Once spring has sprung, our house turns into an Easter Bunny trail. We start preparing for the big day, including putting together Easter baskets.
On Easter Sunday, our family usually attends church. Afterwards, I prepare or cater an Easter lunch. Our family comes over to enjoy an Easter egg hunt at our home.
But the star of the show is always the Easter basket! My girls get so excited about opening their baskets on Easter Sunday. As most mamas know, purchasing Easter baskets at your local grocery store can be pretty costly, so I’m going to share my dollar-store hacks for creating a beautiful basket on a dime.
>> RECOMMENDED RESOURCE :: Easter Events and Egg Hunts in the Fort Worth Area <<
Start With a Theme
Walking down the aisles of the store picking out items for an Easter basket can be overwhelming! There is an abundance to choose from and it’s easy to overspend. Instead, pick a theme before you even go in the store. Set guidelines for yourself so you can pare down what makes the cut into your basket. For example, maybe you’ll only get train-themed items. Maybe your kiddo’s favorite color is purple, so you only purchase purple things. Then, you when you think to yourself, “Should I get this?” you can ask, “Does it fit the theme?”
Each year I think about what my daughters are really into that year. We’ve done Minnie Mouse and Frozen. I’m pretty sure this year we’ll have an Ariel-themed basket. This is a great way to narrow down the items you’d like to place in the basket.
Pick Out Your Items
Here is a list of items I usually incorporate in our basket that can all be found at your local dollar store.
Preschool/Toddlers
- Bubbles
- Bubble bath and bath toys
- Building blocks
- Chalk
- Children’s book
- Crayons and coloring book
- Fruit snacks or other favorite treats
- Puzzle
- Sippy cup
- Stuffed animal
- Whistle
Elementary Aged Children
- Bath paints/bath bombs
- Bubbles
- Children’s book
- Coloring book
- Doll/action figure
- Markers/crayons/colored pencils
- Modeling clay or slime
- Salty snacks
- Sweet snacks
- Wooden paint set
Middle/High School Children
- Adult or teen coloring book
- Card games
- Cash/gift card
- Colored pencils
- Personal care items (makeup, body wash, lotions, body sprays)
- Snacks
Choose Your Basket
The dollar store will have a plethora of baskets to choose from. Some are specifically for the Easter holiday and others are just plain baskets. Choose your basket AFTER you have collected all your items to make sure you get one large enough to fit everything. If you have time in the store, place everything in the basket to see how you can arrange it to your liking.
Fill the Spaces
If you have still have space in your basket after filling it with Easter items — or maybe you want to add height and depth to the overall look of the basket — purchase some crinkle paper or tissue paper to fill the gaps or add height.
Another way to add some height is to use shredded paper in the bottom of the basket. Or, you can purchase cute washcloths kiddos can use in the bathroom, roll them up, and situate items on top of the washcloths.
Wrap It Up
Most dollar stores sell large plastic bags to wrap your basket in. Wrap it up and purchase a beautiful bow or ribbon to secure the bag. You’re all done! This extra step gives a polished “extra” look to the basket — and keeps little fingers out until you say it’s ready to dive in!
The Easter holiday is such a special time for our friends and family. We spend several weekends leading up to the day with friends at community events, church events, and school events. It’s a great time for fellowship. I hope you have a great time creating memories for your children.
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Making Easter baskets could be a great tradition to start. It could even be a great activity to do with other mom friends. I’m always trying to find a reason to connect with my mama friends. Please share your best basket ideas in the comments. We’d love to hear them!
