Easter is this weekend, and I have been working on little Miss Madeline’s first Easter basket. I don’t know how much you look on Instagram, but I must say, I was super surprised at how elaborate some people make their Easter baskets!!! They are absolutely gorgeous, but some people spend hundreds of dollars!! YIKES!!!! Now, I am a strong believer in letting people do whatever they want, but in our house, we were doing things on a much smaller scale. 🙂 I LOVE all of the monogrammed liners and painted baskets, however, Madeline is only 11 months old. She will never remember any of this, so I want to wait and hold off a few years before she gets a super fancy basket. I know that they make beautiful pictures, but I would rather wait until she somewhat knows what is going on – LOL! I am interested in learning how to make the fabric liners for baskets, but that didn’t happen this year. This is one item that is going on my learning plan for next year! 🙂
So, the first thing I will say is to make a budget for your basket. There is no right or wrong answer, but decide UP FRONT how much money you want to spend. There are so many cute “basket fillers” available at stores, and it is REALLY EASY to over buy and spend a ton of money!!! Do not forget about the cost of the physical basket when you are establishing a budget. You can always go to craft stores for baskets, but a lot of grocery and drug stores have cute ones too! These things go on sale all of the time, so make sure you shop around. Although I did go higher than I originally wanted, I was pleased with a basket that didn’t break the bank. 🙂
Here is where I started:
I found this really pretty ribbon at Michael’s a few months ago. I had a 40% off coupon, so I was able to get it for pretty cheap – yay!!! I probably should have waited for it to go 50% off, however, there weren’t a lot of spools in this particular print (and I didn’t want to risk it being sold out). I thought that it was a really pretty print for spring, but I will say, I was a little disappointed that it was a slightly see-through once it was unrolled (BOO!!). It wasn’t a huge deal, but I would make sure that the ribbon looks the same unrolled as it does on the roll (side note – please do not be one of those people who rudely unrolls the wrapped roll and messes it up in the store!! Ask one of the associates to see if they have a sample – many of them do). Here is the ribbon that I went with (see how the white was a little see-through):
Next, I needed a basket. I also found this at Michaels at 50% off – woot, woot! I wanted a simple white basket that I could potentially reuse next year for another project. Remember – use what you HAVE FIRST, and then fill in!
I used a pretty pink iridescent filler that I purchased at Kroger for a dollar. I first tied a simple bow at the top (in the middle), but it looked a little plain. I then cut a little longer piece of ribbon and did a double bow for a little more pizazz. I also tilted the bow to the side, to make it a little more interesting. While I thought that this was a pretty basket, I will tell you that the holes were a little annoying with the pink grass. It kept poking through the sides, and I had to keep messing with it make it look neat. The holes will be good, however, if I want to later go back and make a tutu for the basket. 🙂
Now, on to the fun little goodies inside of the basket! This is where you can really bust your budget, so WATCH OUT! Madeline’s favorite things right now include teething toys and bubbles. I did a little searching and found these little cuties for super cheap! The two big bubbles were in the Dollar Spot section in Target, and the adorable little carrot bubbles were purchased at Walmart.
While I was at Walmart, I also picked up these little items. They both were super cheap, and Madeline loves anything that you can chew on!
Those of you who follow my Instagram page also know that Madeline LOVES books!!! I found the book below at TJ Maxx for around $4.00:
Now, while I did focus on having a somewhat cost effective basket, I did pick up a few higher end items. I didn’t feel too badly, though, because these are things that she will enjoy for quite a while. I don’t mind spending a little more money on higher quality items since they last so much longer.
If you didn’t know, Bunnies By The Bay is an ADORABLE line of baby toys and items. They have these super cute teethers (I think they sort of look like Sophie the Giraffe, but are less expensive), so I decided to get Madeline one for Easter. How darling is this?!?!
Another thing I love is Jelly Cat stuffed animals! Although they are on the pricier side, they are so soft and are really good quality. They now have tiny little stuffed animals (about $14.99 – which is much cheaper than their normal sized ones), so I decided to go with this fun color. I have seen the tiny size at various baby boutiques, Learning Express and Nordstrom’s, but I’m sure you can find them in a lot of other places too. Although I love pink, I thought this little guy brought a fun pop of color to her basket!!!
Madeline also loves puppets, so this super cute little finger puppet is from Apple Park. They also make super sweet items for children, so make sure and check out their stuff. I actually found this on the clearance rack at a local baby boutique, so it was only $1.00 (even though they are typically much more). Always be on the lookout for sales, so you can take advantage of the opportunity! 🙂
Also from Bunnies By The Bay is this really cute rattle. I actually purchased this when I was pregnant with Madeline, so I stuck it in her basket as another little fun treat for her. 🙂 She would not have gotten so many nice things in her basket, but she got lucky this year since I already had them – LOL!
Lastly, every little basket needs a fun pair of bunny ears (or two)! 🙂 I found these little guys for $1.00 each at Target. I CANNOT WAIT to put these on Miss Maddie and take her picture. I am going to try and get a pair on Lucy (my pooch) too, but we will see how that goes. 🙂
Okay, here is the final product:
I found some cute iridescent eggs at Kroger for $1.00 that I added at the end. I didn’t put in too many since I can’t currently fill them with candy or small items, but I still thought that every basket needed a few eggs. I am most definitely going to pack these up after Easter Sunday so I can reuse them for next year. They will also be fun to use for a little Easter egg hunt playdate! 🙂
I love the little aqua Jelly Cat so much! He is super soft and has the sweetest little face. I can’t wait until Madeline can speak clearly, so she can give him a name! 🙂
A final view of the bow (not perfect, but it will definitely work):
So, there you have it! It isn’t anything super fancy, but it will definitely work for a first Easter basket. A piece of advice that I have for readers is to collect things along the way so you aren’t spending a lot of money at once. Make sure that you also create a budget before you start and take advantage of sales where you can.
Side Note – Make sure you fill your basket along the way so you know when you have run out of room (and you don’t need to buy anymore stuff)!!! 🙂 If you don’t pay attention to how much stuff you have already purchased, then it will be super easy to overbuy!!! You don’t have to arrange it perfectly at first, but keep track of how many items will physically fit into the basket you purchased. 🙂
Thanks for reading, and HAPPY BASKET MAKING!!!
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