easy no-mess Easter basket grass

while i have always loved creating holiday decor,

i do have my limits... Easter grass is one of them.

(my theory is it was created by the same people who invented Legos.

to drive parents - specifically the parent who does the cleaning - batty.)

since i hate the mess  of plastic grass strands wrapped around the vacuum bar!!,

i've found other materials to use in Easter baskets that reduce the mess and fuss.

yes, paper shred works - but it's still a mess.

i've found a way to get the same effect as grass

without the resulting mess and cleanup...

and you might be really surprised at how cheap and easy this solution is!

continue reading for my sly little trick (that has an added benefit!)...

you can't really see it in the basket shown up above,

but here's a shot taken before i loaded in the goodies:

 

my secret weapon is YARN!

yep... from fuzzy thick chenille yarns to wispy eyelash fringe yarns,

i fill baskets with yarn that is one big long continuous piece of fluff!

...and i have a secret trick for unwinding it quickly!

grab a skein or spool of yarn, and a tall cylinder vase.

(mine's glass but plastic works, too)

plop the skein/spool into the vase, grab the free end, and PULL.

just keep pulling, unwinding the yarn... the skein/spool stays IN the vase,

while the yarn quickly piles up in a big fluffy mass outside the vase.

here's another tip for stuffing baskets with it:

i fill the bottom of large baskets/containers with used grocery bags

(and after using Instacart for an entire year, i have a LOT of those bags!).

then i pop the fluffy unspooled yarn on top of the bags - 

this makes for a big pouf of 'grass' that sticks up above the rim of the container.

in smaller containers, like the wire basket shown in the first image in this post,

i just plop the yarn into the basket.

and it looks just like 'actual' Easter grass:

...but without the mess of hundreds of tiny pieces of plastic all over the place.

the kid spills the bucket/basket? no problem... 

because you can reach down and pick up the entire mess with one hand!

(and no more vacuum disasters, thankyouverymuch)

the bonus of the plastic bags beneath the yarn is that they provide height - 

AND 'holding power' for loads of goodies in the basket.

i pulled together some lovely treats for this one:

a gift bag filled with flowers, party candy boxes filled with bath bombs,

a spring-scented candle, lemon drop candies, a mug & teabags,

and a book to read...

 hopefully while soaking in the bath, drinking tea, and smelling the burning candle!

the little basket holds paper and ceramic eggs that i painted last year,

inspired by paint chip strips from my local paint store.

i snugged in one of my Original Sweet Sweater Bunny Tails, too!

you can find fun yarn everywhere... yarn shops, craft stores, online, thrift stores, Dollar Tree!

and if the no-mess, easy-peasy, budget-friendly idea of using yarn in your Easter baskets

isn't enough to convince you, here's one MORE benefit: 

you can use it again to create wonderful decor like this 'April Showers' baby blanket!

photo credit: Leisure Arts . used with permission

visit their website here for more beautiful baby blanket inspiration!

Happy Easter, everybunny!

links to previous related posts:

paint chip paper eggs

painted paint chip eggs

faux concrete paint treatment

my Original Sweet Sweater Bunny Tails!

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