Mini Easter Basket or Party Favor Craft

Hello Everyone!  I've posted this DIY craft before on my blog, but I thought it was a great time to repost since today is the First Day of Spring.  What a great time to think about making something cute for Easter.

So here is how to make a Mini Easter Basket:

I was going through my old magazines (I'm sort of a hoarder when it comes to magazines) and found instructions on how to make this adorable Paper Easter Basket in a Martha Stewart Living issue.  You can fill it with jelly beans and chocolate bunnies and station one at each place-setting on your Easter table. 

These remind me of the candy basket party favors I would get when I went to birthday parties as a little girl.  So I think they can be filled with little trinkets and candies and be used as cute party favors for any occasion.

What you'll need:

White Wilton Nut & Party Cups (2 inch diameter)
White crepe paper
Green crepe paper
floral wire
floral tape
felt or paper craft flower
white glue (Elmer's glue)
craft paint brush

I used a white Wilton Nut & Party Cup (sold in packs of 24 at a 2-inch diameter), but any white paper cup can be used if you cut it down to about 1 5/8 inch.

I wrapped the cup in white crepe paper, brushing the outside of the cup with glue.  I used an old craft paint brush.  I made sure the piece I used was 1 inch higher than the cup so I could tuck it inside.  Punch two small holes in the side of the cup directly across from each other.  Cut a piece of 20-gauge floral wire to desired length for the handle.  Fold back ends of wire, and loop through holes from the inside out.  Wrap the wire in floral tape.  (I've made these little baskets a couple of times since I took this photo, and I used green pipe cleaners instead of wrapping a florist wire for the handle.  It was easier and you can use a variety of colors.)

I then cut green crepe paper the same length as the white crepe paper and 1 inch taller than the cup.  Accordion-fold the green paper and using scissors, cut top of the paper to create "grass".  Unfold and wrap around cup, glueing it on.  The "grass" had a tendency to fold inward once I had wrapped it around the cup, but I just pulled it outward softly and it behaved itself after that.

There were instructions on how to make a crepe paper flower for the handle, but it just wasn't working for me.  I was running out of time so I just used a little felt flower from the pack of craft felt flowers that I found in the dollar bin at Target.  Good thing I bought those. You never know when you are going to need a felt flower!  And I am all about taking shortcuts.

Now you are ready to fill your little basket with goodies!

Happy Easter Everyone!