Crafty Ideas to Make Your Own Easter Baskets

While the Easter bunny may leave lots of treats for the kids, there is no reason Mom and Dad have to give the gift of candy too. Be a little a creative and come up with a themed basket personalized for your child. Feel free to add a few pieces of candy, but fill the majority of the basket with good stuff instead.

Indulge in a Hobby

Some children enjoy sports while others prefer computer games; indulge their individual hobbies with baskets filled with their favorite items. If your child loves bird watching, consider filling an Easter basket with a small bird feeder kit, a bird identification book and a sticker book. Include a few additional small treats like sunflower seeds and bird shaped fruit snacks. For the child who enjoys music, create a basket filled with CDs, rolled sheet music and pocket-sized books about music or musicians.

Movie Night

Make a family night out of the Easter basket. Fill a large popcorn bowl (instead of a basket) with a movie or two, several bags of microwave popcorn and other small treats. You could also vary this with video games or even board games instead of movies. Consider including a few pieces of movie memorabilia and perhaps a ticket to the movie theatre for future use.

Crafty Fun

Craft baskets are as diverse as the crafting industry. Fill an Easter basket with scrap booking supplies for the child who enjoys cutting and pasting or beads, string and jewelry making tools for your emerging tween. You could even fill a basket with soap making supplies like melt and pour soap base, fragrance oils and colorants for a teen that enjoys chemistry.

Fun Necessities

Kids always need things, whether it is sports equipment, art supplies or even snacks for school lunches. Fill a duffel bag with a new soccer ball, shin pads and cleats or a backpack with a basketball, a small wall hanging basket hoop and new basketball sneakers. Buy a fancy new lunch bag and fill it with your child's favorite healthy treats like fruit leather, trail mix and dried fruit. Fill a deep basket with art supplies such as a sketchpad, paints, paintbrushes, markers, crayons, pastels, colored pencils and erasers.

References:
Thrifty Fun: Easter Basket Ideas
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000796.tip.html