Many options exist and some can become complicated when building an Easter basket. Candy, toys, eggs, trinkets, and other fun items can fill the special basket for the morning of Easter. Many American traditions include the Easter Bunny who brings the treats to fill the baskets. Egg shaped candies, chocolates, and bunnies are often a large part of the assortment. The following will provide a few ideas to help enhance the creative process of building a fabulous Easter basket.

The Basket

Growing up we used the same basket year after year and during the non Easter season the basket would act as a decoration in our home. This may be considered a green option for building an Easter basket because the same basket can be used over again reducing waste and reducing the cost of Easter.

Many basket producers still exist in the United States and they sell heirloom quality baskets. Longaberger, An American Craft Company, produces high-quality baskets. Each basket is carefully crafted by a basketmaker who has “been carefully trained in an art that has been handed down through the generations” (Longaberger, 2011). Buying a quality basket is not a prerequisite, but it is a nice addition to building a fabulous Easter basket.

If you are giving a gift near Easter for someone who is expecting a new baby, an Easter basket from Longaberger, Peterboro Basket Company or another manufacturer of high quality baskets would make the perfect gift. You could fill the basket with baby clothes, wash cloths, toys, or any other needed item. This would also make a great gift from a grandparent or an aunt or uncle. Each year the basket would be used and the gift giver would be remembered for years to come.

Easter Grass

The plastic shredded grass is relatively inexpensive and can be purchased annually from Meijer, Walmart, or Walgreens as well as other retailers. A bag of plastic shredded Easter grass is typically under $3. To reduce cost further, you can store the grass in a Ziploc bag in the basket for use the next year. This is also a green solution reducing waste by reusing the grass. Some companies sell paper Easter grass for around the same price. This can also be reused, recycled, or composted depending on the dyes used in the manufacturing process.

Easter Basket Contents

The contents of an Easter basket vary greatly from family to family, but the basic idea remains the same. Baskets often contain sweet treats, small toys, or bunnies and chicks. The following will provide a few suggestions to get you started on building an Easter Basket.

Candy

Chocolate Easter eggs, a chocolate bunny, and jelly beans would top the list along with Peeps (sugar coated marshmallow treats shaped like little chicks or bunnies), but filling a basket with too much candy equates to many negative things: obesity, cavities, or waste when the candy is thrown out. If a child is not going to be allowed to eat all of the candy given in the basket then don’t waste money buying the candy. Simply fill the basket with non-edibles.

Non-Edible Basket Fillers

Toys, books, games, and movies are all great fillers for Easter Baskets. Try to avoid the commercialism of the holiday by skipping the cheap things made to fill baskets. Plan to purchase fewer, higher quality products that will actually be used by your child rather than passed over for the chocolate bunny. You can use items such as spring and summer activities to guide your decisions such as jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, or matchbox cars.

Example Easter Basket #1

1 Walt Disney movie such as Toy Story 3, Tangled, or The Princess and the Frog
Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups in Easter colors
A chocolate bunny (tops the list on what is typically in an Easter basket)
Malted Milk Eggs
Plastic Eggs with money or small trinkets inside (stickers, temporary tattoos, religious symbols, etc.)

Example Easter Basket #2

Easter themed book such as “Happy Easter Biscuit!” by Alyssa Satin Capucilli available at Amazon.com
Peeps
Goldfish Crackers
Whoppers
Littlest Pet Shop toys
Chocolate Bunny
Candy Jewelry

Example Easter Basket #3

Age appropriate book or religious book
Baseball cards
Small toys (Littlest Pet Shop, Star Wars Figures, etc.)
Chocolate Rabbit
Easter Candy (malted milk eggs, jelly beans, Whopper Eggs, Pez)

Additional Ideas

• Polly Pockets
• Miniature Dolls (Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, doll babies, etc.)
• Animal In My Pockets/Puppy in My Pockets
• Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
• Pez Candy Dispensers
• Silly Bandz
• Fashion or Religious Jewelry
• Sun Glasses
• Bubbles
• Religious items such as bookmarks, scripture marking pencils, books, and stickers
• Nerf Gun Refill Packs
• Nintendo DSi Games
• Hot Wheels
• Kung Zhu Pets
• Bakugan
• LCR Dice Game or other small games

After you decide what to put in the basket arrange the items so the basket looks full by propping up taller items like movies and books in the back center of the basket and spreading out the rest of the items in the grass.

Remember, Easter is a small holiday and filling a basket extra full may only present problems later on. Don’t spend money on wasteful items if your child(ren) are not going to take interest for very long and keep candy to a minimum if you don’t want them to have too many treats.

Do you have any ideas for filling an Easter Basket? What is your favorite treat from your childhood Easter memories?