40 DIY Easter baskets to impress the whole family

Easter is nearly upon us! It's time to plan the menu for Easter dinner, find the best easter eggs and assemble Easter baskets for the entire family. Rather than spend money on Easter baskets this year, challenge yourself to create something homemade — it's probably easier than you expect.

To round up these DIY Easter basket ideas, we tapped Good Housekeeping's crafting experts and a number of our favourite bloggers — but don't worry: You don't need to be a pro. Find easy-to-follow tutorials that repurpose items you already have at home. Think painting a cardboard berry basket, wrapping a plastic cup in pastel yarn or securing ribbon to a plastic laundry basket.

No matter who you're gifting your Easter basket to this year — from toddlers to teens to adults — or what style speaks to you, these creative ideas are guaranteed to wow. The best part? Most of these DIY Easter baskets can be reused year after year.

Weave fluffy yarn through a simple wire basket to add softness and colour. Create a striped effect by alternating two colours of yarn — one darker than the other. Simply knot the yarn at the back of the basket to secure it.

Think "outside the basket" this year by turning a flower pot into a reusable Easter basket. You'll want a pot that's at least 6 inches wide. Load it with shredded paper filler, then small presents — sticking to a gardening theme if you wish.

For a zero-waste basket idea, raid your recycling bin for a cardboard berry carton. All you have to do is give it a coat of paint (we chose a dark green shade).

Plastic serving bowls from Dollar Tree can easily become a cheerful bunny basket. Two large bowls act as the body and two fluted bowls as the face. Everything is secured with clear tape, so it's easy to get inside — and you can reuse the bowls after Easter Sunday.

Get the tutorial at It's Always Autumn »

Before you buy expensive Easter baskets, take stock of what you already own — don't we all have a growing collection of tote bags? Secure a felt carrot to the handle using ribbon for a festive touch, then fill it just as you would a basket.

Kids will have a blast recreating these floral Easter baskets. You don't need much to make them — just four coffee filters per basket, a few watercolour paints of your choice and green pipe cleaners for the handle.

If you're worried about making an Easter basket that can accommodate larger gifts, here's your answer. This blogger uses a laundry basket, pool noodle and thick ribbon to make this decorative basket. She swears it only took 30 minutes.

Get the tutorial at It's Always Autumn »

Fasten a bright dishtowel or scarf around a traditional basket for a five-minute look that’s Easter Bunny-ready.

Steps:

Depending on the size of your basket, cut a large square of fabric (like a cloth napkin, dish towel or scarf).

Lay the fabric diagonally and place your basket in the center. Take opposite corners and tie a knot at the top of the basket handle. Tuck the extra fabric into the basket.

Tie a knot around each side of the basket handle to secure and define the handle.

Fasten a sturdy felt handle to a crocheted catch-all to make it ready for the Easter Bunny (and all the treats they'll bring). Use a store-bought basket or stitch your own if you're up for it.

Get the tutorial»

These festive baskets are made from plastic canvas and yarn, including white, pink, purple and multi-colour. The end result is guaranteed to be adorable, whether you craft a cute bunny or magical unicorn.

Get the tutorial at Crafting Cheerfully »

Sew your own Easter basket using felt sheets and gold deco foil (sewing machine optional). For a springy feel, swap traditional colours for pastel shades, like pink, mint and lavender.

Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed »

Add personality to a basic woven basket by decorating the exterior with large wooden craft sticks. We painted these craft sticks with white acrylic paint, but you can choose any shade.

Materials:

Large craft sticks

Screw hole punch

Hot glue

Top of a round take-out container

White acrylic paint

Craft brush

Burlap or fabric scrap (for the inside)

½ burlap ribbon

Steps:

Make a template craft stick where you put a hole about ½" down from the top in the center. Using your 'template,' mark 18 (or more!) craft sticks with where you need to make the hole and punch it out.

Paint each craft stick white and let them dry. Hot-glue the bottom of a craft stick (without the hole) to the round and hot-glue the rest of the craft sticks until the entire plastic base is covered.

Cut a piece of burlap or fabric and attach it to the inside of the basket with a few dots of hot glue to make a nicer finish.

Finish the basket with a strip of burlap ribbon on the bottom of the basket. Attach the bow with a few dots of hot glue and trim it to fit.

Create a checkerboard pattern using cardstock, scissors and a hot glue gun — plus this blogger's easy-to-follow template. Light pink and green make for a perfect colour combination.

Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »

If you're short on storage space, go with something you can fold up or recycle as soon as the holiday wraps. Cut paper bags to make bunny-ear shapes, then draw on a bunny face with a black marker and finish it off with a pom-pom tail. Fill it with all of their chocolates, candies and other holiday treats as you would a normal basket!

Wrap a plastic cup in pastel yarn — think baby blue, muted yellow and light purple. Then, wrap a pipe cleaner in the same yarn to create a handle and wrap the basket in a polka dot ribbon.

Get the tutorial at One Little Project »

With this easy-to-follow DIY, you can turn unused fry boxes (head to Amazon rather than your local fast food chain) into adorable bunnies.

Get the tutorial from Eighteen25 »

Gather the essentials: cotton rope, liquid fabric dye, hot glue and a craft paintbrush to DIY this sweet blue-coloured rope basket. Bonus: Sewing isn't required!

Steps:

Spiral the rope into a circle and apply hot glue as you attach the rope together. Continue wrapping until you make the circle large enough to be the bottom of your basket.

Start stacking the rope on top of itself to create the sides of the basket and use the same hot-glue technique to secure the rope.

Continue step two and make sure to keep everything straight until you have your desired height.

Trim the rope's end and hot-glue the end inside the basket to prevent it from fraying or getting loose.

Water down some of the fabric dye and brush it onto the sides until you achieve your desired tone of colour. Once it's dry, your basket is ready to use!

This blogger uses colourful plastic tablecloths to create "plarn," which is typically yarn made from plastic shopping bags. The end result is durable, sturdy and waterproof — ideal for kids! We're loving hot pink, but bright blue or sunny yellow are great options, too.

Get the tutorial at Persia Lou »

Looking for an Easter basket idea for teens? This glitzy gold version will make them feel like the grown-up they claim to be. If you can't find a gold basket, use metallic paint.

Get the tutorial from Studio DIY »

Here's another affordable way to repurpose a plastic cup! All you need is twine, a foam brush and some Mod Podge to create these rustic Easter baskets. Fill it with shredded paper and chocolate eggs, plus a pink felt bird.

Get the tutorial at DIY Inspired »

Our origami template will show you all the steps to make these adorable bunny creatures. Stuff their openings with classic Easter treats, like M&M's or Skittles, and add them to your baskets for an extra dose of sweetness.

Download our template »

Brighten up a woven basket by painting its base in a vibrant hue, like pink, orange or yellow. Add a pom-pom trim in a similar shade or use a contrasting colour to make the basket pop.

Starting completely from scratch? Grab up to three shades of sturdy coloured paper and weave a 4" x 4" basket. You can do this craft all in a day by following eight simple steps.

Get the tutorial »

All this craft requires: a wooden basket and acrylic paint. Simply paint the basket's wood strips in multiple colours then gift your charming creation to the Easter Sunday host. Use different shades of one colour for an ombré effect.

Lean into the spirit of the season by painting an old egg carton with craft paint and filling it with holiday treats. Add mini muffin liners and Easter grass inside each egg slot, so loose jelly beans and chocolate eggs stay put.

Enhance any simple basket with an embellished bow. In this case, we cut a length of blue ribbon to create the large accessory before decorating it with iron-on patches. Use fabric glue to attach the decals, including any flowers, bunnies or carrots.

Liven up a plain bamboo basket with faux butterflies, sunshine-y blooms and other signs of the season. Draw bunny faces on your eggs before placing them inside and add tiny ears to the eggs' tops for a more than adorable look.

Believe it or not, you can actually mail a paper mâché egg through USPS. After you decorate and fill the egg, tape it up and mail it to some bunny you love.

Get the tutorial from Studio DIY »

First, use this basket to collect sweets. Then, leave it out on the table as an eye-catching centerpiece. To make, simply glue a variety of faux blooms around the base of the basket and top it off with a bow.

Print a whimsical flower pattern on thick paper, then cut and fold to create a functional Easter basket to fill with sweet treats. The best part is these floral baskets double as decor.

Get the tutorial at Love the Day »

These mini canvas totes are perfect for babies who aren't quite ready to participate in the family's annual egg hunt. Use fabric paint to draw on the sleeping bunny faces.

Get the tutorial from Style Me Pretty Living »

If you're short on space, fill mason jars with Easter candy, like chocolate or jelly beans, and top it with a cheeky pair of bunny ears.

Get the tutorial from Nest of Posies »

Showcase twine-wrapped and paper-embellished eggs with this woodsy, moss-covered creation. Simply hot glue craft-shop moss to an inexpensive basket.

This boho-inspired Easter basket looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. Spice up your wire basket with peonies, jumbo golden eggs, gold spray paint and floral wire. The finished look includes a beautiful assortment of Hershey’s Easter pre-filled eggs and golden chocolate bunny candy.

Instead of buying a basket that will only be used once a year, fill up a new pair of rain boots with small gifts this Easter. Think: plastic eggs full of small chocolates and toys based on their favorite cartoon characters.

Give a basic peck basket a springy upgrade by painting the whole thing in a pretty pastel hue — like a light shade of green or rose pink — and covering the handle with embroidery floss.

With pipe cleaners, felt and colourful paint, you can turn a basic burlap or canvas bag into a seriously cute bunny. A bonus: Your kid can throw the strap over their shoulder to keep their hands free during the Easter egg hunt!

To make this tower of treats, tape cut-to-fit craft paper around two empty yogurt cartons. Hot-glue an upside-down carton inside a large orchard basket, then glue a medium basket on top. Repeat with the other carton and small basket. Finish it off with festive treats and plenty of chocolate!

Upgrade a basic basket by decorating it with silk flowers and coloured ribbon.

This clever Easter basket is ideal for adults who love home decor (succulents, especially) as much as they love chocolate. Just paint your planter in your favorite Easter colour, like yellow, white, blue or pink, then add your decorated eggs inside to use as decor.

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