Cheap Easter Basket Fillers - Think Outside the Box!

I just wanted to show you once again how you can save money and use past holiday stuff to work for upcoming holidays and gifts!!! I was shopping at Walgreens a few weeks ago and I came upon a tall shelf in the middle of an aisle. There was a sign on it that said "Valentine Clearance". I started looking through it all and I found some great stuff that I will be able to use for Easter baskets!

These "sets" were $1 each!!! I could not pass them up!

I just took the valentine stuff off this dog and now he will be perfect holding or sitting in an Easter basket (I have many little ones that are really into dogs right now!)

These were only 10 cents each. Cute Easter basket fillers!

 

I had the Easter baskets from last year Easter clearance. I added some $1 coloring books and then some Valentines clearance finds (play dough,  helicopters, crazy straws). I will not be spending loads of money on candy and I think the mommy's like that a little better because the kids get so much candy at Easter!

I just wanted to blog this to show you how you can think outside the box and really put cute things together on the cheap. I didn't take a picture of all my baskets, but you get the gist of what I did. I didn't spend over $10 and was able to put together seven baskets! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another St. Patrick's Day Gift for Classmates

Another great post to say that you have to get creative with post-holiday clearance because you can use it for upcoming holidays!

We put together my son's St. Patrick's Day "gift" for his classmates. After Valentines Day, I picked up bags of helicopters on clearance at Target.

For his classmates, I typed up this saying: "I am "lucky" to spin around third grade with you! Happy St. Patrick's Day! From: Landen"

We cut them out and stapled them onto green paper. Then we took the strips of paper and taped them onto the helicopters! So easy, very inexpensive and yet so cute!

Loads of Fun - Homemade Pom Pom Shooter

I have seen "marshmallow shooters" or "pom pom shooters" on the Internet. I thought the kids would love this activity so we tried our own version today.

The shooters I have seen call for plastic cups, balloons, scissors, pom poms or marshmallows. I didn't have the plastic cups, but I always have a basket full of toilet paper rolls and paper towels rolls for crafting and creativity. So, I thought I would cut the toilet paper rolls in half (this was our "cup"). Then, I tied the bottom of the balloons and cut about 1/2" off the top of the balloons. I also used a rubber band to help hold the balloon in place on the roll.

You just put the cut part of the balloon over one end of the roll and then secure it with a rubber band (make sure the tied end of the balloon is coming out at the end). This picture shows what it looks like all put together. Now the fun begins...... put the pom pom or marshmallow inside the roll and then pull back the tied end of the balloon and let go!!!! Sometimes the tied end of the balloon goes inside the roll, but my daughter found out if you just blow inside the roll, it pops right out! What a cheap activity to make and how much fun they had with this! See how fun recycling can be!!!!