Walking into the store, you are bombarded with pastel colors, Reese’s eggs, jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, plastic candy-filled eggs, and all things bunny-shaped. Easter season is here and that means Easter baskets. Christmas was just a few months ago (and then Valentine’s Day), so of course I don’t want to spend a lot of money on Easter. Here are my tips for making quick and easy budget-friendly Easter baskets.
Think outside the basket
Don’t worry about that traditional Easter basket that will just get tossed to the side anyway. Use a beach bucket, umbrella, rain boots, baseball cap, or small plastic organization bin. Get creative! When looking at non-traditional baskets, think of ways you can use it after Easter, like for toy or craft storage.
Skip the stuffed animal
If your kids are like mine, then you know they don’t need another stuffed animal. My kids can get lost in their beds amongst all of their animals! Besides becoming dust collectors, they can also get pretty pricey. To stay within budget, just avoid that aisle all together.
Avoid pre-filled baskets and plastic eggs
The convenience of ready-made baskets and eggs can be very tempting, but you have to remind yourself that you are paying more for that convenience. Also, the candy in the pre-filled eggs never seems to taste as good as regular candy!
To save a few dollars, purchase candy and plastic eggs separately. It takes a tiny bit longer to fill each egg, but it allows you to give each child the candy they really want. The Dollar Store usually has several different designs of plastic eggs, as well as brand-name candy.
Be realistic
When looking for items to include in baskets, ask yourself if the kids will want it after Easter Sunday. For example, those bunny ears and glasses will make for a cute Instagram photo, but after that, will the kids touch the again? Probably not! I prefer to give my kids things they’ll want to continue to play with, like new crayons, dress-up items, books, and puzzles.
One last tip … once I put together the baskets for my kids, I like to include a personalized, hand-written note from the Easter Bunny himself. It doesn’t cost a thing and my kids LOVE that he always includes a joke.
