There are enough ideas on this page to keep you and yours busy right through the Easter season!

• Easter Baskets
• Easter Masks
• Other Easter Ideas

Easter Baskets

WOVEN BASKETS

Things you will need:

• pastel colored construction paper two colors
• scissors
• glue or stapler

Using one piece of paper cut horizontal straight lines about one inch in from side to side across paper, about 1/2 inch a part from each other. The paper should be covered from top to bottom with these slits. Next take the other color of paper and cut 1/2 strips. Weave these strips in and out of the slits in the first paper. When completed with all the strips glue the ends of the strips to the first paper to hold in place. Next fold up the sides to make a basket shape. Staple or glue in place. With a contrasting color make a handle on your basket and staple or glue. Basket can then be filled with shredded paper to make a nest in the bottom.

MILK-CARTON EASTER BASKETS

Things you will need:

• pint milk or juice carton
• cotton balls
• pink yarn
• something to make eyes and nose (buttons, gumdrops or other candy, etc.)

Close the top of the empty carton. Position the carton on its side with the top closed edge vertical. Then on the side which is facing up, cut along the two long edges and the bottom edge. Hold flap up slightly and cut it to form two rabbit ears pointing away from the pointed end of carton. Cover the entire outer part of the carton with cotton balls including the ears. Use a small piece of yarn to make outline of pink for the inner ear. Use buttons or whatever you chose to make eyes and nose on the pointed end of the carton. Place extra cotton balls for tail. Fill carton with Easter grass and candy.

SODA-BOTTLE EASTER BASKETS

Things you will need:

• 2 litre soda bottle
• scissors
• decorations of choice

Measure up about 5 inches and cut the bottle. Use 2 pieces about 1 inch wide for the handle. Decorate as the mood strikes you.

EGG-CARTON MINI EASTER BASKETS

Things you will need:

• egg cartons
• ribbon
• glue, tape, or stapler
• Easter grass
• jelly beans

Cut out individual egg buckets from the egg carton. Attach some ribbon for a handle. Insert some Easter grass and add some jelly beans.

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Easter Masks

BUNNY MASKS

Things you will need:

• construction paper
• paper plates
• glue
• stapler
• crayons
• cotton balls
• string

Staple ears to a paper plate - ones that look like rabbit ears. Cut out eyes, glue or draw on nose and mouth. Cover plate with cotton balls for fur. Attach string to hold up around head.

EASTER BUNNY EARS

Things you will need:

• Construction paper (pink, white and/or brown)
• Glue

Cut out bunny ears with the white and pink paper (pink should be slightly smaller) or use two tones of brown for a chocolate bunny. Glue the pink on white to make ears. (or brown). Make a 2-inch band long enough to go around your child's head. Staple in place. Attach bunny ears to band.

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Other Easter Ideas

BUNNY BAGS

Things you will need:

• paper lunch bags
• scissors
• decorations of choice

Take a brown or white lunch bag cut a v out of the top with construction paper cut out ears and glue on to the top of bag make whiskers and draw a face or make one and put a handle at the top and instead of children carrying a big easter basket they can carry around there homemade bag.

EASTER PLACEMATS

Things you will need:

• Old Easter cards
• Easter pictures from magazines
• your childrens drawings
• light weight cardboard or heavy construction paper
• glue
• contact paper

Gather up Easter cards from past years, pictures from magazines or your children's favorite drawings. Glue onto light cardboard or construction paper in decorative fashion the size of a placemat. Cover this collage with clear contact paper to seal the placemat. Be sure to have your child date and sign it.

PAPER PLATE BUNNY

Things you will need:

• large paper plate
• small paper plate
• glue
• pink construction paper
• cotton ball
• crayons or markers

Using paper plates, glue small one to top of large one to form head and body. Cut out bunny ears from pink paper. Glue or staple to head. Draw eyes and nose on face of plate with crayons or markers. Glue a cotton ball on the back for a tail.

PAPER MACHE EGGS

Things you will need:

• Paper mache paste
• balloon
• tape
• 1-inch pieces newspaper, newsprint or paper toweling
• pie tin
• paint brushes
• colored tissue paper (optional)
• shellac
• flour
• water

Paper mache recipe:
Mix 1/4 cup flour into 1 cup of water until thin and runny. Stir this mixture into 5 cups lightly boiling water. Gently boil for 2-3 minutes. Cool until you can dip paper into mixture without burning yourself.

Eggs:
Make paper mache paste as above. When cool pour into pie tin. Blow up a balloon and tape to a table. Dip strips of newspaper in paste and place carefully on balloon. Continue overlapping pieces of newspaper on balloon. Cover balloon completely and let dry. It may take overnight to dry, particularly if children have use lots of paste. Once dry decorate the dried balloon with paint or colored tissue in pretty pastel Easter colors. Finish with shellac for a shiny, glazed effect.

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