14 Homemade Easter Baskets That Double as Pretty Decorations
Repurpose household items to make these DIY baskets.
Why buy your Easter basket when you can make one that's even prettier? These crafts start with household items as a base (think paint cans, paper, and jars), and end as beautiful baskets, ready to be filled with Easter treats or a few Easter gifts. If you already have baskets for your crew, you can include these crafts as part of your Easter decorations, or place them on your Easter breakfast table at each guest's place—they're adorable when they're loaded with beautifully decorated Easter eggs.
Solo Cup Easter Basket
If you're making tiny Easter nests for a crowd, this might be the perfect inexpensive option. All you need is a few Solo cups and a little hot glue.
1. Purchase various colors of plastic cups—each "basket" will use four cups. If you don't want four separate colors, you could alternate with just two.
2. Cut the edges of each cup into patterns. All should be different heights so that each color shows through. We chose a jagged edge. Save one of the rims.
3. Remove the bottoms from three of the cups. The innermost cup should keep its bottom.
4. Nest the cups together to create a colorful pattern.
5. Create a handle with the rim of a plastic cup and attach it to the edge with hot glue.
Craft developed by Morgan Levine
Cardboard Bunny Basket
Studio Rosie created this adorable bunny purse out of cardboard, twine, and the strap from an unused purse. It's a fun way for kiddos to collect their eggs and Easter candy, too.
Paper Mache Easter Basket
This charming paper mache option is perfect for an indoor egg hunt.
1. Use craft glue and tissue paper to create a bowl form around an inflated balloon, building up several layers. Applying Vaseline to the balloon beforehand allows for easier release once the tissue paper is dry.
2. Use a circle punch to create contrasting colored dots out of construction paper, and apply them to the bowl shape with glue.
3. Create a handle by twisting two strips of tissue paper around each other. Fasten the handle to the bowl shape with glue.
Craft developed by Morgan Levine
Colorful Mini Easter Baskets
Some decorative card stock, ribbon, scissors, a hot glue gun, and a hole punch are all you need to create these cute mini Easter baskets! These also make great party favors if you have friends and family over for an Easter egg hunt.
Sticker Embellished Paint Can
Paint cans are the perfect size for an easy-to-craft Easter basket. Used ones may be difficult to clean thoroughly enough to make it food safe, but you can purchase new, unused paint cans at a hardware store, like Home Depot.
1. Buy Easter-themed stickers at your local craft store—we chose a flower theme.
2. Apply stickers to the can.
Craft developed by Morgan Levine
Woven Basket
Photo by Anne Weil of Flax and Twine
Want to try your hand at weaving your own basket? This handy tutorial from Anne Weiss at Flax and Twine will take a little more time than some of the others in this story, but the outcome is gorgeous, and you can use it year after year!
Recycled Can Easter Basket
This homemade basket can be sized how you please—choose a more generously sized coffee or tomato can for a larger basket, or beans or soup for a smaller one.
1. Wrap a tin can in yarn. You can adhere the yarn to the can using craft glue—we used MagnaTac because it dries almost instantly.
2. Wrap a few strands of contrasting colored yarn towards the top of the can.
3. Create a handle using braided yarn. A thicker braid (using multiple pieces of yarn for each strand) will result in a handle that stands up on its own.
Craft developed by Morgan Levine
Easter Basket Made of Bowls
This clever DIY Easter basket was made using bowls from the Dollar Store, and is an easy way to impress your kids on Easter morning! It's a great size for larger Easter gifts. Follow along with the tutorial shown here to make it (or similar) for yourself.
Hardened Twine Basket
A rustic-looking handmade Easter basket can be as elaborate or simple as you choose, when you're designing it with household twine.
1. Cover a glass bowl in Vaseline and turn it upside down.
2. Saturate a long piece of twine in craft glue. Only soak about 12 inches at a time to avoid tangling, and wrap it around the bowl.
3. Allow craft glue to dry—this will help the twine harden around the shape.
4. Once dry, slip the bowl out of the twine (that's what the Vaseline is for!).
Craft developed by Morgan Levine
Felt Letters with Wire Basket
An easy idea for a homemade Easter basket is to add felt letters (you can buy from craft stores like Michael's or on Etsy or Amazon) to a wire basket or bin. A little hot glue gun action or attaching it with a needle and thread will secure them, and then they can be reused for toys or craft supplies after Easter is finished!
Easter Jar
This charming alternative to the traditional Easter basket could also make a beautiful addition to your Easter decorations.
1. You'll need to purchase a mason jar, or use an old salsa or other sauce jar that has been thoroughly cleaned.
2. Cut out grass and flower shapes from sheets of tissue paper.
3. Use Mod Podge to decoupage them onto a glass jar.
Craft developed by Morgan Levine
Simple Paper Bag Bunny Basket
This paper bag Easter basket idea is inexpensive, quick, and easy for kiddos to help with. Leave the top open for more of a basket alternative, or close it up as shown here to use it as gift wrap or party favor packaging.
Woven Paper Basket
You probably crafted Easter baskets like this when you were a kid—now you can pass the Easter tradition on to your kids.
1. Cut four 21-inch long strips of paper in two colors and 11 15-inch long strips in two colors. All strips should be one inch in width.
2. Line up five of the 15-inch strips in alternating colors side by side.
3. Weave a 15-inch strip of paper through those five strips, and continue with an additional four strips in alternating colors. Slide strips of paper so they are all touching and there are no gaps between any of the strips. You should have a 5-by-5 grid of squares in the center of the strips. This is the base of your basket.
4. Fold the ends of the strips up at the edge of the square grid to create sides. Weave the remaining four 21-inch strips of paper through the strips on the side, fastening ends with glue and alternating colors.
6. Fold the one-inch overhang into the basket and fasten with glue.
7. Glue the last 15-inch strip to the basket to create a handle.
Craft developed by Morgan Levine
Related: Easter Traditions, Explained
Upcycled Easter Basket with Pom Poms
Talk about a glow-up! Take any ol' inexpensive Easter basket, add some colorful pom poms and ears (a hot glue gun is your best friend here), and voilà! A cute and cheerful basket that took you close to no time.
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