Make your own Easter baskets for less

Like I have said before you can do more for less if you just think about it. Every year around Easter time you can get several Easter baskets for your children that can cost quite a lot of money. If you look close at these baskets they are mostly filler like grass or paper and you are paying $20.00 for a bunch of grass two pieces of candy and a cheap will fall apart in less than an hour toy. I know it is tempting to buy one but you can do it better yourself and cheaper.

I like to go to the Thrift Store in my neighborhood, The Harvest Hills Animal Shelter. All of the proceeds go to the providing for the animals in the shelter. All of the items are donated. I went there today and they had a really nice Easter display. The Easter baskets and Easter grass were all priced $.25. They had cute little eggs and all kinds of decorations. Easter shoes, Easter dresses suits for the children. You can find a local thrift store in your neighborhood. The Dollar Tree always has a bunch of Easter baskets and Easter items also.

I didn't buy a Easter basket because I saved our Easter baskets from last year. Or was it the year before? Anyhow I have got at least two maybe three years use out of my $.25 cent baskets so far.

I did buy some plastic eggs at the Dollar Tree because they were cute little footballs and soccer balls this year and my son will enjoy that. They were 8/$1.00.

I try and save the plastic eggs each year but the kids always have so much fun playing with them making their own egg hunts I let them play with them. Most of the time they get lost or broke and I have to buy a couple packages of eggs each year.

Don't buy the plastic grass! It makes a mess, I am not sure if it is good for the earth, and my pets have been known to eat it and become ill.
Use your paper shredder and make your own grass. Or you can use the shredder at the library or a large office store has a copy area that has a shredder you can use for free.

I have some ribbon in the closet that I use for every holiday that is what I will tie my bow on my Easter basket for my son.
I put a few pieces of candy in it that I get from here and there but not a lot.
I bought some chocolates that were 75% off from Valentines that will go in their baskets. I also bought the peeps that were on sale this week at Walgreens for $.39. Then I did splurge and put some thing not so cheap in his basket and that is a Pinocchio DVD. But that is for hours and hours of rainy day fun. You can put what ever toy in your basket or no toy at all. A great book, play dough or crayons are great ideas. I usually put in something that my kids want and will like. Right now my son has just discovered cartoons and Pinocchio is a timeless classic that I know he will enjoy.

If you look at the Easter baskets that are for sale you will get a idea of what you can do for your basket.

The Dollar Tree usually has plastic shrink wrap if you really want that store bought look. I found that my kids don't really care what the basket looks like but only care about what is inside.

When you do buy a basket get one that will last a few years so you can use it over and over again. Or use it for a different purpose in your house. I have a few in the house that I use to put mail in or on my counter in the bathroom with soaps and hand towels.

So go through your house and find a basket or two. Grandma might just have a basket you can have if she is like my Grandma she more than ten! (Grannie does not throw anything away!) Have fun making your own personal basket that will be better than the ones in the store and ten times cheaper!