Easy, Simple, Sturdy, Cute Easter Baskets

Soda, pop, whatever you call it...my friend Erin from Eberhart's Explorers calls it Coke!!! Ummmm....Erin, Coke is a brand name!! You can only call Coke, Coke. Apparently not where she's from!! :) (Love you, Erin) Anyway, whatever you call it, start saving those boxes to make the cutest, most sturdy little Easter baskets for your class!!

 The first time I made these, I had been to a workshop and someone donated a great big box of these little empty soda boxes to any teacher that could think of a use for them....I was the only taker!!! Here are the baskets that I came up with:

I was able to use my supply for a few years to make these perfect little baskets. But, this year, my supply ran out. Where would I get more boxes?!?

Then, one day I was standing in line at the grocery store in the little town that I work in. I saw the soda guy taking the glass bottles out of the boxes and I ran over to him and said, "Hi! I'm a Kindergarten teacher! Ummmm....what are you going to do with those boxes???" He said he would get me as many as I wanted!!!! Score!!!! Now, every time I go into the grocery store, they have a box of these waiting for me!! Yipppeeeeee!!!!  (It's the little things :)

I'm hoping that you can find a store or maybe a gas station that sells soda by the glass bottle. But, maybe it's just because I work in Clinton County, IL which is where Ski is made and bottled!!!!! Ever heard of it? It's like Mountain Dew x10. Ha!!! The kids around here are raised on this stuff and EVERYONE drinks it! Every fountain soda machine has Ski and Cherry Ski, every store and gas station sells it, and there is a Ski machine on every corner :)

Think you've never heard of Ski??? Maybe you'll remember this little ditty from the late 80s! Dumas Walker!!!!!!!!! Ha!!!



Anway-this post is NOT supposed to be about Ski...focus!!!! It's about these adorable little baskets! They are so, so, so simple to make! Just wrap them in white construction paper, add ears, a nose, google eyes, whiskers and a cotton tail, and you're done!! (and maybe cut out a couple of bottle separators from the inside) The best part is they are sooooo sturdy!! And, they are just the perfect size for little hands! ;)

Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!!