The Eco-Friendly Easter Basket: Tips for a Sustainable Easter Morning

The Eco-Friendly Easter Basket: Tips for a Sustainable Easter Morning
brown paper Easter basket image via Shutterstock
brown paper Easter basket image via Shutterstock

It’s so easy to have a junky Easter. Everything in the big-box stores is cheap, everything is made in China, and EVERYTHING is plastic.

Want to do better?

Whether you want to incorporate just a few eco-friendly ideas or go whole-hog sustainable, check out the following plans to green every part of your Easter basket. Have tips of your own to contribute? Please add them in the Comments, and together we can build a  community-driven ideas resource.

Upcycled Candle Holder into a Mini Easter Basket
Bonnie’s mini Easter baskets are crafted from upcycled candle holders.

The Basket

  • candle holder: Empty jars from container candles make excellent small-sized Easter baskets–think teacher gifts, party favors, or baskets for older kids who’d rather have gift cards than stuffed bunnies. For a non-glass option, try frosting tubs, plastic soda bottles,  or other food packaging.
  • felted wool: The felted wool Easter basket is just one of the ideas Bonnie points to in her upcycled Easter basket round-up. In her post, you can also find tutorials for a milk jug Easter basket, a woven cardboard food packaging Easter basket, and a crocheted plastic bag Easter basket.
  • fabric and sewing skills: Although this Easter-themed tote bag does require some new materials, it’s the only Easter basket that you’ll ever have to make. Use it yearly, then pass it down to the next generation of kids.

How To: Recycled Easter Bunny Candy Holder
Bonnie’s toilet paper tube bunny holds candy!

Candy Holders

  • toilet paper tube: Need to divvy up candy? Forget the plastic baggies and cellophane wrap, and whip together this toilet paper tube Easter bunny candy holder. Hint: it wouldn’t be hard to make this little critter into a bat, or a Cupid, or a leprechaun, or…
  • pretty paper: Use either stash scrapbook paper or found papers to fold an origami bunny candy holder.
  • brown paper bags: These brown paper treat bags are quick to make, since you can zip them through the sewing machine instead of waiting for glue to dry, and kids will be thrilled when the discover that they get to RIP them open!

Next >> Easter Eggs and Homemade Toys

9 thoughts on “The Eco-Friendly Easter Basket: Tips for a Sustainable Easter Morning”

  1. I reuse the same basket over and over again every year for Easter. I figure this is the most eco friendly way to use an Easter Basket.

  2. This is a great list! We just made a cloth mache? basket. Glued a bunch of fabric scraps to the base of a balloon with a long piece going over the top to make a handle. Emma loves it. We went back and punched holes around the top to add little bits of yarn and ribbon.

      1. We tried to tape it in place so that the bottom would be flat-ish, but it didn’t work out that well. I’m thinking of hot gluing a piece of rope or rolled up fabric to the base to make it a little platform. Should probably get on it…

  3. great ideas. We make Easter boxes of all different shapes and sizes from old cereal boxes, and decorate them with scraps of tissue paper, old newpaper and anything else we can find. Stick on a few beads or buttons to make an interesting pattern, and finish with ribbons or even handmade friendship bracelets that can be used as a non food treat.

  4. Thanks for the inspiration! I reused a gift basket for my daughter’s Easter basket. I used blackberries to dye a playsilk for the “grass” and used a wood burner to decorate solid wood eggs. Much more meaningful than plastic Easter junk!

  5. Pingback: Eat Drink Better | Starting an organic gift basket business | Eat Drink Better

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