Making your own Easter baskets from recycled materials will save you money; plus, it is a fun project for kids. Help them get started, and then let them go to town with decorations of their choice. Then fill the baskets with recycled materials, such as shredded newspaper, and wait for the Easter Bunny to show up.
Soda Pop Bottle Basket
Once a soda pop bottle has been emptied, wash it up and turn it into a recycled Easter basket. Use a utility knife to cut the bottom off the bottle (to any depth you like), making sure the cut is clean and even. Then make two small slits in the sides of the basket, directly across from each other. Slide the ends of a pipe cleaner into each slit to form the handle. Let the kids decorate their baskets any way they like.
Milk Jug Basket
Begin by cleaning the inside and removing the label from the milk jug. Use a utility knife to cut evenly around the jug, leaving the handle intact. This is how the kids will carry their Easter basket. Help the kids cover their milk jugs with paint or cotton balls, and let them decorate it with pom-poms, glitter, and anything else they can find.
Cardboard Box Basket
This can be a little complicated for the younger children, so you might just let them choose their cardboard boxes and let them help you make the baskets. Since they come in all shapes, sizes and patterns, no two baskets will look alike. Follow these steps for a neat-looking cardboard box Easter basket.
Tin Can Basket
Empty tin cans come in various sizes, so the kids can make a variety of unique tin can Easter baskets. Clean the cans out first, and make sure there are no sharp edges. Then carefully remove the label to use as a template. Trace the label’s rectangular shape onto your choice of wallpaper, scrapbook paper, etc. Cut it out and paste the colored paper around the tin can. Decorate with glitter, stickers, ribbon… Then bend a pipe cleaner and glue the ends inside the can to use as handles.
Plastic Container Basket
What do you do with those empty cool whip or cottage cheese containers? You can use them to make homemade, recycled Easter baskets. This is a great project for kids. All you need to do is sand the container for them, help them paint it, and punch two holes in the top (for handles). Then let the kids decorate their own containers however they like. Attach pipe cleaners to the top for handles – you can even weave two different colors together.
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