Easter is fast approaching, and it’s time to think about the kids. Hopefully, most of you have put together a basket for Easter; if not, no worries, I have your back.
I remember waking up Easter Morning to my Easter Basket full of goodies from the Easter Bunny. My siblings and I would leave our Easter Baskets out for the Easter Bunny to fill up in the night full of toys and candy.
Today, you can purchase pre-stuffed baskets with toys and candy wrapped in plastic wrap from the store. However, I don’t remember them from childhood because we didn’t receive a new basket each year; we reused the same one year after year.
It wasn’t even the basket we cared about; it was more about the surprises waiting for us to find in the morning. Undoubtedly, the magic of Easter continues to parallel that of Christmas morning!
“Young children set out their Easter baskets…to see what kinds of chocolate bunnies and other special treats the fluffy, mythical creature has left in their baskets overnight.”
– What Are the Easter Bunny’s Origins? Here’s What History Tells Us, Country Living
Like my parents, I’m a firm believer in reusing and upcycling. As a mom of two, I enjoy the time and care involved in making personalized Easter baskets. They’re (almost) as unique as my kids, and they celebrate the holiday with original Easter baskets and gifts every year.
What is upcycling?
Simply put, upcycling is:
“The process of transforming materials destined to be destroyed into new products of higher value and environmental purpose.”
Why Choose Upcycled or Reusable Easter Baskets?
Here’s the short answer: It’s economical, eco-friendly, and easy to-to do! You’ll save money, reduce waste, and save time not having to stand in long lines with the masses at your local shops. Learn how to create an Eco-friendly Easter basket, plus eco-friendly Easter basket materials, egg hunt and stuffer ideas here!
I’ll share the DIY baskets I’ve created for my daughter and son, where to get the basket stuffers, plus ideas for repurposing these creative DIY Easter baskets. I’ll also include ideas I have not used for future Easters that may catch your fancy.
7 Unique DIY Upcycled Easter Baskets
Are you stuck for ideas on how to surprise your little bunny? Here are seven unique DIY Easter Baskets for kids, perfect for the DIY enthusiast, thrifty moms, and eco-conscious mommas alike.
1. Reusable Tin Easter Basket
This was my daughter’s first Easter and had so much fun creating and putting together her first basket from the Bunny.
- Tin Basket that we now use in our sandbox.
- Tsum Tsums
- Bath toys
- Books
- Onesie
How to upcycle or reuse this basket
We have reused this basket to collect Easter eggs as my daughter got older. She now uses it outside in the sandbox. Once she realized it was a fantastic noisemaker as a drum, the tin bucket became an outdoor toy.
2. Traditional Easter Basket for Toddlers
On my daughter’s second Easter, I purchased an orange traditional Easter Basket and stuffed it with puzzles, tsum tsums, books, and other fun items for her.
How to upcycle or reuse this basket
When Easter was over, I cut off the handle and now store all my cooking seasonings. I just take the basket out of the kitchen cabinet, and all my herbs are there for me to go through when I need them.
3. Non-Traditional Red Wagon Easter Basket
On my daughter’s third Easter, I vetoed the traditional basket and used this cute little red wagon filled with goodies.
- Wagon
- Squigs
- Disney Princess Little People
- To Many Carrots Board Book
- God Bless our Easter Board Book
How to upcycle or reuse this basket
Now, this Wagon is outside, where my son loves pulling it throughout the yard, gathering items along the way. This wagon also came in handy while my daughter and I collected veggies from the garden to pull back to the house with our bounty. It is also small enough to keep it inside to gather toys and pull along by your child inside the home.
4. Practical Easter Beach Essentials Bag
On her fourth Easter, I purchased a beach bag to stuff with all of her goodies. When I received the bag, I didn’t realize how big the bag was in person. Don’t get me wrong, the bigger the bag, the better, but I knew it was too big to stuff full of Easter goodies. So I used a decorative basket in my home, folded the bag, and placed it in the basket with other fun swim and summer goodies. I knew I would be purchasing the swim and summer items either way, so why not make them from The Easter Bunny? Don’t be afraid to go practical with your child’s basket! You don’t have to fill the basket with toys and candy to make it fun.
- Claire’s jewelry
- Children’s place Sunglasses
- Books
- Sun hat
- Swim goggles
How to upcycle or reuse this basket
I purchased this decorative basket from Hobby Lobby as a set of three different sizes. I love decorative baskets. I use them for blankets; my family loves blankets, so each bedroom has a collection of blankets. You can use larger-sized “Easter baskets” to store them neatly and aesthetically pleasing to the rest of your home decor.
5. Washtub Easter Baskets
I created two baskets this last year, one for my daughter and son. I purchased washtubs to use for their “baskets.” I made a magical Unicorn Garden-themed basket for my daughter and a mystical Dragon-themed basket for my son.
Magical Unicorn Garden Basket
Mystical Dragon Basket
How to upcycle this basket
My daughter now uses her tub to store barbies, and my son’s tub holds his diapers and lotions. As he outgrows diapers, he will most likely use his tub for toys like his sister. Years ago, I came across this basket at our local Walmart, loved it, and later received it as a gift because I admired it so much!
6. Easter Basket for a Teenager or adult Daughter
- Hair Products
- Perfume
- OPI Nail Polish
- Bath & Body Products. I personally think the wallflower refills look like eggs, so instead of plastic eggs filled with candy, you can use wallflowers in their basket.
- Devotionals for Women
How to upcycle this basket
I’ve used it for everything from a bread box in the kitchen to storing my hair products and accessories in the bathroom. I keep it under my bathroom sink for easy and convenient storage.
7. Easter Basket for your teenage or adult Son
For your teenage to an adult son or heck for any man in your life you want to present a basket to. Here are some ideas to fill the basket:
- Cologne
- Devotionals for Men
- Beef Sticks instead of the traditional candy
- Sunglasses
- Ballcap
How to upcycle this basket
You can purchase a cooler of any size and fill it up with Easter goodies and treats for them. This particular set is the Coleman 3-Piece 48Qt Cooler Combo. Once Easter is over, they can reuse their cooler for BBQs, camping trips, or everyday lunches and snacks, depending on the size you decide on.
Upcycled Easter Baskets, made easy.
As I said before, I sincerely believe in upcycling. You don’t have to purchase a new basket for your kids year after year. After all, the basket itself isn’t important; what’s truly magical are its contents! Creating personalized Easter baskets for my children is an exceptional experience every year.
I encourage you to upcycle and reuse your baskets each Easter. It’s an easy, creative, and budget-friendly alternative to the traditional pre-stuffed Easter Baskets. Furthermore, you’ll be giving Earth an Easter gift by not contributing to landfill waste!
You can also follow me on Pinterest @tiffanyreckard and check out the board for intriguing Easter ideas for the future, plus many other fascinating boards! Check out @thedramafreemomma for simplified parenting advice, tips, and hacks while you’re there.