I was compensated for this post by Global Influence. I also received candy from Hershey’s to facilitate this post – and even better, one lucky reader gets to win a Hershey’s Chocolate prize pack!
Easter will be here before you know it (April 20th, in case you’re wondering…thank goodness for Google). Easter means a lot of things to me…Spring, cute dresses for the toddler, family, and of course…chocolate.
This year I wanted to make something cute and festive that we could pass out to the kids in the neighborhood as well as my kids’ classmates. Nothing expensive…just something cute, Easter-y, and handmade (I don’t always go handmade, but when I do…I don’t mess around). The GIANT BOX of Hershey’s candy I received in the mail (two days after I started Weight Watchers…no comments on the internal struggle that followed the chocolate’s arrival) served as inspiration for these handmade paper Easter baskets (template for free printable Easter baskets below!).
{Side note: Did I mention that HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate is actually my favorite chocolate? And that I require it as a gift from my husband on Mother’s Day, my birthday, and Valentine’s Day, and stuff my kids’ Easter baskets with it so I can have some, too?}
The Cadbury Eggs, Cadbury Mini Eggs, REESE’S Peanut Butter Reester Bunnies, and the HERSHEY’S KISSES Milk Chocolates are all the perfect size for these cute little baskets.
Here’s what you need to make these handmade paper Easter baskets:
- Color printer (or, just print them out in black and white and use them to trace out the pattern on scrapbook paper)
- Paper (cardstock works best)
- Scissors
- Tape
- HERSHEY’s candy (to fill them up with goodies!)
- Easter grass (optional…I found mine at a craft store for $1.00)
Click here to download the free printable Easter Basket templates (and go easy on me…I’m still super new to this graphic design stuff):
This craft is “easy” – it doesn’t involve power tools and it’s mindless enough that you can do it while watching Real Housewives (that’s not just me, right?) – but it’s not really little kid-friendly. You do need some level of dexterity and patience to get the first basket or two together (the more you make, the easier they get).
Here’s a simple tutorial on how to make your baskets.
- Print your basket templates and cut all of the pieces out (I used a paper cutter for the long strips, but I made plenty of these using just scissors and they worked just fine).
- Fold the sides of the box in towards the center and then along the dotted lines (much easier if you fold first!).
- Take one of your basket weaving strips and fold it into a square. Use a piece of tape the secure it. It’s easier to work with an already-formed square (trust me!).
- Weave the basket’s strips around the square weaving strip (one goes over, the next goes under…all around the square). This can be a little bit tricky, so I used tape to secure it every now and then.
- Once you’ve got the basket complete, use tape (on the inside of the basket) to keep the strips in place. Fold the strip that will be the top of the basket in half, lengthwise.
- Fold the basket top strip into quarters and place on the top of the basket. Use tape to secure.
- Tape the handle to the inside of the box, and…ta-da! All done!
Although I didn’t let my kids help (aside from handing me little pieces of tape), they LOVE these little baskets! They have been carrying them around the house and fighting over who gets to play with them next (the fighting part’s not so great, but the part where they love playing with them is!).
There are all kinds of fun (and delicious) Easter ideas at CelebratewithHersheys.com. If you are looking for inspiration, you will find plenty here. My favorite (if I had to pick one) is this super cute WHOPPERS ROBIN EGGS Wreath (it is *right* up my alley – kind of wish I’d thought of it first!).
And now for the fun stuff! One super lucky reader of mine will win a prize pack of Hershey’s candy.
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The Easter basket cupcakes look good but all the recipes are cute. Wish I was a kid again around Easter because always had fun especially with my grandma. We’d make lamb cakes. With my Greek Orthodox family we do the red egg cracking game which is always a fun competition
I love hiding my kids’ Easter baskets and then watching them search all over for them! My fave craft are the Hershey’s Kisses Mice! Adorable!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
dye easter eggs and egg hunt easter morn at the local church.
Coloring eggs! Those cupcakes look AMAZING!!
My favorite Easter tradition is coloring easter eggs with my children and watching them hunt eggs on Easter!
I’d love to make the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Easter Bunny Cake with my kids!
We have a HUGE Easter egg hunt at my parents house every year! It is so much fun! Even the adults are involved!
The Easter Basket Cupcakes are so cute!
I love hiding the easter eggs for the kids to find… and eating chocolate while doing it! Yum!
My favorite HERSEY’s craft is how to decorate eggs. There are so many unique ways to do it now!
Gatherings with the whole family is the best
I like to color eggs.
I like the easter basket cupcakes, and I like to decorate easter eggs
My favorite Easter tradition is dying Easter eggs and my favorite recipe idea from
the Hershey’s site is the Velvety Chocolate Cream Pie.
We love dying the Easter eggs, then once they are all found we turn them into colorful deviled eggs.
When my kids were little, the “Easter Bunny” would accidentally leave jelly beans on the floor. I would pretend to get upset because he left a mess. The Easter Bunny would also leave clues for them to find their Easter basket. My kids loved it!! Now the tradition will start with my 2 year old grandson this year.
I love the Bird’s Nest Cupcakes on the Hershey’s website, Super cute!
I love the Easter Bunny Egg Racers!
Our current tradition just includes a fun egg hunt in our house and then the 3 kids dress up. A very typical 🙂
We always color eggs and make Easter basket cupcakes
We have a huge easter egg hunt outside on Easter. I really like the coconut marshmallow nests featured on the site.
Our favorite Easter tradition is the kids easter egg hunt outside! The kids have a blast and its something we have done since i was little! My favorite recipie is the Peanut Better Bunnies!
Founding out what is in the Easter Basket was always a treat for us and I’m trying to do the same with my boys. I think I want to try the chocolate peanut butter chip fudge…YUM!
The easter basket cupcakes and i always loved doing the resurrection eggs.
I love painting eggs!