The Ultimate Guide to Creating Easter Baskets for Teens

As children grow into teens it seems the magic of Easter fades for them. They no longer hunt for Easter eggs and they no longer believe in the Easter bunny. Still, you can make Easter a fun holiday for your teen by putting together an Easter basket for them. With a little creativity you can create an Easter basket that your teenager will love!

Be creative when selecting a basket to hold your teen's goodies! Also, keep in mind that it does not have to be a basket! Think about your teen's interests. A few different things you could use are a make up bag, a purse, a small gym bag, a console for their car, a baseball cap turned upside down, or a popcorn bowl. Anything that can be stuffed with grass and hold a few items is great! When selecting your 'basket' think about how big you need it to be. If you have smaller items then a baseball cap would be great. If you have larger items to put in their Easter basket then the gym bag would be better.

Once you have selected an Easter basket, stuff it with grass and get creative about what you put in it. Here are a few ideas. Make sure to customize the basket to fit your teen's interests.

For the Artist: If your child loves art fill their basket with items that they can use to create their masterpieces. Go for paintbrushes, paints, colored pencils, sketch pads, a book about art, pastels, pencils, charcoal, and erasers. You can get a canvas bag for 3 to 5 dollars and fill it with goodies.

For the Writer: For the writer in your family put together a basket with a journal, notebooks, small notepads, pens, pencils, erasers, a dictionary, or a thesaurus.

For the Athlete: There is so much you can put into an Easter basket for the athlete in your life. Look for small exercise equipment such as weights, wrist weights, jump ropes, pedometers, yoga mats, or anything else they could use if they regularly work out. If your teen likes to play football, throw in new football. You can do the same for basketball, baseball, soccer, etc. Throw in some athletic socks or other items that they can wear while doing their favorite sport. If they collect sports cards these are also a great add on to the Easter basket.

For the Reader: Reading is a favorite hobby at all ages. If your teen always has their book in a nose, create an Easter basket to encourage their reading. Small book lights, bookmarks, and bookends are great gifts. Select a couple of books that you think your teen would like. If you think they would enjoy a book that has been made into a movie, you can purchase both the book and the movie. Readers always love to compare and see how the movie is different from the book. If you aren't sure what book your teen might enjoy, purchase a gift card to their favorite book store. This way they can pick out something they will like.

For the Music Lover: CDs are perfect for music lovers, but it doesn't stop there. If your teen has an Ipod, look for accessories that they could use with it. CD cases can be purchased for a low price and it will help organize your teens CDs. If your teen actually plays an instrument consider purchasing sheet music, guitar picks, guitar straps, drum sticks, and other items that they can use while playing. If you aren't sure what to get, purchase a gift certificate to their favorite music store.

For the Movie Lover: Movie lovers are so much fun to buy for! Start with gift certificates to the local movie theater and movie rental store. You could purchase one movie but they will get to see more movies with these gift certificates. Throw in some popcorn and their favorite movie candy as well. At some stores you can even purchase different flavors to shake onto popcorn. These come in flavors such as parmesan, garlic, and Cajun seasonings. A popcorn bowl makes a great basket for this gift!

For the Teenage Girl: Your options for a teenage girl are endless! The make up aisle can be your best friend when putting this basket together. Start with the basics such as lipstick, lip-gloss, bronzer, blush, foundation, powder, eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara. Throw in some make up brushes, sponges, and eye lash curler, and facial masks.

For the Driver: If your teenager is old enough to drive, they are probably spending a lot of time out on the road. Consider purchasing things from the automotive section such as air fresheners, visor CD holders, car cleaning supplies, and decorative items. Gift certificates are great for a teenage driver. Pick up a gas card gift certificate, car wash gift certificate, or gift certificate to their favorite fast food places.

Keep in mind that you can venture out and select a few items from each of your teenager's interests. You do not have to stick to one theme. While those items work according to your teenager's hobbies, here are a few more ideas that are great to give to any teenager!

Candy: We never get too old for candy and no Easter basket is complete without it! Wait until the last minute to purchase your Easter candy. The week before Easter, most stores begin putting it on sale.

Clothes: Your teenager may not be a big shopper, but they still need clothes to put on their back. Easter is a great time to find great sales on clothes and stock up for their spring wardrobe!

Toiletries: While this might not be the most exciting gift it is okay to add a few toiletries into an Easter basket. Shampoo, conditioners, face wash, hair products, and acne creams are all great choices.

Other: Here are some odds and ends you can add in as well: magazines, sunglasses, jewelry, hair brushes, body wash, coffee mugs, and watches.