Easter Baskets: Do you reuse them or buy new ones every year???
By speedy1279
@speedy1279 (2665)
United States
March 24, 2008 8:06am CST
I have never really thought about this question up until this year. When I was out getting the stuff for my kids baskets, I got to wondering if there are people out there that go and buy the premade baskets every year instead of reusing the basket and buying the stuff seperately. To me it just seems like a waste of money to buy a new basket every year that is premade with stuff in it. I mean what do you do with the baskey afterwards? Do you toss it out, sell it in a yard sale, or give it away like on freecycle? With our landfills already over flowing with reusable junk, I can just imagine what it looks like after Easter if a lot of people are just throwing them away. For me, I bought each of my kids thier own baskey when they were first born and have reused it every year. We have a tradition that the night before Easter, they get thier baskets out and leave them on the table. Then the Easter bunny comes when they are asleep and fills them. To me this seems like the most logical thing to do. Plus I have seen those ready made baskets and the stuff they put in them is cheap and normally breaks in no time. Why spend the money to buy stuff like that. I always manage to buy my kids really nice stuff and never spend more than what they are asking for the premade baskets. Of couse it helps because I save the baskets every year. So I don't have the cost of having to buy a new basket, which gives me extra money to spend on the toys and candy to fill it.
So what do you do? Please share your thoughts.
2 people like this
12 responses
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
24 Mar 08
Well, my thing with easter baskets started back when we were traveling for construction jobs and lived in a travel trailer. Space is limited to say the least. Money was also limited. So to buy a regular basket and then throw it away was nothing but a stupid thing to do. So, I'd buy the kids a "usable" easter basket, fill it with candy and when it was all over, they had something that they could use or play with. FOr instance, a plastic dump truck for my son filled with candy and he had the toy afterwards. I got special dressy shoes for my daughter one year, she refused towear any other shoe but those till they wore out! A purse, cowboy hat, just whatever they could use later. once those plastic totes came in, those were good cause after the candy was gone, they had their own "speical" box of just their stuff. Took a bit of thinking to get something they'd like afterwards but appropriate for candy during, but I did it for many years. Now, I have been using the decorative gift bags, as both my grand daughters come and go and always carrying things nad they have these cute bags to carry their "stuff to Nanny's house" in. I also use them myself, to carry things to the car and keep them all in one spot once there.
2 people like this
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
24 Mar 08
You have a very creative mind I can see. I would have never thought to get "usable" Easter baskets to fill with stuff. That would also turn out to be one of thier gifts. You have some great thinking on your part. I know what it's like to live in a travel trailer. My ex-husband and I did it for 4 years. We lived in a 24 foot travel trailer on his parents property. It was very hard to live in such tight conditions. Of course I didn't have kids then, so it was just him and me. Way to go!!!!
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
24 Mar 08
We always used the same basket every year when I was growing up to...the only problem with that was that no one could remember which basket was really theirs so my sisters would arue about it and being the youngest I'd get whatever one they didn't want.
I've reused baskets AND bought new ones over the years for my own. I'm one of those that's likes things to match but couldn't always find a matching basket for the newest addition so I'd have to start all over with new baskets for everyone. This year my stuff is packed up so I got new ones again for everyone. I found some nice ones for $2 a piece so it wasn't a big deal. I also got an awesome deal on my oldest son's present which helped even more...I wanted to get him a nice baseball glove, the one I picked out was originally $20 marked down to $12 but then it scanned at the register for $2!
2 people like this
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
24 Mar 08
Sorry to hear you always got stuck with the one your sisters didn't want. That must have been upsetting at times. I understand your need to have things match, but I am wondering what do you do with the old baskets? Do you save them, toss them, or recycle them to other people? Also, way to go finding such a cool present for your son and it being marked down quite a bit. That is definitly a great bargin.
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
24 Mar 08
Well, the first set got 'lost' when we moved...my then inlaws thought I was incapable of packing and a lot of things got lost. We had a set of plastic buckets after that that I let the kids use as yard toys eventually. Another set of baskets got lost when I moved again because again those inlaws locked me out of the house before I got all my stuff out and decided what I could and couldn't have. Others have been played with until they broke and others were "regifted". One set was used to organize toys and that set as well as last years good ones I still have but are packed up and I couldn't get to them in time for this Easter.
2 people like this
@4monsters4me (2569)
• United States
24 Mar 08
I tried to reuse the same ones. I always buy my kids the plastic baskets but every other year or so they tend to keep the baskets and then break them. Last year I bought new ones for 3 of the kids (I didn't get one for my youngest who had just turned 1 three days before Easter) but we were visiting family and they got left behind.
We have since moved in with that family (my dad) but the baskets were being used to keep crayons and stuff in so I had to buy new ones. They are $1 each so not a lot and I like that the kids can use them to carry their things around. I'm hoping to get a hold of all 4 and the grass and put them up for next year like I used to do. I just explain to the kids that it is easy for the Easter bunny to store some of his stuff here and he'll fill it when he arrives.
1 person likes this
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
25 Mar 08
Kids breaking the baskets, well that is definitly a good reason to buy new ones. I guess I never thought of that because I normally don't let my kids play with the baskets.
So you tell your kids the Easter Bunny stores the baskets at your house. I never thought to tell the kids that. My kids got thier baskets when they were a year old. Of course at that age they don't understand at all, so I just put them away afterwards and then once they were old enough to understand I told my kids the Easter Bunny brought them thier baskets on thier very first Easter and that every year they are to set them out so the Easter bunny can fill them. Luckily they haven't asked me yet why the Easter bunny doesn't bring them a new basket every year. But they enjoy setting thier baskets out every year. We color easter eggs the day before and then I have each of them pick one easter egg and leave it on a plate for the easter bunny. I love seeing thier faces the next morning when they get up and the eggs are gone except for the shells and thier baskets are filled. It is such a sight.
@deewalt03 (30)
• United States
24 Mar 08
I learned my lesson with the pre-made baskets a couple years ago. I bought a really cute one with a big yellow truck in it for my son and like you said the stuff is cheap. The truck broke with in just a couple days. Normally I use buckets instead of baskets for my son because he can use the buckets for his sand castles and mud pies. This year I bought him a basket for the first time and will probably reuse it next year.
2 people like this
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
24 Mar 08
Yes those toys are very cheap. It is amazing to see so many people buying them every year, when you can make your own basket full of nice toys for the same amount of money that it cost to buy those premade baskets.
1 person likes this
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
24 Mar 08
Thanks for sharing! I never thought to use something other than a basket.
1 person likes this
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
25 Mar 08
So what do you do with the stock pile of them? I am just curious.
@Darkwing (21583)
•
24 Mar 08
I do the same as you. An Easter basket is the same as a Christmas stocking really. It should be saved for refilling each year. That way, you can afford to buy better things to fill them, at less cost to you.
So, yes, I agree with your concept. Brightest Blessings.
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
24 Mar 08
I never really thought about an Easter basket being the same thing as a Christmas stocking. It should be saved every year instead of disgarding them and buying new.
@ladymoonstone143 (1507)
• United States
25 Mar 08
I have a 3 year old and an 8 month old daughters. The 3 year old got the same Easter basket since her first Easter. The 8 month old, she just got her first Easter basket. Their Easter basket is made of white wicker and has a pastel cloth that covered the side. It is very sturdy and I think it will last until they outgrew the Easter baskets. I have both their basket wrap up and is on top of the hallway closet, ready for next year's Easter. Nowadays, it impractical to be buying Easter baskets every year. With a good Easter basket, even if it is a little bit pricey when we purchased it but in the long run, it will save us money and will hold lots of memories and sentimental value.
1 person likes this
@mememama (3076)
• United States
25 Mar 08
I always get a plastic bucket (some have cute easter designs) and fill that with toys, etc. Then we can reuse at the beach, kids can play with it outside to haul things around. Eventually it falls apart, but they are only a few bucks.
@skinnychick (6905)
• United States
24 Mar 08
I do the same thing. I keep the baskets until they fall apart for whatever reason and get new ones. I fill them myself. Way better than those cheap baskets. But the cheap baskets I guess if you don't have time are great in a pinch. Though I refuse to buy them.
1 person likes this
@miller1978 (1101)
• United States
24 Mar 08
We reuse ours and refill it with our own likings for each child. With so many family members also buying them stuff for the holidays I requested that they use something other than a basket as they have one at home and don't need more of them.
A few years ago my mom had bought them all baskets (before I made my request) and they are cute little wire baskets. They sit on top of their dressers and hold little stuff like hair ties, make up, or doll stuff (shoes, handbags, earrings).
I've always found a use for something that it wasn't meant to be used for. I guess that's what makes me so cheap. *LOL* But it's a good idea to recycle whatever I can instead of throwing away perfectly good stuff.
1 person likes this
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
24 Mar 08
It is always a good idea to recycle stuff instead of throwing it away. I am glad I am not the only one trying to save our landfills. As for asking family members not to use baskets every year, I understand your frustrations. Luckily for me I don't have this problem. My husbands parents don't get the kids anything for easter. He has a very large family, so they just can't afford to get everyone something. So instead of favoring one over another, we just all get together for a Big Easter lunch and have an easter egg hunt for the kids. Then my parents save the baskets every year like I do. Each of the kids have a basket at thier house that they can play with while we are thier, but when it comes time to leave. My mom gets plastic bags to put all thier stuff in and she puts the baskets away for next year.
1 person likes this
@idaantipolo (472)
• Philippines
25 Mar 08
The ones that I buy are made of natural materials which are abundant here in our country, however, we do not just throw out the old baskets, we just remove the accents and decorations and reuse them again for another occasion. Since I believe that we have to help out in recycling of things to save the earth, aside from the fact, that we have to save money by restraining from buying things unnecessarily.
