Surprising the kiddos with baskets of goodies is an Easter morning tradition. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a fortune to make your kids feel special! Instead of dropping a bunch of cash on your Easter basket stuffers, try one of these DIY ideas that everyone will love:

• Make your own basket. Instead of buying a basket at the store, try repurposing something that’s already lying around the house.
  
  Dress up a wicker basket, an old straw hat, or a sandbox pail. Or, try wrapping a bowl in tissue paper and filling it with Easter grass. The possibilities are endless!  
  
  
• Bake cookies together. Get the kids involved in Easter basket prep! Spend some quality time making and decorating cookies together. Shape them into eggs, bunnies, or any other Easter shape you can think of. Put a few of the cookies in each basket for everyone to enjoy on Easter morning.
  
  
• Print out some coloring sheets. Hop on the computer and find some cute, Easter-themed coloring pages for your kids to enjoy. You could also throw in a box of inexpensive crayons from the local dollar store - and don’t leave out the spring colors!  
  
  
• Make some homemade coupons. Write down a few “coupon” deals on paper, and stuff them inside plastic Easter eggs for the kids to discover. These “coupons” could be redeemed for things your kids like to do, or passes for things they dislike. A few ideas could include:
  
  
  • A movie night
  • A trip to the park, or to get their favorite ice cream
  • A get-out-of-chores-free card
  • The ability to stay up past bedtime one night
    
    
• Search garage sales for gently-used books. There are plenty of gently-used books out there looking for a new home. Check out your local thrift stores or garage sales for books in tiptop shape. Your kids won’t know the difference, but your pocketbook will!
  
  
• Grab seed packets for a fun, educational activity. Have some fun outdoors by stuffing Easter baskets with inexpensive seed packets. It will get the kids outside and give them the long-term excitement of watching their flowers grow.