Baby Easter Basket

Last week for I Love to Create I made a toddler themed Easter basket for Tallulah and this week I am showing you a few options for the extra wee ones. This is technically Baxter's second Easter, but he was only about a month old last year. This year he is old enough to get a basket full of goodies and maybe even hunt for an egg or two. I was inspired by a post I saw on Modern Parents Messy Kids where they made activity oriented Easter baskets. Now that Baxter has been diagnosed with a fairly severe peanut allergy it is not like I can load the kids baskets up with candy. They don't need candy anyway, but now that we are living in a nut free world it seems like every chocolate Easter bunny is no longer a friend but a foe with hidden nuts. The suggestions I have for my baskets will entertain your kids for a lot longer than a piece of candy and there is no risk of a sugar buzz.


Even your Easter basket should be something fun to play with. Tallulah got the sand pail and Baxter gets a dump truck. Make your basket functional and not something cheap that will get thrown out. Heck, make your own out of recycled paper if you want. Anyway, both kids will get to use their baskets soon enough in the new green turtle sandbox their grandmother got them that I have filled with...wait for it....pink sand.


Like Tallulah not everything in Baxter's Easter Basket is handmade. Here are a few suggestions for baby baskets...

Bubbles (he is a little young for them, but his sister will help)
Socks (Can you really ever have too many?)
Stuffed Bunny (his sister was getting one so I thought he might like something to cuddle)
Bunny Glasses (futures so bright, I gotta wear bunny shades)
Ikea stacking rings (I have a plush version that is getting a little flacid)
My First Crayolas (he always watches Tallulah color longingly)
Board Book (nothing says Easter like pictures of cute puppies)
Flash Cards (who does not like to learn about animal sounds)

Ok, onto the stuff I did make!


Tallulah probably paints every single day. Poor Baxter just gets to sit on the sidelines and watch most of the time. Occasionally I will give him some pudding and put him on a piece of posterboard or in the tub and he has such a good time. Usually he just paints with chocolate pudding, but for Easter I decided to expand his color options.


Using empty baby food jars I used my trusty cheap pudding, but this time I chose vanilla and added food coloring. Nothing fancy, but I know he will love playing with this. I'll set him up outside one hot day soon and just hose him off when he is done. If he does not lick himself clean first.


Have you ever noticed most plastic Easter eggs have 2 small holes on both ends? I'm not sure why, but they do. These holes inspired me to try a version of a project I have seen on Pinterest where you engage a child's sense of smell.

SUPPLIES
Plastic Easter Eggs
Glue Gun
Aleene's Tacky Dots
Spices


I applied 2 Tacky Dots to both sides of the inside of my Easter Egg. Next I shook a separate spice into each egg. Use strong easy to smell spices like curry and cinnamon. I closed my egg and shook the spice around then opened up and dumped out the excess. Plenty of spice stuck to my glue dots. Next use a glue gun to seal your egg closed. I just did a blind smell test with husband and they totally work. A half dozen fit perfectly inside a small Max and Ruby tupperware.


Baxter is a little old for rattles, but I couldn't resist making one of these jars of rice. I have seen them all over Pinterest and Modern Parents Messy Kids made some for their baby basket. You can use the food coloring and alcohol method like I did with the pasta I dyed for Tallulah or you can just spray fabric dye from Tulip.


SUPPLIES
Rice
Tulip Spray Dye
Baby Food Jar
Aleene's Tacky Glue

I spread my rice out on a paper plate and sprayed with fabric dye. I let the rice dry and then tossed and sprayed again. All that was left to do was fill an empty baby food jar and glue the lid on.

Hopefully Baxter and Tallulah will spend hours upon hours quietly entertaining themselves with their baskets and the contents. Then again, maybe not. I should also mention that you should supervise all these activities with your wee ones. Things like glass rattles should be investigated on grass or carpet not cement or hardwood. You get the drift. Have fun and happy Easter!

Here are a few other suggestions of fun goodies to make for your babies Easter basket: stenciled onesies, customized bibs, sensory bottles, grandparent's puzzle, pull toy, booties.

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Toddler Easter Basket

Easter is a mere 2 Sundays away, do you have your kid's Easter basket filled? Sure I've hit the dollar spot at Target to load up like all the other mother's, but I also made a slew of activities to include in the basket. My goal for this year's Easter basket was to not load up on cheap toys and junk that I would throw away in a week, but to look for items that would get used, played with and educate. I was inspired by a Creative Play Easter Basket I saw on Modern Parents Messy Kids and ran with the theme. Today for I Love to Create I am going to show you my own version of a toddler Easter basket. Next Thursday I will have the baby version.

First up I used a sand pail instead of a basket. I have a friend who every Easter gives her kids a sand pail filled with a new swimsuit, beach towel, float toy - you get the drift. I thought I would steal the bucket part. I must confess I also broke down and got a smaller basket from Target for Tallulah to use at the 3 egg hunts we have coming up in the next week. I should also mention no cheap Easter grass around these parts.


Not everything in my toddler Easter basket is homemade. Here is a quick list of the readymade items...
Coloring Book (Max and Ruby themed, they are bunnies after all)
Construction Paper (crafts, crafts and more crafts)
Glue (toddlers love glue)
Max and Ruby Book (her fave show)
Bubbles (big bubbles in wand form)
Grow Kit (mini garden in an egg shaped planter)
Lip Gloss (every toddler needs lipgloss)
Train Tracks (Thomas needs to feel the wind in his hair)
Curly Straw (kick milk up a notch)
Easter Socks (I can never find a pair so I keep buying more)
Recorder (more instruments for her pretend rock band)
Ball (it lights up!)
Stuffed Bunny (she loves a snuggly stuffed animal)
Cookie Cutters (for playdoh)
Cookie Mix (she loves to bake)
Various Craft Kits (at $.99 a pop, who can say no)
Bunny Glasses (futures so bright, I gotta wear bunny shades)

Ok, onto the stuff I did make!


First up, the obvious is the Easter colors tutu. Tallulah is going through a ballet phase and often wants to listen to classical music and dance. I love to encourage a little dramatic play. I made a Halloween no sew tutu a few years ago with a full blogged tutorial.


To go along with the dance theme I also made some ribbon rings. I have seen these all over Pinterest and thought they would be fun for Tallulah.
SUPPLIES
Wooden Rings
Ribbon
Crafty Chica White Paint
Paint Brush
Liquid Fusion Glue


These were super easy. First I removed the small screws that came in my wooden rings. You could also use the metal rings from Mason Jars or shower rings. Next I painted my rings white. After the paint dried I attached some festive Easter ribbons. I used a little Liquid Fusion Glue to hold my ribbon in place. Let the maypole dancing begin.


I finally found a way to recycle all those old lids I had been saving. Using foam stickers I made them into stamps. I also bought an extra large stamp pad to put in the basket.


Tallulah loves dirt and dinosaurs so a batch of dinosaur eggs were in order. I used a recipe from Projects for Preschoolers.


I have long dreamed of making a popsicle stick puzzle since I first started seeing them floating around on Pinterest. I probably originally saw the idea in Halloween theme from Saltwater Kids. I used a photograph from Easter last year to make my puzzle.

SUPPLIES
Craft Sticks
Aleene's Tacky Double-Stick Sheets
Craft Knife
Masking Tape
Photograph


The first thing you need to do is line up enough craft sticks so that you can fit your photograph on top of them. Line your sticks up super straight and add a little tape to keep them together. Flip the sticks over. Add a sheet of Aleene's Tacky Sticker Sheets to the back of your photo. I had to use 1.5 sheets for mine. Center your photo over the sticks and press. Flip your sticks back over tape side up and using a craft knife cut the sticks apart. Remove the excess tape off the back, tie in a bow and stick in your Easter Basket.


Yet another project I found on Pinterest is dyed pasta. Most folks seem to fill sensory bins with it, but Tallulah like her mother, loves to make jewelry. We have been on a kick of making straw necklaces around here and I thought we would upgrade from white straws to colorful rigatoni. All you have to do is place uncooked noodles, food coloring and rubbing alcohol in a baggie for a few hours. I put them in a tupperware container with some yarn for threading.


I went a little crazy at Target when they had Max and Ruby stuff in the dollar aisle. It is Tallulah's favorite show therefor making it also Baxter's favorite show since he has no choice. Anyway I was glad I loaded up on the little pieces of tupperware. This cute little container is filled with cotton balls and wrapped up with a set of small tongs. I'm going to tell her it is a game called 'bunny tails' where she picks up the bunny tails with the tongs and moves them to another container. Fun and practices motor skills and hand eye coordination.

So there you have it. My husband will say I went overkill as he always does (and most times he is right). However, I think this is a wonderfully entertaining candy-less basket to behold. What are some things you are putting in your toddlers Easter basket? I still have another week and a little bit of room left.

Remember to stop back by next week when I show you the baby Easter basket I am making for Baxter!


Looking for other suggestions of handmade toddler gifts that would go great in an Easter basket? How about playdoh, lacing cards, bubbles, soap, wash rag puppet, crayon cupcakes, rubbing plates - check out the kids section for more suggestions.

***This is a sponsored post by I Love to Create - I was compensated & given free supplies. Mama has gotta pay the bills somehow and really who in their right mind would say no to free craft supplies***

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A Tisket a Tasket Make a Recycled Easter Basket

Though this is not Tallulah's 1st Easter, it will be the first one that she can carry a basket. That being the case I made it my life quest to try and make her a custom Easter Basket. Gather up some Collage Pauge, balloons and scraps of paper today for I Love to Create and make your own.


SUPPLIES
Paper
Crafty Chica Glossy Gloss Varnish
Balloon
Collage Pauge
Magazines
Fiskars flower paper punch


SHRED
You might remember my Eco-Friendly Ping Pong Necklace how-to from last year and recall that I love working with shredded paper. Use colorful magazine pages for one look or black and white sheet music or newspaper for another option. If you don't have a shredder, never fear. Use scissors to cut strips or do it old school and hand shred the paper. Either way you are going to need a large pile of shredded paper.


BALLOON BASKET
Using Collage Pauge cover half of your balloon with several layers of paper. Feel free to make a nice smooth top edge now or you can go back after the paper dries and hardens to do it with scissors like I did.


TOO HOT TO HANDLE
Also using Collage Pauge and paper create a handle for your basket going over the top half of the balloon. Allow basket to dry completely.


DECORATE
Feel free to go in an add decorations to your basket: polka dots, flowers, pictures from magazines.


POP
Once your basket is completely dry, pop your balloon. Your basket is born! Coat your balloon in Crafty Chica Glossy Gloss Varnish or Paper Glaze to help prevent any tackiness. You never know when dew can strike early on an Easter morn!


FILL TO THE RIM
All that is left to do is hide a few Easter Eggs and let your kiddo fill their basket! Don't forget to make a pair of Egg Shell Mosaic Earrings with those left over dyed Easter egg shells.