DIY Easter Basket Idea

DIY Easter Basket Idea from Upcycled Packing Paper – A Cute & Easy Craft

Create an adorable DIY Easter basket using upcycled packing paper and a recycled planter! This easy Easter craft is budget-friendly, fun, and perfect for repurposing materials you already have. Get step-by-step instructions now!

When you think of Easter, do you think about the Easter Bunny? You may laugh, but my mother created Easter baskets for us well into our twenties... I mean, I think I was nearly thirty when she finally stopped. 

She even hid them, and we had to find them each Easter. I told her one year that I thought it was getting out of hand since we were well past the kiddo stage, but she laughed and said she enjoyed it, so let her have her fun. Of course, when she put it that way, how could we not participate? 

So, with Easter and my mom in mind, I created the cutest DIY Easter basket idea ever! Well, I may be partial, but we will see what you think.

This post is a part of the Do It Over Designers hop, so get ready for all sorts of fun ideas heading your way. Ann, our fearless leader, thought it would be a good idea this time around to create something with paper. I knew when she declared paper the winner, what I would create, so stick around and see how this cute-as-a-button DIY Easter basket idea comes to fruition.

How the Idea Hit Me

If you have been reading along with us for a while, then you may recall last year when we had to remove our blight-infected boxwoods from our front flower beds. We purchased five hydrangeas to replace them since we decided we would rather not go through blight again.

Of course, you know me—I saved those perfect little planters that the hydrangeas came in. How could I not? Last year, I created a DIY planter where I transformed that pot into an expensive-looking planter for no money.

This year, I knew I had to create a DIY Easter basket with the next pot. I admit, I think this one is my favorite. It turned out better than I thought it would. I even made mistakes and did my best to correct them, and this little bunny basket is still my favorite!

It's amazing what you can create with packing paper, a plastic mesh cross-stitch placemat, a ton of hot glue, and some good old-fashioned thinking outside the square box.

Let's get into how we made this DIY Easter basket.

Materials:

• Packing paper (I wish I could tell you an exact amount, but when you think you have enough, you will need more)

• Plastic planter left over from a nursery flower purchase

• 1 plastic mesh cross-stitch placemat

• Glue gun

• 15 glue sticks

• Scissors

• Chip brush

• Home Decor Barcelona Beige Chalk Paint

• Hot pink Sharpie marker (optional)

Instructions:

1. Paint the planter with chalk paint to disguise the white pot and writing underneath the packing paper. Set aside to dry.

2. Begin cutting packing paper into strips. The width isn’t as important, but each strip must be the same length to ensure the braid works properly. I cut each strip to about 1 1/2 inches wide and left the paper at its original length.

3. Crumple each strip—this will make it easier to braid.

4. Grab three strips and begin braiding. Hot glue the ends of the strips together before starting to keep the braid from unraveling. Continue braiding until you reach the end, then secure it with a small dollop of hot glue. Repeat until you have a nice pile of braided strips.

5. Start at the top lip of the planter pot. Add hot glue around the rim and place the braided packing paper strips around the pot, overlapping where one strip ends and another begins for a smoother transition. Continue until the entire pot is covered.

6. Freehand bunny ears or search online for a bunny ear template. I freehanded mine on paper.

7. Trace a set of bunny ears onto the plastic mesh cross-stitch placemat and cut them out.

8. If you prefer pink ears, color the grid with a pink Sharpie marker and then tone down the color with a wet napkin.

9. Apply hot glue to the ears and wrap braided packing paper around them.

10. Hot glue the set of ears to the inside of the pot so they stick out from the top of the basket.

11. Style to your taste!

Don't Forget to Pin for Later!

Notes:

• I recommend using finger covers when working with hot glue. This slacker still hasn’t bought any, and my fingers are paying the price with burns. It hurts more than it used to—guess I’m getting soft in my old age!

• I initially freehanded the bunny ears directly onto the plastic mesh cross-stitch placemat. This was a mistake. Later, I realized the pink marker would show through. I tried to cover it with the pink Sharpie, but then I didn’t like the hot pink, so I attempted to wash it off. They call it permanent marker for a reason... I’m rolling my eyes at myself right now.

• When braiding the packing paper, give it a gentle pull every so often to stretch out the braid. But don’t pull too hard—the packing paper is perforated and will tear. I made this mistake and had to hot glue the piece that tore.

Repurposing for the Win

I’ve mentioned several times that I’m using what I already have around the house this year, but now it’s become a personal challenge. Some people compete with others; I compete with myself. I always have. Some may think it’s strange, but for me, it’s just how I am. I like a challenge and setting goals for myself.

Some may wonder where the plastic mesh cross-stitch placemat came from. Well, my mom passed several down to me. She was the original crafter in the family—1980-something was filled with craft projects, handmade clothes, cross-stitched placemats, and many trips to Jo-Ann Fabrics. It’s a shame they’re going out of business. 

I remember sitting at their table, leafing through patterns with her—the good old days. I have several more of these placemats in the basement, and my mom told me, “I know you’ll come up with something.” Guess I did! Who knew they’d become bunny ears?

I know some folks say they have a lot of stuff, but me? I wish I could say I was exaggerating, but I’m not. We cleaned out two homes in the last three years. I’m sentimental, and I struggle to let go of items that belonged to loved ones. 

Add in the regular clutter that’s ours, and we have a basement full of potential DIY projects. Stick around—I’m excited to share many more ideas using items you might already have in your home too. Check out our latest fabric project for another fun idea!

Don't Forget...

Join Us for Do It Over Designers

This upcycled craft is part of the Do It Over Designers challenge, where we give old, forgotten, and—in my case—trash a new lease on life.

Will you be keeping those planter pots and packing paper for future crafts? I sure hope so! It’s exciting to keep pieces like this out of the landfill and see what I can create. Now, let's see what my friends have been up to—hop on over for more inspiration!

Pandora’s Box

Purple Hues & Me

Unique Creations by Anita

Sum of Their Stories

Tea and Forget-Me-Nots

Color Me Thrifty

Vintage Style Gal (that's me)

The Apple Street Cottage

Birdz of a Feather

Exquisitely Unremarkable

Modern on Monticello

Ciao,

Cara