How to Style a Decorative Easter Basket for Display

A decorative easter basket is less about what goes in it and more about how it is built. Treated as a small arrangement, with a hidden base, a soft top layer and a clear back and front, a basket becomes a display piece for a hall table or a handsome way to present a few handmade decorations as a gift.

Everything in this basket is decor: craft eggs, paper and felt pieces, stems and ribbon. The method is the same whether the basket stays on your own console table or goes to someone else’s.

Choose a basket shape

The shape decides how the arrangement is seen, so pick it for the place it will stand.

For a first attempt, a round woven basket about 10 in (25 cm) across with a fixed handle is the easiest to style. Natural willow, seagrass or rattan suits every palette. A painted basket should match one color in the contents.

Build a hidden base

The most common reason a basket looks empty is that its contents have sunk to the bottom. A base raises everything to the rim, so a modest number of pieces looks abundant.

Crumple sheets of kraft paper, newspaper or packing paper into loose balls and press them into the basket until the surface sits about 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) below the rim. Pack it firmly enough that it does not give when pressed, and make the back slightly higher than the front. That gentle slope tilts the arrangement toward the viewer.

If the basket has an open weave, lay a piece of plain fabric or tissue inside first so the crumpled paper cannot be seen through the sides.

Add the top layer: paper shred or moss

The top layer is the part people see, and it only needs to be about 1 in deep. Paper shred in a natural kraft, cream or soft green tone is light and tidy. Preserved moss gives a more natural, woodland look and pairs well with speckled eggs.

Fluff the shred or tease the moss apart before laying it, and let a little spill over the rim at the front. Cover the base completely, then press shallow hollows where the larger items will sit.

Arrange tall items at the back

Decide which side is the front. For a basket with a handle, the front is usually one of the open sides, with the handle arching from left to right.

Place the tallest pieces first, toward the back and slightly off center:

• A small bunch of faux or paper tulips, stems pushed down into the paper base
• A few flowering branches or sprigs of faux greenery
• A simple bunny silhouette cut from wood or heavy cardstock, propped upright
• A rolled linen napkin or a bundle of ribbon spools tied with twine

One or two tall elements are enough. They should rise no higher than the top of the handle, and they should lean very slightly backward so they do not shade the front.

Place eggs and small decorations at the front

Now fill the middle and front, working from the larger pieces to the smallest. Craft eggs in wood, paper mache or plastic are the heart of the basket. Group them in threes and fives rather than spacing them evenly, and let some overlap.

Mix surfaces for interest: a few painted eggs, one or two wrapped in yarn, and some lightweight 3D paper egg decorations that add volume without weight. Tuck the smallest pieces, such as tiny felt shapes or a miniature nest, into the gaps at the very front where they will be noticed.

Stand back and look for the triangle: high at the back, medium in the middle, low at the front. If the shred shows in large patches, add one more egg or a sprig of greenery rather than more filler.

Tie a ribbon and a tag to the handle

A bow finishes the handle and tells the eye where to start. Cut about 1 yard (0.9 m) of ribbon 1 to 1.5 in (2.5 to 4 cm) wide. Tie it where the handle meets the rim on one side, not at the top, so the bow sits beside the arrangement instead of above it.

Let the tails hang to different lengths and trim the ends at an angle or in a notch. Linen, cotton and grosgrain ribbon hold a relaxed bow; wired ribbon holds a fuller, more formal one.

For a gift, thread a blank cardstock tag onto a short length of twine and knot it under the bow. The guide to Easter gift wrapping has shapes for handmade tags and ideas for ribbon alternatives.

Display or give it

On a hall table, set the basket slightly to one side with something taller behind it, such as a lamp or a mirror. Keep it out of direct sun, which fades paper shred and pastel paint.

To transport a gift basket, set it in a box that holds it snugly and carry it level; nothing inside is glued, so tipping undoes the arrangement. The same layered approach, flattened into a tray, makes a low Easter centerpiece for the table.

When the season ends, lift the pieces out, bag the shred, and store everything in the basket itself.