basket of his own. After you decide what you're getting your older child, such as jewelry or candy, find a plain box with a lid large enough for your gift to fit inside. Gather several jelly beans; they can be all the same color or a variety of colors. Glue the jelly beans in a row on the box to decorate and wrap a bow around the entire box to secure the lid. The gift box will have a fun Easter theme that even older kids will like.
Paper Baskets
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If you want a basket that is original and will never be forgotten, you can make your own out of paper. Choose any color you'd like to match the Easter theme, or use recycled paper; just be sure it's fairly thick. Get glue and a bowl to use as a guide. After you cut your paper into 1-inch strips, glue a few strips together to make one thick piece and roll it up. Continue building by gluing unrolled strips to the base following your bowl shape until it's the size you want. Add a handle by gluing several strips together and attaching them to the sides. Add some ribbon, grass and goodies, and you're all done.
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References
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