Hi! Thanks for stopping by! Today’s adventure is making AFFORDABLE Easter baskets! Friends, believe me when I say that the dollar store is your friend! Target is also a very good friend! They always have cool goodies by the front door at nice prices. Today’s challenge is to make a cute Easter basket for my daughter using items only from the dollar store. It’s totally possible and the possibilities are endless!
I made this one for a friend’s niece a couple of years ago (before I had a daughter) and now that I have my very own I get to make one for her!
First things first, as always, gather your supplies-
For this project I used the following items, which are mostly leftover from previous crafts:
Weaved basket (the dollar store has some, but you can recycle or thrift one if you’d like. I found a cute pink (& a blue) one for $1 each at the dollar tree!)
Tulle (my local dollar store sells spools of white tulle in the wedding decoration section), but I’m using a leftover spool tulle from a previous project instead. I got it from Walmart for about $3.
Faux daisies (Gerbers are the cutest!) & Grass (yep you guessed it, dollar store!)
Eggs & Other goodies that you can find!
There are two ways to make your basket! The no sew way and and the not no sew way!
No Sew:
To make the tulle tutu for your basket, cut a bunch (the whole spool) of tulle in strips. I used two colors in the basket for my friend (I had leftover tulle from a previous project so I didn’t have to buy any for this project. I went to Walmart to get them. They sell spools for about $3 each). The shorter the strips, the more fluffy your basket will be. Be careful not to cut them too short, because each strip will be folded in half and looped. Take each strip individually and fold it in half lengthwise (hotdog style). Fold it again widthwise (hamburger style). Then insert the loop (pictured below), pull the open end through the loop, and tug lightly. Continue all the way around your basket and fill in any open gaps.
Use wire cutters to snip the flower stems and wrap them around the perimeter of your basket to give it a floral look (so cute!).
Then stuff your basket with goodies! I like to put the tallest items in the back, the shorter ones in the front, and some of the smaller “surprise” items in the grass to give it a little height and excitement.
For children with allergies: Instead of candy and chocolate, try stuffing your eggs with stickers and small toys (if they’re old enough…choking hazards). School supplies, art kits, matchbox cars, and hair accessories are some of our favorites over here.
Not no sew:
Supplies- Thread, scissors, sewing machine, spool of tulle, elastic (1/2″ is a nice size)
Thread your machine with a color that matches your fabric, fold the end of your fabric over 1 inch (that measurement depends on how wide your elastic is. Mine was 3/4″ so I gave it a little wiggle room)
Begin sewing!
I used leftover tulle from a previous project, but there was plenty on the spool. I sewed the entire spool all the way to the end, then back stitched the ends for security.
Next, attach a clip or large safety pin to feed the elastic through the opening you just made:
Bunch the fabric onto the elastic until you get to the end, and leave a little space to securely sew the ends of the elastic together:
Almost done! 
Sew & back stitch a few times to secure the elastic, then adjust the fabric to cover up the open space and there you have it! All that’s left is to attach it to your basket, fill it, and let Peter Rabbit do the rest 😉 It’ll double as a cute dress up accessory for smaller girls too!
Up Next: DIY Photo back drops