The holiday of Easter has its religious roots, yet many families give out Easter baskets for other reasons, too--such as to mark the emergence of Spring. Featuring brightly colored eggs, small toys, chocolate candies, jelly beans, and all types of rabbit and duck icons, such Easter baskets delight the kids. Some are presented in person, and some are found out on the doorstep, or even in a field of grass.
Traditionally, the sweets and trinkets are packed inside a straw or wicker basket, but there are other clever ways to bundle up holiday treats. Try one of the ideas below, to help the presentation stand apart from other gifts.
Stuff an Inverted Hat
An inverted hat makes a great nest for Easter treats and can be reused later for fashion, or for play. Think about packing boy's things inside a baseball cap, a cowboy hat, or a plastic fireman's hat. For girls, use a pretty pastel sun hat or a straw boater. A fedora is a hat style worn by teens of both sexes, especially since pop icons like Bruno Marsmarsbruno.net/bruno-mars-wears-many-hats-for-gq-178 and Nick Jonas have sported them. Giving a hat-ful of goodies will surely make the recipient smile, and think of the giver when it is worn later.
Make a Bunny from a Paper Bag
With a few creative snips and two cotton balls, a paper bag can quickly be turned into a bunny sack. This craft was featured in the book ""Paper Bag Crafts" (see Source info below.
- Cut a slit 4" down along the side seam of an open brown paper )bag. Repeat on opposite seam.
- Follow the edge created around back, cutting and removing excess paper.
- On the raised front side, cut a "V" shape down the center, forming bunny ears, then save the paper V
- Decorate the face and ears of the bunny, using markers and one cotton ball as a nose.
- Glue the other cotton ball to the back of the sack as a tail.
- Cut the paper V in half and glue (flat side down) to either side of the bag front, forming bunny paws.
- Fill the sack with toys and goodies, and if desired, nesting material.
Make an Easter Box
Easter time is also close to Earth Day, so what could be wiser than reusing items to pack up Easter treats? Re-use a shoe box (perhaps from those spiffy new holiday shoes) and pack the sweets inside it. Boxes can be painted, covered with contact paper, or even wrapped up. Adding stickers, glitter or pom poms will help the box look even more cute and colorful.
However one chooses to present their Easter treats, they will certainly be enjoyed by the recipient--especially when they include chocolate. Choosing something other than the conventional basket will set the gift apart, and can also give the child an extra accessory or storage piece to enjoy later. Make one of these projects--like a bunny sack-- and help make the holiday memorable.
Source: "Paper Bag Crafts," Random House, NY, 1999, Author: Jeri Dayle, Illustrator Tammie Lyon, Project Title: Bags Bunny.
Jeri Dayle-Rabinowitz - Jeri Dayle is a writer mom, or should I say a mom writer? I worked in advertising both full and part-time while raising my family, jobs ...
