Depending on the recipient of your Easter basket, you’ll want to choose the basket carefully. Avoid those cheap woven plastic baskets and synthetic Easter basket grass fillers. Shredded paper in Easter pastels makes a pretty bed for the goodies to rest on, as does green yarn or tissue. Quality baskets aren’t usually too expensive, and they can be reused for years. Check out your local craft store for a wide variety of baskets in all shapes, sizes and colors. For boys, especially teenage boys and men, Easter baskets in a darker wood finish are more masculine. And don’t think the container you select for any of your recipients has to be the same old thing—think outside the basket! Hat boxes, photo boxes, baseball hats, handbags and even festive trays can make Easter baskets.
It goes without saying that for children, candy and Easter go hand in hand. So any Easter basket for a child wouldn’t be complete without the requisite chocolate bunny, jellybeans and yellow marshmallow chicks. What other candy does the child like?
Hide his or her favorite bite-sized candy bars or chocolate kisses in plastic eggs. If you’re going to be making Easter baskets for more than one child, a smart (and fun) option is to visit a candy store where you can buy bulk candy by weight. Look for chocolate eggs with speckled candy shells, gummies in all shapes and flavors, sour balls, lollipops, licorice, toffee bites, chocolate-covered raisins, peanuts, and every flavor of jellybean imaginable. Buy a variety of items, then dish a little of each into plastic eggs. Everyone gets a little of everything, and opening each egg is a surprise!
Including one or two larger gift items in a child’s Easter basket can make it extra special. Tuck a nice stuffed animal, book or video game behind the sweets and trinkets. For girls, how about an outfit, a doll, a new swimsuit for the approaching summer, or even a piece of jewelry? Boys will flip when you present them with a basket containing something involving their favorite sport or superhero. Include a handwritten note from the Easter Bunny for a whimsical touch.
Teenagers secretly love to receive Easter baskets, too, but the trick is to make them truly thoughtful and age-appropriate. For a guy, a baseball cap containing a new wallet or watch, his favorite candy bars and a card is a winning gift. Tuck a gift card or a little money in and you’ll really make his day.
Young women of course love gift cards and cash as well, but include them in the inside pocket of a new handbag that’s filled with some combination of chocolates, a new journal or book, and perhaps her favorite fragrance, lotion or lip gloss. A chic new makeup bag or piece of jewelry can also be sweet additions to the mix.
Easter gift baskets crafted for adults can be some of the most fun to put together. Consider the recipient’s passions and hobbies. A cooking enthusiast might appreciate a new cookbook, recipe box with a couple of your favorite recipes already inside, or a bottle of wine. For the golfer, include golf balls, tees and a golf towel. For a cigar aficionado, use a cigar box as your starting point, filling it with a few high-quality chocolates, specialty cigars and a sleek cigar cutter.
Do you know anyone who’s recently moved into a new home? A newly married couple or recent graduate just starting out would love a basket that acknowledges and eases this transition. A gift card to a home and garden store is always appreciated, along with perhaps a scented candle or two and a nice picture frame. New address labels, stationary, refrigerator magnets, potholders, pens and sticky notes are just a few examples of household essentials to include.
Along these same lines, new parents will be thrilled to receive an Easter basket filled with baby essentials. Choose a rectangular basket lined with fabric, one that can be used to hold diapers, onesies, socks, or washcloths.
It doesn’t take long for parents to learn that you can never have too many storage containers. You can make this as simple or as extravagant as you like, and the great thing is that most items on the baby aisle are not terribly expensive. Baby washcloths, pacifiers, plain undershirts, socks, bibs, shampoo, and lotion are all perfect fillers for baby Easter baskets. You’ll be a hit if you include baby’s first Easter book or a soft stuffed bunny rabbit. Don’t forget a little chocolate for mom, or put together her very own basket of indulgences, such as the one described below.
For female friends, why not put together a spa-themed Easter basket? Craft one out of a nice plastic or metal bath basket, line it with two or three pretty new washcloths. Fill the basket with bubble bath, bath salts, bath oil, scented lotion, a candle, an inflatable bath pillow, and perhaps a terrycloth headband. Any woman will appreciate a gift of luxurious indulgences like this. If you have the time and the desire, you can make your own bubble baths, bath salts and scented lotions, and package them in plastic or glass containers. Making your own bath products to give as Easter gifts can save you a lot of expense, and the recipient will know you took the time to create a special spa experience just for her.
Know any special seniors who could use a visit from the Easter Bunny? Don’t forget them! Make up an Easter basket for an elderly neighbor that includes an easy-to-care-for flowering plant, a package of their favorite tea or coffee, and plenty of sweets. If your senior friend is diabetic or has another reason to watch her sugar intake, no problem – just fill her basket with sugar-free treats.
In addition to the store-bought sweets you include in your Easter baskets, you can also personalize them further by including homemade treats. Bake up a batch or two of cookies, brownies or fudge, wrap individual servings in plastic wrap and tissue, and tie with a cute ribbon. Drop a few of these individual packages into each Easter basket you give away for an extra personal touch.
Not all Easter baskets have to be huge, involved productions. For work associates and other acquaintances, putting together tiny treat baskets is a thoughtful gesture. Craft stores offer smaller baskets and other cute containers that can be purchased very inexpensively. Line them with tissue and fill them with homemade sweets or simply a handful of Easter candies. Tie each one with a ribbon and include a fresh Easter lily or other flower to finish the whole thing off.
No matter what kind of baskets you put together, remember that presentation is everything. Take your time and arrange the basket contents attractively, and don’t forget a handwritten card or note telling your loved ones just how special they are to you. It’s fun to present your gifts a few days ahead of time; the recipients will be even more surprised and thrilled that you thought of them. It may even inspire them to create their own Easter baskets for loved ones.
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