EASTER BASKET IDEAS

As we make our last minute rush to the store for Easter, the lure of plastic grass, plastic eggs, and ready made baskets may entice some, due to their convenience.  But, I urge you to get creative.  This year, think GREEN!  Also, think MONTESSORI, when creating your children's Easter baskets.  Here are some fun ideas...

GARDENER'S EASTER BASKET

Purchase a kid's sized wheelbarrow, and fill with child sized garden gloves, spade, seed packets, garden boots, straw hat, and top it off with a 6 pack of geraniums!

ARTIST'S EASTER BASKET

Buy a colorful storage tote and fill it with art supplies, such as crayons (for directions to recycle your own crayons, see below!), colored pencils, markers, sidewalk chalk, paint, paint brushes, pipe cleaners, and paper.  Shredded construction paper and natural raffia can replace green plastic grass and curling ribbon.

CHEF'S EASTER BASKET

Fill a gently used basket with colorful cloth napkins (instead of green plastic grass).  Add a child sized rolling pin, cookie cutters, and apron.  Also, there are lots of cooking books for kids - they would make a nice addition to this Chef's Easter Basket!

WOODWORKER'S EASTER BASKET

Purchase a small toolbox and fill it with real tools such as a hammer, safety goggles, phillips screwdriver, sandpaper, nails, screws, washers, and other interesting hardware.  Shredded newspaper would dress the box up, in lieu of plastic grass. 

If you add candy to the basket, keep in mind how much packaging goes into wrapping up each little piece of candy.  Choose wisely.  Also, if you purchase eggs for your Egg Hunt, find paper mache ones at stores like Cost Plus.  And remember to reuse them next year! 

RECYCLED CRAYONS - INSRUCTIONS

First, peel the paper off the crayons and break them up into little pieces.  Divide up the crayons into metal muffin tins. Mix up the colors pretty well.  Preheat to 350. When you have enough crayons peeled and broken, turn the oven off and place the muffin tin in the center.

You will want to check the crayons frequently, just turning the oven light on should work. Once the crayons start to look a little soupy remove them from the oven and place them immediately in the freezer. Freeze for 30-45 minutes and remove. The new crayons should pop out easily. Drop them into your hand though, I made the mistake of popping them onto our hard counter and a couple of them cracked. Once back to room temperature they are ready to color with.

Happy Easter!!