The Martha Stewart-Approved Way To Turn An Ordinary Cookie Tin Into An Adorable Easter Basket

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When it comes to decorating for Easter, nobody has a spring in their step quite like Martha Stewart and her design team. During a Season 9 episode of her eponymous show that was posted to YouTube in 2018, the icon learned how to turn an ordinary cookie tin into an Easter basket from Cynthia Treen, a fiber artist from her style department. "Every year we try to think of another beautiful Easter basket, and this year, well, I don't think there's been a cuter basket ever," Stewart said before creating one using flowered ribbon, linen ribbon, craft paper, double-sided tape, cardboard, and a little hot glue. Whether you're already stocking up on Peeps or you're still looking for Easter basket fillers that are anything but ordinary, this is an adorable and affordable way to DIY the classic springtime decoration.

Along with the bottom of a metal cookie tin for every basket you want to make, you'll need to hop to the store for a few other supplies. This project relies heavily on craft adhesive like the highly-rated AJ Sign World Premium Double-Sided Adhesive from Amazon. Make sure to buy tape that's slightly wider than the height of your tin. To make the basket handles and linen "grass," you'll need a similarly wide ribbon in green (or another color of your choice) along with some mat board. To line the inside of your basket, choose a few pieces of pliable craft paper with an attractive pattern. Finally, you'll also need small decorative elements as a final flourish. Stewart and Treen opted for embroidered floral ribbon trim and small silk flowers which you can find online or at your local craft store. 

Begin making your DIY Easter gift baskets by cutting one length of double-sided tape that wraps around the entire outside of your tin and the same length of wide linen ribbon. Gently remove a few threads from one side of the ribbon to create a fringe effect before carefully pressing it onto the double-sided tape. It's perfectly okay if your tape slightly overlaps the ribbon and you need to trim it to size with a rotary cutter. Next, remove the remaining tape backing before wrapping your sticky ribbon around the tin, keeping the grassy fringe pointed toward the top. "It's better when you work away from yourself," Martha Stewart said during the crafting tutorial video as she wrapped her ribbon around the tin, although Cythnia Treen added that you can easily smooth out any wrinkles with a tool like the WUTA Bone Folder from Amazon.

After following the same process to line the inside of your tin with craft paper, make your Easter basket handles. To create them, cut two ½ inch wide pieces of mat board to any length you prefer. Cut the same lengths of double-sided tape and linen ribbon 1½ inches thick, adhering them together before covering the mat board handles. Apply hot glue along the ribbon seam on the outside of your tin to attach the first handle, then secure it in place on the opposite side with more glue. Repeat the process to create a crossed handle effect. Finally, use more hot glue to attach floral embellishments. Then, all you have left to do is fill your cookie tin basket with a few Hunker-approved decorated Easter eggs. Martha Stewart already showed us how to make a bundt pan bird feeder, and now her DIY Eastern baskets are sure to impress.