Contributed by Info Guru Terri Wallace
Easter conjures up images of bunnies and chocolate and hunts for colored eggs, and it would not be complete without a giant basket stuffed with goodies and treats to commemorate the joyful day.
Remember those baskets from your childhood: crammed with green grass, a cheap toy, and a packet of stale jelly beans? Well, you can do better than that! Create your own baskets filled with treats and treasures. Usher in the season of rebirth with these impressive additions to your Easter Basket.
10. Chocolate eggs-travaganza!
No Easter basket is complete without a generous supply of chocolate. Include an assortment of white, dark, and milk chocolate to help satisfy their sweet tooth. Filled chocolate and hollow bunnies help to round out the chocolate feast. Whether they prefer to nip the ears off their chocolate bunny, or devour chocolate truffles, make sure to pack them plenty.
9. Basket bling
A little bling goes a long way to brighten a basket. A pair of gold earrings, a gem encrusted pendant, or a simple silver charm provides a reminder of the occasion that lasts long after the last jelly bean has been devoured. It also ensures that she will have more to show for the holiday than just a few extra pounds from all the candy!
8. Full of flowers
A few daffodils or tulips bring the colors of spring to an Easter Basket. Consider a small potted plant, in addition to a small bouquet of cut flowers, so that the lucky recipient can replant the potted flowers in her garden and enjoy the cut flowers in her home.
7. Heirloom seeds
For the gardener in your life, add gourmet seed spring packets to the basket. Whether she likes herbs or flowers, an addition to her collection is sure to please.
6. Toys for everyone
Baskets for children (and for young-hearted adults) should include a small toy to entertain them long after the last Easter egg has been found. A small stuffed bunny, sidewalk chalk, a puzzle, or a game are all good choices.
5. Basket of books
Add to her collection and tuck a book among the edible treats. Whether you choose children’s literature, an inexpensive paperback, a rare first edition, or an audio book, the gift of a book extends the joy of Easter and gives him something to do once the extended family heads back home.
4. Spring aromatics
A new scent for spring is a welcome addition to the Easter basket. A new perfume, a scented candle, herbal shower gel, or other aromatics bring with them the smells of spring. After the heavy, spiced and evergreen scents of winter, the lighter florals of spring help to usher in the new season.
3. Fresh fruit feast
Apples, oranges, and strawberries are just a few of the fresh fruits that liven up an Easter basket. Pair decadent chocolates with luscious fruit—perhaps even some chocolate covered strawberries — to welcome back the pleasures of spring.
2. Cute cookies
Adding ornately decorated Easter egg cookies or cookies shaped like Easter bunnies or chicks to a basket provide sweet snacks to nibble on during the annual hunt for colored eggs. With treats like this, no one will complain about finding too few colored eggs.
1. Heirloom items
A silver photo frame makes a good basket stuffer and is perfect to hold this year’s family photo, taken just after the egg hunt. This is a wonderful addition to a basket for the newly married or new parents and will hold a place of honor on the mantel long after the last bit of stray Easter grass is swept away.