25+ Easter Egg Fillers (That Aren’t Total Crap)

Now that I'm a mom, I see how toys can accumulate REAL QUICK. The worst ones are the useless crap that no one wants. You know... the stuff that kids play with for 2.5 seconds and then abandon forever. Easter is definitely a holiday where this plays out, particularly when it comes to filling up Easter eggs. I mean.... they're so small! What can you really put inside that's worthwhile? With the sheer volume of disposable junk we put into the environment, I wanted to highlight some ideas for easter egg fillers that aren’t total crap. Instead of candy and awful little toys, try these ideas for fillers that both you and the kids will LOVE. 

Psst: If you’re looking for Toddler Basket ideas, check out this post!

Easter Egg Fillers

Rings- You can DIY a bunch of rings really easily using some supplies you have around the house! You can also make rings using gemstones and metal rings. Kids love playing dress up, and they're sure to use these gems to play princess. Or, teach them how to make their own shop and "sell" them to their stuffed toys- or each other!

Stickers- Not sure what it is about kids and stickers but they love 'em. I still have my collection from when I was young! Do a mix of Easter stickers and ordinary pastels to keep the theme, but also make them actually usable outside of Easter. This is also great for encouraging trading amongst the kids!

Activities- It's a fact- people prefer experiences over material possessions! Fill the eggs with clues for your activity plans, and watch the kids guess. You can take them to a movie, go bowling, visit a local museum, etc.

Easter books- While these won't fit in the eggs, you can give books as prizes for Easter egg hunts! Include a print-out in the egg to show the kids what they get. If you have multiple families, this is also a great way to get rid of excess books, or shift around your collection to introduce some new books! I've got a list of our faves here.

Movies- Encourage them to work together! Add letters for a movie title to each egg (like H-O-P) for a DVD they can all watch together. If you do this more than once, color-code the letters so they know which letters go to which word. And, keep a list for yourself to reference in case you forget what's what!

Chalk- You can DIY some egg shaped chalk that fits perfectly into your eggs, or break up some pieces to fit. Toss a chalkboard into their Easter basket, and they'll be entertained until Christmas! Or, at least until the end of the month.

Snack tickets- Have a basket with their fave fruit snacks, chips, goldfish crackers, etc and let them choose one for each ticket. This is super affordable AND useful! Kids love their snacks and hey- I do too! I've got some free printable snack tickets here.

Seeds- This is super easy, affordable, and seasonal! Give the kids a packet of seeds that they can plant and watch grow. You can get individual packets, or buy a larger pack and create smaller envelopes for the seeds using card stock.

DIY Kits- Make use of that craft stash! Put in embroidery floss or a bead kit so they can make their own bracelets. If they're too young for that, try pre-made bracelets.

Puzzles- Break up a puzzle into several eggs and have the kids come together to make it. Have a special puzzle piece with a sticker on the back to decide who gets to keep it at the end!

DIY paper clips- This is a great idea for older kids or those who use planners, need a bookmark, etc. Make some cute paper clips using pom poms or felt cutouts. You can also make some cute tassel ones!

Pom poms- these are perfect for young kids and can be used to make crafts or even to d some learning exercises, like matching colors or practicing fine motor skills. And best of all they're super affordable!

Magnets- kids love magnets and it’s a great way to keep them entertained! You can get letter magnets, animals, fruit… pretty much anything!

Coins- This is great for older kids- and a great way to get rid of all your coins! I remember that any money as a kid was AMAZING to receive. Throw in a few rolled up dollar bills, and the kids are sure to love the hunt!

Washi Tape- A fun way for kids to decorate their eggs, tape up their artwork, and more! You can get large packs of these at Michael’s, Amazon, or even at your local dollar store!

Hair bows- Here’s a super useful filler! They’re small and affordable, plus you can totally DIY some if you want too!

Cars- Depending on the age of your kids, you can probably grab some cars they haven’t played with in a while to stuff the eggs! You can also make them a track using tape on the floor or draw it on a poster board. Then they won’t mind getting some of their old toys back!

Legos or Lego people- This is a great way to spread one useful item across many different eggs.

Band Aids- Like stickers, kids love band aids. Add some fun printed ones and they’ll be ecstatic!

Pebbles- My daughter has a thing with pebbles that I don’t quite understand. Grab some from the yard to fill your eggs, or get some fancy ones in pretty colors.

Plastic animals- These are prefect for playing and adding to dollhouses or playsets. I like to paint my animals to be pretty, but you could also add some fun embellishments like a tutu or a sweater.

Fruit snacks- Pop a pack of fruit snacks or puffs into an egg for a fun and nutritious snack!

Crayons- kids love to draw, so pop some crayons into the eggs and let the kids color after they finish their hunt! Stick a coloring book into their Easter basket and you’re good to go.

Finger Puppets- These are so small and you can get them in all sorts of designs. You could even DIY some too!

Game Pieces- Throw a few pieces of their favorite games into the eggs and gather together to play once you’re done!

A prize bucket- Make coupons for your kids to pick their own prizes! You can write something like "prize ticket" for larger items that won’t fit into the eggs like pencils. (Pssst- I've got free printables for that here)

Once you've got all your egg fillers, don’t forget to make bunny ear headbands for all the kids! These are easy to whip up and can be customized in any style. And as a bonus, they’re no sew!

I hope these ideas were helpful, but I've gotta know- what do you put into your Easter eggs?!

Free Printable Easter Egg Prize Tickets

I've always loved doing Easter egg hunts. I remember that one year, my aunt hid the eggs for us to find. We found them super fast, so then we traded- my sister and I hid the eggs for my aunt and younger cousin to find. After a while, he was complaining because there were SO many eggs to find and we had hidden them really well! We hid empty eggs just for fun, but I think part of the fun for kids is getting a prize at the end.

Psst: If you’re looking for Toddler Basket ideas, check out this post!

The usual tradition is to put candy or junky little toys inside, but I figured there had to be a different solution. I have a blog post with over 25 non-candy fillers that aren't total crap, but first I wanted to share these cute coupons! You can print these out on white cardstock and cut them out easily using scissors. I cut around each ticket individually, but to make it MUCH easier, I recommend getting a paper cutter and cutting around each one and leaving a white border.

Using these coupons is simple- fill your eggs with a coupon or two, and then have your kids trade them in for prizes! You can use them 1:1 (aka 1 ticket = 1 prize) or set up an arcade system where you can pool tickets for larger prizes. As for the printouts, I've got several options- tickets that say what they're for, tickets that only have a picture on them, and blank tickets that you can label yourself. Use them all however you'd like!

Once you've got all your egg fillers, don’t forget to make bunny ear headbands for all the kids! These are easy to whip up and can be customized in any style.

I hope these ideas were helpful, but I've gotta know- what do you put into your Easter eggs?!

Colorful Easter Brunch Party Idea

Welcome everyone, to what is probably the last Easter party/DIY of the season. In all fairness, I’m Greek Orthodox so my Easter is next Sunday (April 8) and so for that I’m right on time! It’s always weird to get the timing right, since I’m always thinking I have an extra week. For this reason, I wanted to keep this Easter table really simple and colorful. And best of all, affordable! I realized a lot of blog posts and parties can break the bank, and I know us millennials are on a budget. Like, always... so, here’s a very cheap, easy, and gorgeous Easter setup made for any budget! 

*This post contains affiliate links.

I kept the table setup simple and glam by using this sequin table cloth. My sister got it for my bridal shower, and I’ve been using it ever since! It’s seriously gorgeous while not being too expensive. If you want to keep it even more budget friendly, opt for a white tablecloth (or whatever pastel color you have, really) and add a sequin table runner. At only $9 it’s a steal! All the glam, a fraction of the price. 

For the table settings, I stacked some inexpensive plastic plates as sort of “charger plates” and added a cute Easter plate on top. This plate was from the dollar store! Holla for a dolla!! I’m sure you could find something equally cute in your local dollar store but if not check Target or even Party City for another option. I got my napkins from Home Goods. Did you know they have a party supplies section?! With some awesome, hard to find brands as well. These are from Meri Meri and only cost me 5 bucks. Score! I added some gold utensils to make the polka dots pop and I just love how they pick up all the rainbow colors. 

Speaking of rainbow colors... how cute is this streamer paper backdrop?! It’s so easy and cheap to make. I got my crepe paper from, you guessed it, the dollar store! Then I measured out one piece to find the length, went color by color and cut out a whole roll of each. I had a lot extra (like, a lot...) so unless you’re doing a big wall, you may only need half a roll. Mine didn’t go all the way down either, so that would affect how much you need as well. Once I tore all the pieces to the right length (that’s right, tore with my hands... like an animal) I taped them up in color order. Super cute, super easy, super colorful. 

Now, to spruce up that table! I added some dollar store flowers I got last year and added the bunny ears I made last Easter. I put them in a simple milk jug vase that I got from (you guessed it!) the dollar store and placed that on a “placemat” that’s actually artwork! You can find the easy DIY for that here. I added some holographic Easter eggs (what?!) from Target filled with smaller Easter eggs. A small white crate from my wedding was filled with colorful rainbow Easter eggs and honeycomb balls. And, we can’t forget about bunny ears! A pile of headbands ensures that everyone is in the holiday spirit. 

And, let's talk about those blocks! I really wanted a set of pastel rainbow blocks for an Instagram project I was going to do. Unfortunately, they were impossible to find so I made my own! I have a DIY for these coming soon, but I couldn't resist adding them to my Easter post. 

And that’s all there is to it! A simple, affordable Easter table setup that will wow your family without breaking the bank. A lot of the items I either had on hand, used last year, or purchased very inexpensively. 

Pssst. Looking for some assistance planning your next big event? I can help! Visit my virtual party planning services page for more info and pricing.

DIY Dollar Store Easter Decorations

Hey guys! It seems that we hopped into April pretty quickly, huh? I had an eggcelent idea to do a Easter tablescape, but I'm on a budget this year. Planning a wedding ain't cheep, ya know? So I decided to visit my local Dollar Tree and raid my cabinets to create an Easter affair to remember, without breaking the bank. In all, I spent only about $30 dollars to create this classy table setup. Many of the Easter decorations came from my collection and I DIY'd a few things, because what's an event without a few handmade details ;). 

*This post contains affiliate links.

DIY Painted Plant Pots

You will need:

Pots or Plants (From DollarTree or larger version here)
Acrylic Paint (here)
Painter's Tape (here)
Paint Brushes (similar here)

Steps:

1. Paint your pot the lighter of your 2 colors. Let dry fully.

2. Using your tape, create an interesting line or pattern. I decided to do a diagonal pattern, but you could do polka dots, triangles, half and half, etc.

3. Paint the desired area, then peel off your tape while it's still a little wet. Let dry!

For a full list of my favorite craft supplies, check out this blog post!

DIY Banner

You will need:

Paper Bunting (from DollarTree)
Ribbon (DT or similar here)
Glue Gun (similar here)
Spray Adhesive (here)

Steps:

1. Be sure to adequately cover your workspace. This stuff is deceptively sticky!

2. Place your top bunting face-down and spray with the adhesive.

3. Pick up carefully and place on top of the other bunting. Lay flat to dry.

4. Take a length of thin ribbon and glue your bunting onto it while keeping the flags an equal distance apart.

5. Hang up and enjoy.

Related: How to Rock your DIY Party Projects

DIY Bunny Ears Bouquet

You will need:

Thick Wire/Covered wire (From DollarTree or here)
Ribbon (DT or similar here)
Thin sparkly ribbon (DT or similar here)
Scissors (here)
Wire cutters (here)
Glue gun (similar here)

Steps

1. Take your wire and straighten it out the best you can.

2. Measure and cut. Mine was 20 inches.

3. Fold gently in the middle to create a bunny ear shape.

4. Using your hot glue gun, carefully wrap your wire with ribbon. I found that not overlapping the ribbon on top of itself worked best.

5. Keep going up your wire, wrapping and gluing every few rotations.

6. Once you've wrapped it in your thicker ribbon, go back around with your thinner ribbon to cover the seams and any bald spots.

7. Repeat for the other ear, then place in a bouquet of flowers and enjoy!

Setting your Table

Place Settings

I purchased inexpensive white plates and chargers for each setting, and topped them with blue appetizer plates from my cupboard. I added some drinking glasses I already had on hand, and placed a handmade drink stirrer inside. I finished it off with my super cute bird salt and pepper shakers that I purchased from Pier 1 Imports a few years ago.

Centerpieces

For the centerpieces, I used a sequin table runner and fake moss from my engagement party, and topped it with my painted flowerpots, bunny ears bouquet, and some mercury tealights.  I scattered some small golden eggs I picked up at the dollar store to add to that Easter feel.

Tips for Saving Money on your Easter Table

1. Create your own bouquets by purchasing flowers from the supermarket, or purchase inexpensive fake ones that you can reuse again and again.

2. If you purchase new servingware, go for white, which can be reused for many holidays. It'll get much more use than a baby pink tray with a bunny on it!

3. Collect items from around your house. Tealights, votives, pastel decor items, etc. This will add to the ambiance of the event without you necessarily having to purchase (and store!) Easter items.

4. Mix high-end items with dollar store items to save money while still keeping it classy. The inexpensive items will be camouflaged among the more expensive ones, as long as you don't purchase anything too cheap looking.

5. DIY where you can to create something one of a kind. Search Pinterest for ideas, and see how you can re-create more expensive items.

6. For an inexpensive tablecloth or runner, use a piece of fabric that has been folded and ironed. This will allow you to make it any size or shape you need!

7. Go for a mix of larger items and smaller items to create a visually interesting mix for your table. Too many small items will look cluttered, and too many large ones will seem unbalanced.

The best part about this table setup is that you can take away the bunny ears and little eggs, and use it for the remainder of the spring! This helps it to do double duty, saving you money. Do you have any dollar store crafts as part of your Easter decor? Do you decorate for Easter, or are you more of a "save it for Christmas" type of gal? Let me know in the comments below!