Fascinating Easter Basket Crafts for Kids
by Karen & Grace Morris
It's that time of year again, so let's create some Easter basket crafts for kids to place our colorful eggs or candy in! Baskets are more than just holding things, though.
The pictures below will take you to the individual Easter basket crafts for kids.
They are a sign of new life as they represent nests. In fact, a long time ago, some children used to create nests instead of baskets in hopes that the Easter bunny would place eggs inside of them.
However, nests can be a little messy and they are much harder to carry around, that's why we make baskets.
Paper Weaving Basket
Like the nest legend, a similar story is told how children would weave branches together to make a basket and place it on their porch for the Easter bunny to fill with eggs and other treats.
Since weaving branches together is kind of hard, there is a simpler craft you can do with your kids with paper. It won't hold hard-boiled eggs, but plastic eggs will sit nicely inside.
For this project you will need;
- Two or three different colors of construction paper
- Scissors
- Tape
Take one piece of light blue construction paper, fold in half. Make several cuts from the fold to the cut end, stopping about 1/2 inch from the cut end. Space the cuts about 1 inch from each other. This is the base piece.
With a piece of green paper, cut 1-inch strips. Depending on how you folded your base paper will determine the length of your cut strips.
Weave the green strips through the slits in the blue paper with an over and under pattern.
The next green strip goes under the first blue strip through the cut and over the next blue strip. Continue until you cannot add any more green strips. Tape the ends as you when you get done.
Now make your basket. Fold in thirds.
Make a cut on each fold line to about the second woven strip. Tape all the loose ends. Cut the outside corners off.
Use more tape to secure the ends. Fold up the two matching ends and tape the corners.
To make a rim, crease the blue paper edge to the inside.
Tape any loose ends. Not taping the loose ends could cause your basket to fall apart when moving it.
For the handle, cut a strip from another color or use one of the two colors you have already used. It needs to be small enough to fit into the weaving. Tuck the handle into the center of the base paper. Tape the ends to secure.
Place Setting Basket
Fill your basket with Easter candy and place it at each person's seat.
You will need;
- Empty and clean plastic fruit cup
- Tissue paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Hole punch
- 2 cupcake liners
Cut a piece of tissue paper 2 3/4 inches. Add glue to the side of the fruit cup. Place the tissue under the rim on the glue. The paper will go below the bottom of the cup. Add glue to the bottom and fold the tissue into the glue.
With a hole punch, make a hole in the side of the cup just below the rim. Make another hole on the opposite side.
Thread one end of the pipe cleaner through one of the holes and twist to secure. Do the same with the other end.
Cut the bottom off the two cupcake liners.
With the glue stick, place a small amouglue,glue folding it some so that it fits. Add the other liner where you left off. Use your fingertips to push the cupcake liner into the glue.
Fold the liner up so that it makes a ruffle around the rim.
Square Paper Basket
Use this simple form of kirigami (cut and fold) to create a really cute basket.
Supplies;
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Stapler
To make a square, fold one corner to the side of the paper. Cut off the long strip that is left over.
Cut off the excess strip of paper.
On each corner, cut a 3-inch line.
Take the two lines on each corner and fold them over each other and tape. You can use a glue stick, but you need to hold the ends until they stick. You should have a box shape.
Take the strip of paper that you cut off your piece of paper and fold in half. Staple the handle to your basket.
Easter Basket Crafts for Kids - the Egg Hunt
Going on an egg hunt? Make one of these Easter basket crafts for kids to take with you.
Paper Bag Basket
This inexpensive Easter basket craft would make an easy school project.
You will need;
- Lunch size paper bag
- Scissors
- Decorations (Washi tape, colored paper, stickers)
- Glue stick optional
From the bottom of the bag, measure 6 1/4 inches. Make a mark in the center of the bag. From this mark, draw a line across the center that is 3 1/4 inches. You will have approximately 1 inch on each side of the bag.
Now draw two lines going up both sides that are 2 1/2 inches long.
Connect the two lines with a rounded line. You should have a shape that looks like a piece of toast.
Fold on the bottom line of the toast and make a small slit so that you can cut the toast shape out.
Cut off the corners at the opening of the bag so that it is more round and looks like a basket handle.
Cut along both of the folds on the sides of the bag.
Cut off at the bottom line on the sides of the bag.
Decorate your basket any way you want. One way is to use Washi tape on the top, sides, and bottom. Then place sticky foam flowers in the center. Try to plan your design before you place the tape or stickers. If you try to remove the tape from the bag, the paper can tear.
Another way to decorate your bag is to weave paper. Cut several strips of construction paper. Glue some to the top.
Glue strips to one side.
Weave the strips over and under. Glue the strips to the other side and on the bottom of the bag.
Make a Basket out of a Plastic Bucket
Use this Easter basket at your next egg hunt.
You will need;
- Plastic bucket such as an ice cream container
- Duck tape
- Craft foam stickers
The easiest ice cream buckets to decorate are those which do not have writing on the sides.
Use spring colored duct tape and stickers to decorate your bucket.
Your Easter basket crafts are ready to fill with eggs and treats. One legend says that the Easter bunny brought eggs, candy, and toys to good girls and boys.
