By Nancy
So, if you are like me, you have procrastinated your Easter basket making, egg dying and gift buying until now. Don’t panic – there is hope. Here are a few last minute gift ideas guaranteed to make a hit without breaking the bank.
Sand Buckets
Instead of using a basket this year, try a pail and shovel set. They can be found at almost any dollar store and can be personalized with a paint pen.
Flower Bags
Stop by your nearest Home Depot or garden center and pick up your favorite annuals. Cut the six- or eight-pack cartons into individual containers and place in an Easter-themed treat bag (found at any dollar store), along with some grass and jelly beans.
Deviled Egg Kit
Take a dozen dyed eggs and place them back into their carton. Attach a recipe for deviled eggs, along with a card, and wrap up in a decorative ribbon.
Vintage Easter Photo
Scan, print and frame an old Easter family photo. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can make a small gift album of photos from Easters past.
No Candy Basket
A craft kit consisting of coloring books, crayons, markers, stickers and a pad of paper can be packed into a reusable plastic container.
Movie Box
One DVD, along with some popcorn, Goobers, Raisenets and a bottle of soda makes for a great Easter treat!
What’s the Easter Bunny bringing to your house this year? What was your favorite Easter surprise?
I don’t know…the hubby got stuff last week for the kids but I didn’t ask him what he got!!!! When I was growing up Easter wasn’t a big holiday in our house but we always got the hard chocolate bunnies. It would take me two weeks to eat as a kid. Good memories!!
I’ve been picking up Disney “Cars” stuff at dollar stores, dollar bins, etc. and now I realize I have WAY too much stuff! I got my son the movie a long time ago and have had it packed away – that’s what started the craziness! LOL! I just called my mom and asked her if she needed stuff for her Easter baskets! I’m hoping she’ll take me up on it.
I’m using the $1 store buckets I mentioned above and I’ve color coded the plastic eggs with each pail. That way the younger kids can easily “find” their egg during the Easter egg hunt and each kid will get the same number of eggs!
I think my husband got me a box of Sham Wows last year along with some candy. Although I do love my Sham Wows, I made it pretty clear I didn’t need (want) any, ahem, cleaning, ahem, items this year! LOL!
Peeps – I love ’em! An Easter is not complete without some Peeps!
I hate Peeps. They are made in my hometown. My dad spent his youth plotting to break into that candy factory. Peeps last for years:
Recently my husband hid some prepackaged desserts (Tastycakes) in a little-used cabinet from our kids (who eat everything in sight) so there would be something for the school lunches in the morning. I thought it was a good idea, so I hid some jellybeans and Hershey kisses there too. Lo and behold! There were three sleeves of Peeps up there. I thought my husband had bought them and hid them there for Easter. Nope. They have probably been there for two years, maybe more.
Who wants to take bets that I use them for the Easter baskets? Oh, yes I will!
Nancy, I got a basket until I moved out of my parents’ home at 21. I plan on doing the same thing for my kids, but they just want candy, no gifts.
Darlene, those bunnies are wonderful aren’t they? I forgot to get some (and Easter egg dyes) until I read your comment. I think we’ll get them right before church tonight.
I love baskets, Ann! My sister found one of the ones I had as a kid and gave it to me to use for my little dude. We stuff it with candy and some little $1 toys (see above) and hide the basket somewhere in the house for him to find on Easter morn.
I saw on the Today Show where you can make Easter s’mores jars using Peeps – he he! Would you like them melted with chocolate and graham crackers?
Okay, So my parents stopped giving us chocolate bunnies when I was 12 so it was a surprise to me when I was 23 working at a hotel and she stopped at the hotel with a easter basket full of jelly beans, chocolate eggs and a Bunny. I got teased for awhile on that one. I don’t know what got into her and why she left it at the hotel for me. It’s not like she didn’t know where I lived.
I love peeps too but after the fouth one I kind of get sick of them until for another year.
Darlene, we always celebrated pretty big, new clothes, new shoes, Easter bonnet and the gloves, but we got these big 1 bl coconut Easter eggs. I don’t think we ever finished one individually, they sat in the fridge until my mom threw them away. We liked the royal icing candy that was on top of it.
I’ve color coded the plastic eggs with each pail. That way the younger kids can easily “find” their egg during the Easter egg hunt and each kid will get the same number of eggs!~Nancy
Nancy, I love that idea. So many times, the little ones are crying because they didn’t get some. I like it all fair like that. We just came from one that was a free-for-all, but they had so many eggs it didn’t matter.
They have probably been there for two years, maybe more.They have probably been there for two years, maybe more.~Ann
That is so funny. Let us know if anyone notices. I bet they are like Twinkies and last forever.
I like crunchy marshmallow stuff, like those marshmallow topped ice cream cones. Peeps, I ate one last year. That will do me for awhile. I’m all about candy coated choc malted eggs. I have loved those since I was a kid and they were 1c each.
No Candy Basket
No candy???
Lily your last comment had me laughing:) No Candy? As a child Easter would rate up there with Halloween on the candy:) As long as I was home for Easter and it didn’t matter how old I was my mother had a basket for me. My favorite part was the peanut butter egg she bought from Sarris(?) Theresa I need your help on the spelling, it’s a Pittsburgh thing. I am craving one right now and if I was not so far away I would go buy one!!!!
My mother in law does a Easter egg hunt with clues for each child based on thier age. It makes it fun plus teamwork comes in with the older ones helping the younger ones. Each one ends up with thier own basket and a touch of candy with some toys. She knows they will have plenty at home from thier parents so she loads more on the toys/ puzzles/books depending on the age.
I can take or leave Peeps. They have a certain sugar-rush appeal but are basically tasteless. Ann, I think some people think they are better stale.
I also like Peeps dioramas – the Washington Post does a Peeps diorama contest every year:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/03/22/DI2010032203096.html
Those are some great ideas, Nancy! I really like the flower bag idea.
Love these ideas. Easter is the most fun when you have little ones to plan for. I love the color coding idea too.
Glad I am not the only one still doing a basket (well, at this point, a gift bag) for teenagers! Even though it’s not the same as for the younger set, I had fun stuffing the bag with chocolate, a couple of bath/beauty items and a little bit of cash for my daughter to spend on herself.