Make a Homemade Easter Basket Using Recycled Material

Making homemade Easter crafts with recycled materials is one way to celebrate the secular side of Easter with kids.

Make a Homemade Easter Basket Using Recycled Material

Materials for the Milk Gallon Easter Basket

empty gallon-sized plastic milk jug
poster paints
cotton balls
construction paper
pipe cleaners (optional)
glue

Tools Used for the Milk Gallon Easter Basket
scissors
a sharp knife (parents and caregivers only, please)
1 large paint brush per paintbrush color or per child
1 small paint brush for details (optional)
newspaper (already read, don't make dad mad)

Preparing the Materials

The next time someone in your house finishes off a gallon of milk, set aside the container. Rinse it out completely and let it dry. Depending on how many children there are in the family, you will want to save at least one empty gallon milk container per child. It won't hurt to save one for yourself, too, or have an extra on hand for the child who would like to make more than one.

Cover the work surface with old newspaper. The adult in the house needs to cut out a large hole in the milk gallon container. Take the container, and put it in front of you, with the handle facing away from you. Cut out most of the front portion that is facing you. The piece you cut out should be pretty large.

Leave enough room on the top for placement of eyes and a nose.

Once an adult has cut the hole, return the scissors to safe storage.

Also use the scissors to prepare the construction paper ahead of time. Cut black or brown construction paper into circles for eyes. Pre-cut black or pink triangles for noses. Cut green construction paper into thin strips. Also cut out bunny ears.

Painting the Empty Milk Gallon for the Homemade Easter Basket

Painting the empty milk gallon is the fun part for kids. Kids will need to select one animal: a bunny rabbit or a duck. Their animal selection will determine the paint colors they use.

For a duck, be sure to have plenty of yellow paint. The child could paint a duck any color, of course, but yellow is a pretty standard color.

For a bunny rabbit, the creative painting options are more open. The bunny rabbit could be brown, black, tan, gray, or any combination of those colors with white or colored spots. Again, the child may want to paint a rainbow bunny.

Once the exterior of the gallon jug is painted, it needs to dry. It is not necessary to paint the bottom or the inside.

Decorating the Empty Milk Gallon for the Homemade Easter Basket

After the project has dried, it is time to decorate. Kids can use the cotton balls for tails or spots, pipe cleaners for whiskers, construction paper for the ducks' wings and feet, the pre-cut triangles for noses, and the pre-cut circles for eyes.

Use shredded green construction paper, for grass on the inside.

Kids will enjoy this Easter craft using recycled materials.