Six grands in the family. Many different ages. Lots of personalities. And zero bags of jelly beans. (The jelly beans were hard to give up!)
This year’s Easter baskets were all about making it personal — starting with affordable Aldi baskets and filling them with things the grands will actually use, wear, and remember. A puzzle, a board book, a toy, a custom Cricut shirt, hand-painted eggs and tags, and a few Gap Factory finds. Similar items but sightly different for each child.
Here is how it all came together. Link to the goodies!
The Base: Aldi Easter Baskets
Aldi comes through every year with sturdy, adorable baskets at prices that make doing five of them completely painless. Grab them early — they move fast in the ALDI Finds section starting in late February.
Puzzle – Age-appropriate and something they will pull out long after Easter Sunday is over.
Book – For the littlest grands, a board book is great. Spring themed or a favorite character. Books, in general, are always a good idea.
Toy – One toy tied to what that child loves right now. It says: I know you.
T-Shirt- Personalized for the occasion or grandchild — their name, their colors, their style, seasonal theme. I will have a whole post on how I make these, but trust me: they are easier than you think and the kids absolutely love them.
Hand-painted Eggs & Basket Tags – Each one customized by hand — their favorite color, their initial, a little detail just for them. No two the same.
Gap Factory Outlet Goodies – Quality pieces at sale prices — the kind that make the basket look like you spent twice what you did.
The Handmade Touch: Painted Eggs and Custom Tags
This is the part that takes the basket from nice to theirs. Each egg and gift tag was hand-painted and customized — different patterns, colors, names (Cricut) You do not need to be an artist. A base coat, a paint pen or acrylic paints, and a little patience and inspiration is all it takes.
-Base coat paper mache or wooden eggs in acrylic craft paint, let dry fully. I used a white paint/rimer in one and it is much, much faster
-Re-create a design that inspired you (from a wallpaper, fabric, home decor store products, anywhere). I used acrylic paints to paint the designs
-Add their name or initial. I used my Cricut to add the names. (I did something similar with Christmas ornaments). You could also use a fine-tip paint pens or marker to make names and details so much easier
-Seal with a clear, spray varnish in gloss or modge podge
For tags: painted cardstock or wooden figured, hole punch (or drill for wood tags), twine/ribbon— simple and sweet
For the 3–5 Year Olds: A Little Crafty Activity
The little ones always get something to make tucked into their basket — this year it was coloring eggs and sticker art. Simple, contained, and they can dig in the moment the basket is open.
–Coloring eggs — the kind with built-in dye tabs or simple marker-style coloring eggs work great for this age
–Sticker art sheets — look for Easter or spring themed ones; toddlers are obsessed and it keeps little hands busy
–Games – Seek/find, coloring, etc. These are readily available on Etsy for free or a small purchase. Just download and purchase markers at Dollar Tree
Tuck everything into a small zip bag inside the basket so it is easy to find and ready to go
The Gap Factory Score
Gap Factory during sale season is one of my favorite sourcing stops. Quality basics, great colors, and prices that leave room in the budget for all the handmade extras. I grabbed a few pieces per child that rounded out the baskets without blowing the budget.
The Full Basket Formula
-Affordable Aldi basket as the base
-Age-appropriate puzzle
-Board book for the littles, regular book for the older ones
-One toy tied to their current or future obsession
-Custom Cricut t-shirt — personalized for each child
-Hand-painted eggs and gift tags, customized by hand
-Coloring eggs + sticker art for the 3–5 year olds
-Gap Factory goodies to finish it off
The Whole Point
Six grandkids, six baskets, six kids who each got something made just for them. The Aldi basket is just a vessel. The painted egg with their initial on it, the shirt in their favorite color, the little egg waiting for them to color — that is where the love shows up.
If you make non-candy baskets this year, tag me — I would love to see them!
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