alternatives to Easter baskets

Alternatives to a traditional Easter basket.

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Not to sound like a Scrooge (or whatever the Easter equivalent would be) but I am not a fan of regular Easter baskets. I mean, I can get behind how cute they are, especially the ones in bright colors that have fabric liners with cute springtime animals festooning them. So you’ll probably think my reason is really silly. Honestly, they’re just a big pain to store. Especially if you have a handful of kids. like I do. Keep reading for more ideas on alternatives to Easter baskets.

why I searched for non-traditional alternatives to Easter baskets

It’s not like I’m a minimalist. However, I try not to hold onto a lot of superfluous items. When it comes to seasonal decor I try to store it as efficiently as possible. Traditional Easter baskets don’t stack into each other very well. They end up taking up a lot of room for something you use one day.

My second reason is that I like things like that (Easter baskets, Christmas stockings) to match. At least I like them to coordinate. It’s nice to go with something on-traditional that might be easier to find each year.

6 alternatives to Easter baskets

Bushel Baskets

When I was looking at Easter baskets when we were first married I fell in love with small bushel baskets. You can find them all year long, plus they stack into each other. Even better–they get a lot more use then just for Easter. This is what we use and they’re perfect for us!

Sand Pails

I don’t know about you, but we go through sand buckets pretty quickly over here. They tend to break easily and seem to only last a season. If you household is like ours, wouldn’t a new sand pail be a great Easter basket to welcome the warmer weather and replace your old one? Plus, they are really inexpensive!

Storage Bins

Check out these adorable totes and baskets I found on a recent trip to Target. There are so many decorative bins out there that would make beautiful Easter baskets. Then have a great second life as storage for toys, art supplies, or clothes!

| Read: Last Minute Easter Ideas |

Watering Can or Flower Pot

If your little one has a green thumb then they’d probably love something that they can use outside. A little plastic flower pot or fun watering can with a favorite character on it would put a smile on both your faces when they use them outside to help you in the garden! You can usually find a ton of outdoor things geared towards kids at this time of year at Target, Kmart, and Walmart.

Reusable Bags

Reusable bags have become really popular, and you can find them in pretty much any dollar store (these cute Dr. Seuss  bags were in my local Target dollar bins) and near every grocery store checkout. These are great alternatives to Easter baskets because they’re so practical! They make great pool or library bags for your littles, plus you can borrow them and use them for your next shopping trip!

| Read: Easter Advent Printable Coloring Page |

Edible Candy Basket

If you’re not sure what I mean by an edible basket then check out this post or this post. The great thing about these “baskets” are that once the candy is eaten, there’s nothing to store! These are great if someone in your family REALLY loves candy, although I think if I went this route I would make sure that everything inside the basket was candy-free.

What does your family use for Easter baskets?

15 Responses to alternatives to Easter baskets

  1. Kate Danielle March 25, 2015 at 6:07 pm #

    Cute ideas, I will keep these in mind! For the past few years I buy a basket from a thrift store and give it a makeover. It is a fun craft project for me and cute for my little one.

  2. Hall Around Texas March 25, 2015 at 6:59 pm #

    Love love love the bushel baskets idea! Precioius!

  3. Nina Robinson March 25, 2015 at 7:01 pm #

    Great ideas! I totally agree, storage space is at a premium over here. This year I got my son a sports themed metal pail that he can also use to play outside, or to store toys or craft supplies

  4. Natalie@She Builds Her Home March 25, 2015 at 7:32 pm #

    These are really cute ideas! My MIL said she got my girls reusable Frozen bags from the Target $ spot for their "baskets" this year. Personally I think I am ditching the basket altogether since I just got them a couple of bigger items that won't fit into the basket this year haha. There's always next year 😉

  5. Earl-Leigh March 26, 2015 at 2:09 pm #

    Yes! We live close to the beach so my kiddo and nephew got sand pails last year! My mom and I were thinking the same way, so we have tons of pails now. LOL. I may grab storage bins this year!

  6. J Young March 26, 2015 at 10:28 pm #

    I love the idea of reusing something! Sounds awesome!

  7. J Young March 26, 2015 at 10:29 pm #

    They have really come in handy many times over the years!

  8. J Young March 26, 2015 at 10:29 pm #

    I love the cute metal pails they have now!

  9. J Young March 26, 2015 at 10:29 pm #

    So true! I'm guessing that your kids won't care anyway. 🙂

  10. Susan@Organized31 March 29, 2015 at 12:43 am #

    What cute ideas and how fun to mix it up a bit from the traditional basket. Thanks for sharing at the This Is How We Roll Link party on Organized 31.

  11. ananda March 31, 2015 at 4:41 am #

    really fun ideas justine!! i LOVE those dr. seuss bags!! <3

  12. Emily, Our house now a home March 31, 2015 at 3:16 pm #

    I like these different ideas. The bushel idea is a great one. We tend to give a few gifts over lots of candy and their baskets don't fit a lot. I spent some money on each kid a few years ago and got them really nice baskets. No cheap plastic ones, this way they last for a while.

  13. Justine Y @ Little Dove Creations April 1, 2015 at 3:16 am #

    Aren't they so cute?!

  14. Justine Y @ Little Dove Creations April 1, 2015 at 3:17 am #

    We're the same, we give some small gifts and maybe, like, one quality piece of candy. Yay for nice baskets! They hold up well against exuberant little ones!

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