Green Gift Ideas for Easter

Make a statement and go green while celebrating the Easter holiday this year. Show your friends and family your eco-friendly side and encourage them to do the same. Green ideas for Easter baskets, eggs, candies, and other Easter art are all right here. These beautiful, green gift ideas for Easter might just start some new family traditions.

Green Gift Ideas to Fill the Easter Basket

Who doesn't remember making these adorable Easter baskets from used berry containers as a kid? They are a perfect green idea for presenting Easter gifts. Place some naturally decorated eggs, organic chocolates, or handmade gifts into these decorative baskets for a special touch. The full instructions for creating these Easter baskets are available at MarthaStewart.com

These days, berries usually come in clam shell containers. These can also be repurposed into green gift ideas as an Easter egg basket. Find out how (here).

There are many green ideas for filling the Easter baskets with gifts:

"Green Gift Ideas for Easter," explains how to dye eggs to go in the baskets with natural dye.

Try filling Easter baskets with real grass or hay, rather than plastic grass that will be thrown in the garbage.

Use free-range and organic eggs to be sure the poultry are humanely handled.

Black Walnut Hulls, Pomegranate and Blackberries

These eggs were colored naturally using food. The basic recipe for coloring eggs with homemade food dye is to boil the food in 4 cups of water. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and simmer the eggs in the strained liquid for 30 minutes if they are raw. If they are already boiled, soak them in the strained liquid in the refrigerator overnight. If you do not strain the food it will cause a marbling effect on the eggs. I personally like that, so I didn't strain the food from the homemade dye. My eggs were raw so after boiling the food in the water for a bit, I reduced the heat to simmer and added the eggs and vinegar. After 30 minutes they were the shade seen in this photo.

Pomegranate = Yellow

Blackberries = Light Purple

Black Walnut Hulls = Brown

For more detailed instructions on how to do this see: How to Dye Easter Eggs with Food

This video gives complete instructions for reusing and decorating an egg carton. To make a perfect Easter container.

Green Easter Gift Ideas Inside the Basket

1. Handmade Easter Art:

Salt Dough

Clay Art for Making Fake Easter Eggs

2. Good Quality Organic and Fair-Trade Chocolate

Organic Nuts and Chews Boxed Chocolates - Vegan

Feel free to leave comments on these green gift ideas, or add your own ideas!

These are a few of the tips that are seen in the video: Choose a basket that will last, so you don't feel the need to buy them and throw them out the same year. Place a water-proof container inside the basket to grow grass seed and you won't need to buy the disposable kind. If you prefer, you can line your basket with green cloth. Use natural food dyes, rather than chemical dyes. Natural dyes are made from plant and food products that you'll find in your kitchen and most are safe enough to eat, such as pomegranate and blueberries.

The video below has a slightly different spin on creating a green Easter basket. It includes ideas for adult Easter baskets instead. Prepare a basket for your favorite cowboy this Easter.