21 of Our Best Easter Basket Ideas

Sunday morning brings a wealth of surprises: Non-candy stuffers like toys and trinkets, and sweet treats galore—all presented in an Easter basket made specially for you.

Why do we give Easter baskets to each other? The tradition dates back thousands of years when pagan people would pray to the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, Eostre, who was depicted in ancient art as cradling a woven basket in the crook of her arm. Over the eras, this imagery and the symbolism of renewal associated with it evolved: To celebrate the end of Lent, early medieval Christians would arrive to church bearing baskets of delicious goods to be blessed by their priest. According to later European folklore, a mythological rabbit was believed to deliver a basket filled with colored eggs for good little children. That brings us to today, when families still happily exchange baskets on Easter Sunday morning and share the gifts they carry. An Easter basket is stuffed to the brim with classic goodies: decorated eggs, marshmallow chicks, chocolate candy, and stuffed bunny toys.

There's a basket for everyone: For babies, their first Easter is made special with teething toys, stuffed animals, and reading books. For boys and girls, a basket of art supplies, windup toys, and candy will always be a joy. For the teenager, a basket of trendy accessories like "rabbit" headphones, egg soaps, and candy critters guarantee fun. As for Mom and Dad? A basket of adult sweets and spa treats proves that no one truly grows out of receiving a basket. Even Martha herself receives a handmade basket from her friend Kevin Sharkey every spring—and over the years, they've proved to be spectacular. Here, we pay tribute to springtime's riot of color with a collection of Easter baskets that would rival even the most vivid of rainbows. Each one is a celebration of a particular hue: green, orange, gold, yellow, blue, pink, silver, purple, and brown. The contents are also varied. Some baskets hold little bouquets or big chocolate bunnies; others, fluffy pom-pom chicks or polka-dotted eggs. They make excellent gifts and wonderful centerpieces. So why not treat yourself to one? Remember, Easter baskets—these versions, anyway—are for grown-ups, too.

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Know someone special in need of a little rest and relaxation? How about a basket that packages everything they need for a spa day at home? They'll love indulging in a little "me" time with scented candles, bubbly body washes, and soft-to-the-touch towels.

Is it somebunny's first Easter? We suggest this snuggly basket stuffed with age-appropriate toys like stuffed bunnies, teething toys, and handmade rabbit slippers.

What about a small child? These toys are better than candy (and better for your little one): wind-up toys to musical eggs to a carrot-and-spoon fork set made special for smaller hands.

This Easter basket, adorned with paper-punched butterflies taps into her creativity by curating gifts (think: coloring books, a make-your-own bunny set, bunny-shaped crayons, and more) she will spend hours enjoying.

For Easter, a white metal bucket is all you need to package the toys and trinkets he loves. Fill it with model planes, transforming robot toys, and more of our basket stuffer ideas.

No one is too old for Easter, including your teenager! This year, give her a basket full of flavored beauty products, more sophisticated candy, and colorful school supplies.

Kids love magical stories and things gone miniature. In this handled basket, we turned the interior into a fairytale garden complete with "gnome" decorated eggs, vegetable chocolates, and diminuitive-sized toy accessories (a wooden wheelbarrow, and watering can).

An Easter basket filled to the brim with coordinated candy, cookies, and eggs creates a cohesive look. The trick to decorating these speckled Easter eggs is similar to the sponge-painted technique we used to decorate the egg-shaped sugar cookies.

An eco-friendly mindset benefits everyone: you, the recipient, and the earth at large. This naturally grown garden-in-a-basket Wheatgrass springs up quick as a bunny in just 10 days, and is sweeter and definitely more eco than artificial fillers.

A frilly alternative to a traditional basket, this rose has humble beginnings: Beneath the folds of pink crepe paper is a plastic bucket meant for mixing paint.

Not every Easter basket needs to be filled with candy: This one is just as sweet, thanks to clusters of mini daffodils planted in a bed of clump moss. Since the basket is lined with a plastic pot, the flowers can be watered so they'll blossom long past Easter. Add to the holiday tableau by resting a few eggs on the moss—and, if you have them on hand, a couple of Hotot bunnies.

This basket certainly is pretty in pink. The anchor of the display is a little basket filled with a mix of light-pink silk flowers (just tuck pots of them into the basket). Pink satin ribbon trails from the handle to the table, guiding the eye to a collection of foil-wrapped candy and jelly beans—all in the same pastel hue. The sweetest final touch: a set of sugar cookies shaped like bunnies and sheep.

An oversize egg doubles as an Easter basket, with smaller versions inside—one cracked and bearing a pom-pom chick. The shell is made with three layers of paper strips: Pink paper is revealed when the egg is cut open; two layers of plain newsprint are on top.

Set out at an Easter party, it would make a wonderful centerpiece—then dessert. And what a gift for anyone with a sweet tooth. First, we coated a plain basket with chocolate-brown paint to make the color richer. Then we filled it with shredded kraft paper and dark chocolates in the shapes of eggs, bunnies, and hens. We also put foil-covered eggs in the big bunny's basket by attaching them with dots of royal icing. And we wrapped up homemade fudge in a cellophane bag and secured it with a lavender velvet ribbon. Martha particularly likes the real eggshells filled with chocolate. Fresh flowers, such as this pansy nosegay, should be tucked in just before the basket is given or displayed.

Spring's pretty blue skies inspire this basket, tucked with shimmering German egg boxes. They make for an extra special family tradition—each year, every person can find a gift inside an egg. The eggs are made of sturdy cardboard, which are painted shades of blue and covered in glass glitter. Then we added silk and paper flowers and vintage velvet leaves twined around the handle.