Easter Ideas

How to Plan the Best Indoor Easter Egg Hunt

By Gathered Again

Easter has been celebrated all around the globe for mainly two reasons. One, it is a celebration for Spring; and two, Christians are rejoicing for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Either way, let us not let this holiday pass without having fun with our family and loved ones.

However, there may be circumstances that would hinder us from celebrating this Easter outdoors. It could be due to unpredictable weather—one day it’s bright and sunny, but the next thing you know, it’s raining cats and dogs—or it could be due to health reasons. Also, some of our folks out there don’t have a backyard or garden where they could organize their egg hunts.

However, it doesn’t mean that you and your family can’t celebrate the occasion. It doesn’t only have to be done outdoors; why not bring the fun indoors? Prepare your costumes, and organize the best Easter egg hunt inside your homes!

Mission 101: Planning the Indoor Easter Egg Hunt

Whether you live in a studio-type loft or in the countryside where you have a small garden in your backyard, let’s make the most out of our space to organize a spectacular indoor Easter egg hunt for our kids.

Listed below are several tips on how to plan and organize an indoor Easter egg hunt, as well as the materials you might need.

Make it as Interactive as Possible

Prepare and draw a map for them with corresponding actions or activities at every checkpoint in the map to keep their enthusiasm and energy at its peak.

Every checkpoint means that there’s a hidden egg in the area, and you may use disposable eggs wherein you could put some dares or activities for your kids to do inside. Examples of which could be twisting your tongue, butt spelling your name, hopping like a bunny, or singing your favorite song using animal sounds.

Give Equal Opportunities to Everyone

To avoid conflicts and quarrels between your kids, let them feel that there are equal opportunities for all of them. The eggs may be color-coded—only Jamie can pick the yellow eggs, John can pick the blue eggs, and Joe can pick the green ones. With this, we can make sure that everyone will get the same number of eggs.

Have a Bunny Trail

This is optional—it depends on who would clean the beautiful mess after. You may opt to have a bunny trail made of flour, or you could use cotton balls or printed bunny footprints as an alternative. The trail is an additional visual aid for your kids’ egg hunt.

Don’t Forget the Sweet Treats and Goodies!

Another alternative for the bunny trail is a flower cups trail filled with jelly beans, which shows the way to their Easter baskets. Aside from that, you can have a reward treat after every checkpoint to keep them motivated and energized.

Indoor Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

When imagination and creativity are combined, it’s not that hard to achieve an indoor Easter egg hunt. It may be more challenging, fun, and exciting when conducting it indoors.

Here are several ideas for you to choose from:

Color-Coded Egg Hunt

Give equal opportunities to all of your kids by assigning each of them a color to scavenge or find. This should avoid quarrels or fights during the course of hunting. You may opt to draw lots to know which color each kid should find. After which, you may give them their color-coded bucket where they would put the eggs.

You may also opt to hide these dyed or painted eggs near a place with the same color or shade. For example, hide one blue egg behind your blue pillow in the living room, the red egg behind the red book on the shelf, or the green egg with your green vegetables found in the fridge.

Scavenger Egg Hunt

Who says a scavenger egg hunt can only be done outdoors? Have the kids find the hidden eggs by giving them clues after each task or during a certain time in the day. The clues could also be hidden in obvious places, so the kids have to look for, not only the eggs, but for the clues as well.

This kind of egg hunt can be combined with the egg hunting idea below, or it could stand on its own. Also, make sure that your clues or hints include brain teasers, rhymes, or puzzles. Let your kids’ brains work for it, so they can exercise their mental faculties as well.

Egg Hunt Checklist

Achieve this egg hunt checklist by putting some silly tasks, such as read a certain tongue twister, sing your favorite song, name three countries that start with the letter C, and so on. In addition, you may come up with a map for them to follow, like find this egg in the kitchen, laundry room, and bedroom.

Also, you may give them a list of eggs to hunt in any order: striped egg, blue egg, chocolate-filled eggs, eggs with jelly beans, etc. When they ticked all of those in their list, don’t forget to give them rewards!

Out of ideas? You may search the web for printable Easter Egg Hunt Checklists.

Blindfolded Egg Hunt

This version of egg hunt is easy—you don’t need to do all the work to hide the eggs. If you’re busy with work, and have no time to prepare and organize an Easter egg hunt for your kiddos, this might be suitable for you.

Depending on the number of kids you have, you may split them into teams: one will be blindfolded while the other one will instruct and guide the blindfolded kid to catch those eggs. You may opt to be a guide as well.

Another idea is that all kids would be blindfolded, and they would individually search eggs in a designated room or area, so that all kids have equal opportunity to be blind for a moment.

A safety tip for everyone—clear the room of all hazards for a smooth and orderly flow of the egg hunt.

Golden Egg Hunt

Kids will be challenged and motivated finding this one golden egg. Fill this egg with cash, candy or sweet treats for your kiddos as a reward. Hide it in unusual places to hype them up, such as behind the media player on the shelf or in their toy boxes.

Gentle reminder to you, parents—remember to give equal opportunities to everyone. If you have three kids, prepare three golden eggs for each because there may come to a point that the kids will fight over this one egg. Easter should be fun, and it is for the kids. Make it memorable for the little one, and not full of tears.

Money Egg Hunt

Yep, you’ve guessed it right! Put a corresponding amount of money for each egg. It could be as low as a dollar, and as high as 25 bucks (or whichever amount you deem reasonable)! You could either write the amount with a marker, or place the money inside a toy egg.

It’s also more fun if the eggs aren’t color-coded, so the kids can’t expect how much they’re getting. After all, everybody likes an extra cash to save for future expenses.

Glowing Egg Hunt

Top up the usual egg hunt by organizing it at night—lights off, and turn on those neon lights. Ask help from your kids by dyeing or painting the eggs with neon and bright colors to complement your egg hunt’s theme.

Also, you might want to buy some glow in the dark sticks converted to bracelets, necklaces or accessories. Don’t forget to clear out the room of any hazards before playing!

Chore Exemption Egg Hunt

Looking for a unique egg hunt this year? Cut the kids some slack with the chores through this type of egg hunt. Fill the Easter eggs with certain tasks or chores they are exempted to do for the rest of the week. It’s like “can’t say no to the kids challenge” Easter edition.

You can either hide those eggs without any catch or have them do a task before giving out clues. You can also have them find those eggs within a certain period of time.

Have Easter Egg Fun Indoors

Whatever circumstance hinders you from celebrating Easter outdoors right now, it’s still possible to achieve the yearly Easter egg hunt for the kids by bringing all the fun indoors.

Keep in mind that egg hunting need not necessarily be done outdoors. Challenge yourselves as organizers, and your kids to successfully achieve an indoor Easter egg hunt. Nevertheless, the kids will surely love and appreciate all the efforts you’ve done to pull off a fun and memorable Easter celebration.

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Beautiful Christian Easter Decorations For Your Home

By Gathered Again

It’s that time of the year when our homes, yards and the whole community are filled with colorful dyed eggs and Easter bunnies. But before that, let us not forget the essence of why we celebrate Easter. It is the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead in accordance with the Scriptures.

But, have you ever wondered why rabbits and eggs are associated with Easter? It is said that pagans long ago believed that rabbits symbolize rebirth and fertility. The same goes for eggs. Rebirth is associated with Spring, which coincides with the celebration of Easter. That’s why there are a lot of bunnies and eggs during this holiday.

Aside from those, there are a lot of decorative ideas and pieces to fill up your humble abodes, and let you feel the spirit of Easter. We’ve got you covered if you’re out of ideas this holiday.

Yup, they say that DIY crafts and Easter go together—from dyeing your Easter eggs to preparing its basket and wreath. But it needs a lot of time to prepare, conceptualize, and organize.

Buying Christian Easter decorations, on the other hand, could be super convenient and hassle-free even if you are a DIY-kind-of-person; it saves you more time and effort. But, there are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself before adding those items in your cart, such as “What things do I need to consider?” and “What should I shop for this Easter?”

Scroll down if you want to know more on how to make a sound decision before buying those cutesy items.

What to Consider When Buying Christian Easter Decorations

There are times when we are blinded by the decor’s physical appearance or its price. I know you have encountered situations when you said, “OMG it’s so cute, let’s buy it!” or, “It’s on sale! Let’s get ourselves one.” Yes, they may be good steals for you, but have you ever regretted buying an item because it’s not durable or it doesn’t fit your home’s aesthetics?

So, before we get impulsive, let us help you by asking these questions in order for you to make a wise and sound decision in adding those items to your cart.

Is it Durable?

Considering the durability of the item is a must to meet your money’s worth. You can know that the item is durable if it can withstand a long period of time and can be reused over the next years.

Stick with your trusted brands and companies to assure the quality and durability of the item. Moreover, you could check and research the product reviews of the item before buying it to save you from regretting in the end.

Does it Complement Your Home’s Aesthetics?

You also need to consider how the items would fit in your home’s aesthetics and preference. Does it suit your theme? Can it still be used for other occasions or can it be added as a decorative piece even if it’s not Easter?

Make sure to consider that these Christian Easter decorations would complement the tone and color of your room or home to make it more attractive. Even if it’s beautiful, if it contrasts or splashes colors to your home, it makes it less attractive. This is a no-no.

Does it Reflect Christian Easter?

Lastly, you also need to consider if the decorations reflect the essence of Christian Easter. Does it bring the Easter vibes in your home? Does it sing the spirit of rebirth and Christ’s resurrection from the dead?

Things to Shop For

Here are several items we have listed and sorted out, which may serve as your guide to complete the Easter shopping list.

Pillowcase Decor

Grab several Easter-themed pillowcases to bring the spirit of Easter to your living room. It may be colorful patterns relating to Easter or typographies, such as biblical verses or famous Easter quotes.

Table Decor

Make your home more aesthetically pleasing with table decor pieces, such as figurines, placemats, candles, and baskets.

You need to decide whether wooden, plastic, or glass figurines suit your home better. If you have kids who usually roam around the house, that’s also one thing to consider to avoid clumsy situations.

For placemats, candles, and baskets, you can buy several pieces that you can reuse after Easter. Keep in mind the above-mentioned questions before buying.

Wall Hangings

Decorate your walls and doors by hanging paintings, frames, and wreaths. One of the trendy wall hangings nowadays are those of biblical verses aesthetically printed on a canvas or a wooden board. You can mix and match several paintings and frames to make your walls more alive and creative.

10 Christian Easter Decorations for Your Home

Still don’t know what to buy and where to find Christian Easter decorations for your home? Don’t worry, we have handpicked several items that would suit your taste, perfect for Easter celebration.

“He Lives” Tabletop Decor

If you are a fan of decorating your coffee or hallway table, then this tabletop is just for you!

This 3×13-inch, three-dimensional decor includes a piece that spells out “He Lives” with a cross in the middle, which conveys the message of Christ’s Resurrection this Easter.

It is durable, which looks like it’s made of stone even though it’s actually made of sturdy resin. This may also serve as your table topper even after the holiday.

Check Price on Amazon

Avoin Easter Pillow Cover

AVOIN Easter He is Risen Pillow Cover Flower Cross Butterfly Linen Decorative Throw Pillowcase, 18 x 18 Inch Cute Spring Cushion Protector for Sofa Couch Home Decor

This Avoin Easter pillow cover is a perfect decorative statement that would complement your sofa or couch, as well as the whole living room. There are a variety of designs you could choose from, which you can mix and match to fit your taste and preference.

It is made of durable fabric, and has a breathable polyester and cotton linen material with high quality faux linen cover. It fits 18×18-inch pillows that bring super soft texture, and is shrink-resistant.

This is friendly and safe for your children, as well as for your pets. Also, the seller offers a 120-day protection against manufacturer defects. So, you are guaranteed that you’ll receive your items in the best condition possible.

Check Price on Amazon

Burlap Easter Banner

Bring the Easter spirit into your homes by purchasing this Burlap Easter Banner. You can choose either “He is Risen” or “Happy Easter” printed on it. This perfectly fits well in your fireplace, walls, or table as mantles.

This rustic burlap measures 6.3×5.5 inches, and comes with a string that is approximately 10 feet long. Included in the “He is Risen” burlap are printed purple cross in the middle and purple bows at both ends. In addition, it is eco-friendly, durable, lightweight, and pre-assembled. This means that it can be easily decorated or hung anywhere you want to put this decor, may it be indoors or outdoors.

Check Price on Amazon

“He is Risen” Wooden Sign

Craig Bachman 15" Wooden Sign: He is Risen - Door Wall Easter Religious Sign

Cop this wooden sign, which has a double purpose—a decorative piece and a reminder for us that Christ is Risen.

This 15×5-inch printed whitewash board, accented with lavender flowers, comes with a jute rope string that you can hang to your doors or wall, which makes it easy to attach and remove.

Check Price on Amazon

Qualtry Personalized Throw Pillow Covers

Qualtry Personalized Spring Throw Pillow Covers | Square Decorative Pillowcase | Throw Pillow Covers Soft Cotton Outdoor Cushion Covers 18 X 18. (He is Risen - Floral Wreath)

Give your home a ‘rebirth’ vibe by changing your pillow covers with these personalized Easter- and Spring-themed throw pillowcases from Qualtry. You can choose the design of the wreath and the print that goes with it. You can also have your family name printed below.

This 18×18-inch pillow is made of high-quality washable fabric with cute prints in the middle that can make a perfect statement piece.

Check Price on Amazon

Jesus Resurrection Set Figurine

Fun Express Jesus Resurrection Set for Easter (8 Hand Painted Pieces) Home Decor and Christian Figurines

Set this eight-piece figurine as a tabletop, which depicts the scene where Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead. It includes Jesus Christ, the tomb, and six witnesses of His resurrection. Plus, it includes a story card where you can share to your kids—share to them what happened during Easter.

This set figurine is hand painted and made of resin. Also, except for the rock, the figurines are not stationary and they’re durable and safe for kids to hold. So, if you’re looking for a statement piece that shows what Easter is all about, then add this item to your cart.

Check Price on Amazon

Biblical Verse Wooden Sign

123RoyWarner Scripture John 316 for God So Loved The World He Gave His Only Begotten Son Christian Wood Sign Easter

This solid wood sign is printed with biblical verses for us to be reminded of the true spirit of Easter. It is multi-purpose—it can be used as a door sign, wall decoration, and the likes—depending on how you style and organize this decor. It can also be used indoors or outdoors. Get this trendy, sturdy, simple yet elegant wood sign accompanied by a linen rope, which can be easily hung and removed.

Check Price on Amazon

Rustic Door Wreath

Do you want to have a decorative piece that is unique and custom-made? This item might be for you! This handmade rustic door wreath has a cross fixed at the center of this piece, which has a circumference of approximately 24 inches. It is decorated with brown mesh, accented with burlap and brown, black, and white ribbons.

The seller also gives the customer the option to choose the colors! Also, if you have an idea in mind with regards to how you want your wreath to look like, the seller’s very willing to hear from you.

It can be used indoors or outdoors. But, to maintain its good condition, it’s better if it’s set indoors.

Check Price on Amazon

Silhouette Cross on Meadow Sunrise Table Runner

Transform any ordinary table with this elegant table runner, which is made of durable cotton and linen material. It is durable, which can withstand a long period of time. Moreover, it is lightweight and serves its purpose to be the center of your tabletop.

The material is also easy to clean, as it only needs to be gently hand washed in cold water. For sure, you could use it again for next year!

Check Price on Amazon

Rustic Wall Cross

Stonebriar Decorative Worn White and Brown Wooden Hanging Wall Cross, Rustic Cross for Wall of Crosses, Religious Home Decor, Gift Idea for Birthdays, Easter, Christmas, Weddings, or Any Occasion

This rustic and vintage-looking wall cross has a brown wooden base on top of a white cross, and a small black metal cross in the center.

It can be hung alone or you can accent it with other crosses to make a statement wall. Also, it comes with an attached sawtooth hanger at the back for easy installation and use. This is a perfect piece all year round, so it’s 100 percent worth it!

Check Price on Amazon

Conclusion

Whether you are aiming for aesthetic or Instagrammable decorative statement pieces, it is better to be reminded of what it really is we’re celebrating for. Let us stick to our core—bring the spirit of Easter in our humble abodes as we celebrate our Saviour’s rebirth. Also, always remember the questions you need to ask yourselves before shopping for practicality’s sake, and to avoid regretful decisions in the end.

Easy Easter Flower Decorating Ideas

By Gathered Again Leave a Comment

Springtime is in full bloom, so what better time is there to give a family member or friend a beautiful floral plant or bouquet of fresh-cut flowers or adorn your own home or office with the scented scenery.

Many people like to purchase flowers to show appreciation to the host of an Easter event, while others enjoy planting them outside or decorating their homes inside with these Easter flowers.

Types of Easter Flowers

Although this is prime time for most species of flowering plants, there are a few distinct breeds that are synonymous with the springtime holiday.

Here are five flowers that are Easter favorites:

Easter Lilies

The Easter lily is without a doubt, the most popular flower for Easter. For many, the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, and hope. These flowers are also highly respected in the church, as Jesus actually discusses them in Luke 12:27, saying “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Tulips

These classy flowers are a close second to the Easter lily, with one colorful difference; tulips come in a wide variety of colors! Each color means something different; white symbolizes forgiveness, purple represents royalty, red means love, and yellow represents cheerful thoughts, a particularly appropriate color for Easter!

Daffodils

If there is one flower that looks like it’s smiling at you, it’s the adorable daffodil! These happy flowers are one of my favorites and symbolize rebirth and new beginnings, making it a great springtime bloom to celebrate the season with!

Irises

Irises, the state flower of Tennessee, are a uniquely shaped flower, with three petals standing upright, symbolizing faith, valor, and wisdom. They are named after the Greek goddess Iris, the Greek word for rainbow.

Daisies

Last, but certainly not least, is the humble daisy, one of the sweetest, simplest flowers, and a favorite among many women. Daisies are most commonly white, but can also be found in a variety of other pastel colors perfect for Easter. Even more appropriate is what daisies symbolize; innocence, purity, and true love. Jesus was innocent, and pure of sin, and showed true love through His sacrifice on the cross.

All of these flowers are beautiful and easily found during Easter time, which makes them ideal for gift giving and decorating.

DIY Easter Flower Decorating Ideas

Easter is the perfect time to get your creative juices flowing and get crafty with your floral decorations! And if you have the intention of giving flowers as a gift, arranging them yourself in a fun way will show your loved one you care even more!

Table Centerpieces

Of course, bouquets of spring flowers are pretty no matter what, but these are likely to be the centerpiece of your table, so why not make it something special!

Filled Vase Floral Arrangement

This beautiful centerpiece uses a technique you can use in a multitude of ways. First, you’ll need a large, wide-mouthed glass canister, and a smaller canister that you can place inside it. Layer whatever you want between the canisters, in this case, it’s dyed eggs, (jelly beans and PEEPS are also popular Easter-themed options), and place your flowers in the center. It’s so easy, yet the results look so expensive!

Carrot Easter Centerpiece

Why not decorate with the Easter Bunny’s favorite veggie?! This arrangement is surprisingly easy as well. Start by placing your flowers in a short vase, and wrap a rubber band around the outside of the vase. One at a time, place peeled carrots underneath the rubber band, circling the outside of the vase. Wrap a ribbon around the outside to hide the rubber band and finish the look. Check out the tutorial here.

Cabbage Floral Arrangement

To make this garden-inspired centerpiece, start by hollowing out a large head of cabbage, making a large enough space to place a small jar or a block of floral wet foam inside. Trim your flowers of choice and arrange them to your liking and tada, a super creative centerpiece for your Easter dinner table! For more amazing photos and the complete how-to, check out Darling Darleen.

Potted Plants

If you plan on decorating your front porch or garden for spring, make sure you include these cute ways to hold plants!

Fingerprint Flower Pots

This is a great craft to get the kids in on, since it’s impossible to mess up! All you need is a variety of pastel paints and a terra cotta pot for each person. Dip a finger in the paint and press it against the side of the pot, leaving a colorful fingerprint. Paint polka dots, flowers, bunnies, chicks, whatever you want! It’s fun, cheap, and messy, the perfect DIY project! Check out the full tutorial at Kids Stuff World.

Hanging Colander Planters

If you’re a fan of upcycling projects, you’ll love these hanging colander planters! Take a trip to your local thrift store and find a few old colanders. Grab a variety of cans of pastel-colored spray paints and paint away! Once the colanders are dry, tie a rope to the sides, fill with your favorite Easter flowers, and hang them up wherever you want!

Door Wreaths & Hangers

Welcome guests to your home with a handmade wreath or hanger that is sure to make them smile!

Easter Egg Wreath

Cute and sweet, this little floral wreath is inexpensive to make yourself, but looks like you spent a fortune on it! Decorate it with pastel Easter eggs and finish it with a ribbon of your choice. I adore the floral ribbon Crystal chose, but a burlap bow would be super cute as well! For the photo step-by-step guide, check out A Pumpkin and a Princess!

Tulip Carrot Door Hang

If you don’t smile walking up to a door with this on it, then clearly the Easter Bunny isn’t leaving you anything special! This tulip carrot door hang is about the funnest Easter decoration I’ve seen, and the fact that it’s DIY makes it even more fun! Head over to Hometalk for complete instructions.

Now that you have some ideas for how to decorate this Easter, it’s time to get out the scissors and glue gun and get to work!

DIY Easter Basket Ideas

By Gathered Again 1 Comment

Looking for ways to put your personal touch on an Easter basket this year? We have a whole bunch of super awesome DIY Easter basket ideas right here!

DIY Easter Basket Ideas

Calling all crafters! When it comes to gifting anything for the holidays, the creative-minded always enjoy putting their personal touch on gifts, whether it’s something decorative on the gift or made by hand entirely. Easter is no different!

The Basket

Of course, you can always use a basket that you bought for a buck, but that’s boring when you can simply make your own and make it awesome! Here are some ideas on how to decorate your own Easter basket.

Personalized Easter Baskets with Each Child’s Name

Personalizing an Easter basket with names is a great way to help each child know which basket belongs to who! Simply use hot glue to affix wooden or foam letters to the basket after you’ve painted them or decorated however you want! You can get these letters at

Tulle and ribbon

Tulle and ribbon make for great ways to decorate a basket, whether you’re making bows for the basket or wrapping the materials around the basket to change the appearance. Using tulle, you can even give the basket a little tutu around the outside, cute!

Paper Mache Easter Baskets

Paper mache allows you to make pretty much anything, all you really need is time, lots of glue and lots of newspaper. Using a large mixing bowl as your basket form, coat with cooking spray for easy removal, and begin layering all of those newspaper strips until you have a nice, thick basket! Let dry for a day or two before attempting to remove. It should feel hard to the touch when ready. This is a really cute tutorial:

Easter Basket Themes

If you are sticking with a theme, then the basket is perhaps the most important part of the theme. Be sure to think of ways to use the theme’s colors. For example, if you’re doing a Mickey Mouse theme, you might consider painting the basket red with a black handle and rim, giving it black Mickey Mouse ears on top, a ring of yellow along the bottom, and a couple of white buttons on the front.

The Kiddie Pool Easter Basket

Sometimes a regular basket just isn’t big enough, and I absolutely love this idea for a spring activity themed “basket.” To make the pool look like an oversized basket, simply stand up a large hula hoop to look like a handle and that’s it! Hint: You can use duct tape or place a heavier item on the hoop to keep it standing.

Exquisite Easter Edibles

Ditch the idea of buying candy for your basket arrangements and adopt the idea of making fun treats for Easter baskets instead! Not only can it be cheaper, allowing you to make bigger batches than you would be buying in-store, but it’s also much more fun!

Easter Chocolate Molds

Rather than buying a big, chocolate bunny, you can buy chocolate molds and make one yourself! The best part is, you can customize it with different colors, and put the finishing touches on it such as a mini hat or a ribbon bow around the neck!

Easter “Cracker Carrots”

Fill clear, disposable cake decorating bags with an orange treat (Goldfish, Annie’s cheddar bunnies, and cheetos work well!) and tie it off with green ribbon for the tops of the carrots, making sure to use a few green ribbons to look like the tops of the carrot.

Bunny Droppings

This is a not-so-fancy name for chocolate-covered raisins or peanuts, and I’m sure you can guess why! It’s easy-peasy, too! All you do is melt a ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips (or milk chocolate, white chocolate, and butterscotch work too) with ½ tbsp of coconut oil in a double boiler, stirring until there are no clumps. Add your peanuts or raisins, coating entirely. Spoon them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in freezer for about 10 minutes to harden, break apart and voila!

Rock candy carrots

Everyone is familiar with rock candy, but they often don’t realize how easy it is to make! You can either buy orange rock candy premade and decorate like a carrot, or you can DIY like this:

(recipe makes 4)

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in saucepan
Stir in tons of sugar until it no longer dissolves (this will take about 4-6 cups of sugar. A lot, I know!)

Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Ladle liquid into 4 champagne flutes and add orange food coloring (the more saturated, the better!)
Place wooden skewers standing straight up in the flutes, using the clothespin to secure it in the middle and keep it from touching the bottom or sides.

Day by day, you’ll see the crystals forming on the skewer, and after about a week, they’re ready to remove, dry, and wrap up!

Chocolate-covered fruit

For a healthier and yet still easy DIY idea, consider coating various kinds of berries or fruit in chocolate to serve in the Easter basket. Mmmmmm

Dozen egg-sortment box

Save a (clean) carton from a dozen eggs and line each cup with half a plastic Easter egg. Plastic cartons are ideal as they can easily be cleaned before use. Fill each egg with something different, such as:

Mini colorful marshmallows
Peeps

M&Ms
Robin eggs
Cadbury eggs

You can fill the eggs with pretty much anything you can, but candy, stickers and little toys are definitely the big hits with the kids.

Rainbow peep pops

Buy all of the colors of Peeps and place one of each color on a skewer, going in order of the rainbow spectrum. Wrap with cellophane and tie off with festive ribbon! It’s a fun spin on peeps rather than just putting the box of them in the basket.

Easter sugar cookies

If you’re good with baking, icing, and decorating, then consider using your favorite sugar cookie recipe to bake a batch of bunny or egg-shaped cookies and decorate for the holiday! And don’t worry about buying pastel food coloring. Mix a small bit of food coloring you have on hand with white frosting and voila, pastel food coloring.

Marshmallow / Caramel popcorn balls

This recipe is easy to follow and has great reviews, just be sure to add in some of the rainbow marshmallows with the popcorn when you go to form the balls for a more colorful presentation! As kids, we made these all the time and they were wonderful! Best of all, they’re inexpensive to make!

Candy nests

For this, you need 2 cups of chow mein noodles and a cup of light cocoa melts. Melt the cocoa in a double boiler until there are no chunks, let cool until you can handle it without getting burned, then add the chow mein noodles, coating evenly.using a mixing spoon, drop spoonfuls of the “nest material” onto a sheet lined with parchment paper, shaping them with your hands to look like bird nests. Add some kind of egg-shaped candy or jelly beans in the middle to act as eggs for the ultimate finishing touch! Place in fridge to cool completely.

Bunny baby food

If your child is still in the infant stages or even a toddler, consider purchasing eco-friendly refillable food pouches and making a few different kinds of yummy baby food combinations to put in the basket. Make sure to refrigerate anything that should be refrigerated! The below video reviews the Weesprout’s Reusable Food Pouches.

Get the Weesprout’s Reusable Food Pouches on Amazon.

Fun Activities for the Easter Basket

An Easter basket isn’t an Easter basket without fun things to do! Finding basket-stuffers doesn’t have to break the bank, in fact, a lot of fun things can be made with supplies that you already have around the house! Here are some ideas that are loved among all kiddos:

Homemade Play-Doh

Making homemade Play-Doh is fun and easy! The following is my absolute favorite recipe which comes the closest to the texture and consistency to the real deal, of any recipe I’ve tried. It keeps well forever as long as you keep it in a sealed in a food storage bag! You need

Ingredients for Homemade Play Dough

1 cup flour
½ cup salt
1 cup water

2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon cooking oil (I use vegetable)
food coloring

glitter (optional).

Steps to Make Homemade Play Dough

In a saucepan, mix flour, salt, water, cream of tartar, cooking oil, and food coloring over medium heat, stirring constantly.

You will notice it getting hard to stir, keep stirring until it forms a single lump of dough.
Remove from pot and knead on floured surface.
Flatten and add glitter, if desired.

Tthen knead the glitter throughout the mixture.

Slime

Every kid loves the texture of slime! It’s just gross and cool! Your best bet to find a suitable recipe is to look around online, because a lot of the recipes contain ingredients that not every parent will want in their slime such as borax, laundry detergent, or liquid starch. Most of the recipes are very easy, no matter what ingredients are involved! Here’s an example you can use:

Excavation kits

We’ve all seen those excavation kits in stores where kids can dig for rocks and fossils, but they are expensive! Make your own Easter basket size versions using small food storage containers, plaster, play sand, water, and small toys or stones.

Mix together 4 cups of sand with ¼ cup of plaster, then add ¼ cup of water mixing well. Fill containers half way, packing tightly, add the small toys or stones, then fill the containers the rest of the way, packing mixture down. Allow to dry uncovered until hardened, best to let it sun dry. Your DIY kits should also include excavating tools, in which a plastic butter knife and a paint brush work well!

Egg shakers

Fill plastic Easter eggs with various different substances such as rice, beans, buttons, bells, etc and glue shut with super glue. Shake shake shake! Kids love these things, but make sure they don’t start throwing them! Also, make sure the plastic eggs you buy are pretty decent quality. Over the years, I’ve learned there are vast differences in the thickness of the different brands of plastic eggs!

Funky crayons

Using oven safe silicone molds with shape of choice, break up various colors of crayons, making sure to use the same brand of crayon so they melt evenly. You can choose to put a bunch of random colors in each mold or organize by color group to have a more consistent color. Melt in oven on 150 degrees fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, or until the crayons have melted completely. Let cool before removing! (I like to stick mine in the freezer for a bit.)

Tutu

Tutus are easy to make, and all it takes is some colorful tulle and a piece of elastic the size of the waist you’re making it for! Here’s a great tutorial for making a really adorable one!

Cape

Using fabric of choice, a glue gun (if you plan on adding embellishments), a sewing machine (or double-sided fabric tape if you’re not good with the machine), and a piece of Velcro, you can very easily make a cape! Go the extra mile and make a matching mask to go over the eyes!

Texture balloons

Great for sensory play, fill balloons with different textures. I like the following:

Rice

Beans
Sand
Flour

Flour with a little water
Flour with a little air
And lentils.

When tying the balloons, they should be full enough to where you don’t have to try to get air out of them, about the size of an extra-large egg. For the flour one with air, give it a quick and small blow, pinch it off and tie it. Use all different color balloons for fun, or balloons that go with your basket theme!

Wipe-clean activities

Find self-adhesive laminating sheets at any stationary store or in a stationary aisle at a department store. Online, you can find anything you want with dotted lines, from shapes to letters and numbers! Print them out small enough to fit inside the laminating sleeves and include some dry-erase markers of various colors, and voila!

With all of these fun DIY Easter basket ideas, your kids will surely have the coolest Easter baskets on the block! Your heart will feel so full seeing their sheer happiness playing with everything that you poured your heart and soul into. You’ll even want to join in on all of the fun!