Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle for...Easter?: Precious Easter Baskets from "Trash"

Gearing up for my daughter's first Easter, I'm looking to start a tradition that we can savor by creating lasting memories. Rather than embracing a dollar-store inspired Easter morning filled with fleeting sweets and plastic baskets destined for the trash, I keep coming back to the idea of making baskets together (ok, so not actually together this year) and using materials that would otherwise be thrown out. These inspirations from around the web offer festive guides to creating budget-friendly, earth-loving, and memory-rich Easter baskets with your families this year.

1. Strawberry baskets on Parentella

2. Soda bottles on Frog, Goose and Bear

3. Egg cartons on Quince & Quire

4. Brown grocery bags on Ellinee

5. Old wool sweaters on Resweater

(Images: as linked above)

Categories: Family, Crafting, Easter, Green Living, Kids Crafts, Reusing

Posted by Lauren Pavao

Lauren is an aspiring minimalist with a love for design, a former English teacher with a lingering crush on the Oxford comma, a health nut focused on conscious living, and momma to a spunky and spirited little girl oblivious to her role as muse.
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Comments (7)

So cute! We celebrate Ostara so it's nice to respect Earth while doing so.

Great ideas! I collect all kinds of trinkets and "trash" to reuse for crafts with my 5 year old. I'll be adding these to my repertoire - especially love the egg carton one. Ditto on the goal of avoiding dollar store junk as much as possible (it becomes a whole new challenge when it comes to birthdays ... will be blogging on that shortly).

I would love eco friendly ideas of what to put in the baskets! I'm having a hard time finding reasonably priced alternatives!

A few ideas for ecofriendly alternatives:

- books
- homemade bookmark
- homemade treat
- little wooden toys or trinkets from the thrift store (you'd probably have to search well in advance)
- DIY felt foods/toys
- playing cards

I'd love to hear any other ideas. We'll be celebrating our little one's first Easter this year too (well second -- she was born last Easter).

The strawberry package basket and the hippo steal my heart!

I made paper mache Easter baskets this year. A simple flour/water/salt solution, yarn, and the bottom of any plastic container will do. The kids made "bird nests" by laying lots of brown yarn and scrap paper into the bottom of a plastic milk jug, which then dried for several days. They then painted eggs (paper mache as well) which we glued into the nests. I used a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the nest to keep from scratching any surface underneath.

Awesome idea. We love upcycling! That is why we invented an upcycled "trash" can that is actually a trash/recycle bin from recycled plastic. Have a happy green Easter!

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