35+ Last Minute Easter Ideas – Quick, Easy, and CHEAP!

Mar 18, 2022 | Family Time, Holidays, Lifestyle

Whether you're planning ahead or working at the last minute, we've got some great Easter ideas that are just about the cutest and easiest things to do. Get prepared for Easter on the cheap and enjoy the celebrations with your family!

Easter decorations on a table, from Fun Cheap or Free

Raise your hand if you're a procrastinator! (ooh me! me! pick me!). Though, I prefer to call it “works best under pressure.” Let's be honest, I don't usually even begin to think about Easter until it's a few days away. But I always want it to be fun and memorable for my kids, right?? Lucky for you, Mama J is the procrastinating QUEEN and I've scoured Pinterest and found some of the best, cheapest, and easiest LAST MINUTE Easter ideas for us all!

*Note: When you click the links in this post, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Oh, and to all my planners out there, don't you worry! These will still work just as great for you. You'll just have more time to plan and prepare and work even more of these fun Easter ideas into your budget! Let's all do a happy dance to celebrate… OH YEA, UH HUH!!!


HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE EASTER IDEAS

These all are so easy to do and don't take a ton of effort on your part. Now that's what I'm talking about! You can do them at the last minute or take the time to do them leading up to Easter and involve the whole family. It's always fun to spend that quality time together with those you love!


RELIGIOUS IDEAS

colorful Easter eggs with tulips, from Fun Cheap or Free

Easter wouldn't be Easter without Jesus! He's the entire reason for the holiday. Here are some cute, easy, and inexpensive or free ways to bring Christ into Easter.

It's so important to our family that we remember the true reason for the holiday! These religious-centered Easter ideas are certainly some of our favorite things to do to celebrate the holiday.


EASTER DECORATION IDEAS

The Best Ideas for Kids' Easter bunny slime, from Fun Cheap or Free
Photo Cred: Smart School House

One of the best parts of a holiday is the decorations! (…says people who are actually good at decorating…). For those of you who are way better than I am, here are some simple and easy decoration ideas to get your mind going.

  • Carrot Napkin Utensils – Such an adorable idea from Smart School House to have your napkins and utensils ready for your Easter dinner
  • Easter Egg Garland – Take some plastic Easter eggs and clip them on a string. Tie pastel ribbons on the string between the eggs. You can even take a cheap, Easter-themed plastic table cloth, cut it up and tie it on the string as well. It makes for a super cute, easy, and cheap garland!
  • Easter Bunting with Pom Pom Bunnies – Clean and Scenstsible has a super cute and FREE printable bunting! That, plus some twine and pink yarn is all you need to make this easy and adorable bunting.
  • Shabby Chic Easter Eggs – Make these using Dollar Store plastic eggs, plus a few more things from Design, Dining, Diapers.
  • Pastel Paper Garland – Don't forget how easy it is to sew paper garland! I plan to do this with my kids for this Easter. (Ummmm and please don't judge how old that post is. It was one of my first few from way back in 2011! Crazy right?! Don't worry, maybe one of these days I'll get my bootaaay in gear and will take some new pictures and update it…#DoubtIt #ButMaybe)
  • Easter Egg Wreath – There are so many different ideas for cute egg wreaths on Pinterest!

Aren't all those Easter decoration ideas just the cutest?!? Seriously, how do I even choose which ones I want to do with my family? I guess time will tell… literally!


EASTER GIFT IDEAS

We're not big on spending a lot of money on presents for these types of holidays because that's not really what they're about. But I know some people have the love language of gifts, so if that's you, then do your thang, girl! I've got some great ideas that don't have to be expensive. Just make sure to keep it within your budget!

  • Easter Bunny Slime – If slime is life in your house, then your kids will love this fun idea from The Best Ideas For Kids! It's so easy to make and they turn out so cute.
  • Easter Baskets – When you think of Easter gifts, this most definitely comes to mind! Feel free to reuse your baskets from last year and that'll save you some major money. You can fill with their favorite candy and activity, such as a puzzle or ball, and call it done! It doesn't have to be fancy for your kids to love it, I promise!
  • Coloring Activities – Pretty much all kids love to color or paint, so give them what they want! You can either get Easter-themed coloring books or whatever you can find at Dollar Tree. That plus crayons, markers, or paint will make them so happy!
  • Some Bunny Loves You Gift IdeaOur cute Some Bunny Loves You printable dresses up a bag of candy and lets the recipient know just how loved they are!
  • Washcloth Bunny – Get a cheap washcloth from the Dollar Tree and turn it into a cute bunny with just a few easy steps from The Craft Train. Put a Cadbury Creme Egg in the holder and call it a fun and cute gift!
  • Combined Sports Gift – Get something fun that the whole family can do together! I'm talking balls, frisbees, jump ropes, hula hoops, anything that can get you moving outside as a family together.

You really don't have to spend an arm and a leg to give your kids gifts on the holidays! These Easter gift ideas are super easy to put together and your kids will love them, no doubt.


FAMILY ACTIVITY IDEAS

The Benson Street's "don't eat Pete" printable game, from Fun Cheap or Free
Photo Cred: The Benson Street

Holidays don't have to be complicated. In fact, the best ones AREN'T! But what they should be are fun, memorable times with your family. Here are some easy activities to do together as a family.

  • Don't Eat Pete – Does your family love to play Don't Eat Pete? The Benson Street made an Easter version of the game and it's adorable!
  • Nest Necklaces – These SUPER easy 3-minute nest necklaces are so fun to make to get into the Easter, springy spirit. Trust me, if I can do these, YOU can do these!
  • Melted Crayon Easter Eggs – Have broken, unusable crayons that you have no clue what to do with? Learn how to make melted crayon Easter eggs from Jenna Burger Design. They turn out so cute!
  • Fun Easter Games – Play Party Plan has twelve different Easter games you definitely don't want to miss!
  • Easter Minute-to-Win-It Games – Creating Readers and Writers came up with some super fun minute-to-win-it games that are all focused on Easter!
  • Fun Family Games – We also love playing these fun family holiday games! With a little creativity, you could definitely make them Easter-friendly.

If your family is anything like ours, then they're going to love all of these ideas! We are definitely a family who loves to play games and bond together, and it's always extra special for them when they're holiday-specific.


EASTER FOOD IDEAS

Plated Cravings' Easter bunny breadsticks, from Fun Cheap or Free
Photo Cred: Plated Cravings

It's not a celebration without some good food, right? Try out these great Easter food ideas for your lunch or dinner. They'll make it a breeze so you're not spending too much time over the hot stove all day long and can enjoy your family!

  • Easter Bunny Rolls – These homemade rolls from Plated Cravings are so easy to make. Delicious and cute, yes please!
  • Ham Dinner – It's not Easter in our house without my go-to ham dinner! The ham is made in the slow cooker, plus we've got a great list of ideas for the best sides and desserts to go along with it. It couldn't be any simpler for you to plan your meal! (P.S. Don't forget to check out all of these great ideas to use up that leftover ham!)
  • Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes – Change up your potato game this Easter by making this super easy, cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe. Be sure to make plenty because they won't last long once you put them on the table!
  • Strawberry Spinach Salad – Salad is always a quick and easy side to put on the table that's also healthy! This strawberry spinach salad plus homemade poppyseed dressing will become a new staple on the dinner table.
  • String Cheese-Stuffed Crescent Rolls – These cheesy rolls are so easy to put together. The hardest part will be keeping them on the table long enough for everybody to get one before they're gone! Your Easter meal won't be the same without them.
  • Easy Easter RecipesLil' Luna has tons more Easter food ideas that will turn any person (even those of us who really don't like to cook!) into a master chef. What whaaaattttt!

Don't forget, you can also make some dishes ahead of time! Do your homework and see what all you can prep and make the day before so you're not so stressed on Easter. Ain't nobody got time for that!


EASTER TREAT IDEAS

Easter nest cupcakes on a plate, from Fun Cheap or Free

…aaaaaaaaand now on to the treats (my personal fave). We all know I love Cadbury Mini Eggs like they are my first born. But there are lots of EASY, cute, kid-friendly Easter treat ideas to enjoy as well! Here are some of my favorites.

  • Easter Cupcakes – Nest cupcakes, bunny tail cupcakes, carrot patch cupcakes, we've got them all, plus more fun Easter cupcake ideas! They're so easy to make and are the perfect addition to your Easter celebrations!
  • Easter Fruit Pizza – Persnickety Plates has just about the cutest egg-shaped fruit pizza you've ever seen.
  • Bunny Rice Krispie Treats – Rice Krispie treats are so easy to make, and turning them into bunnies is so simple! Eighteen25 shows you how to do it and gives you some good tips.
  • Coconut Macaroon Nests – Spring has sprung with these super cute birds nests from Inspired By Charm!
  • Easter Egg Rice Krispies – This cute and yummy treat by Rice Krispies is so easy to make! Shape your treats in the shape of an egg, dip them in melted chocolate and then in pastel sprinkles, and you've got a cute and easy treat the whole family will love.
  • Easter Oreo Bark – If you love cookies and cream, then you're going to love this super easy treat from Lil' Luna!
  • Cadbury Mini Eggs Chocolate Chip Cookies – Make your chocolate chip cookies festive by using Easter candy in them instead of plan chocolate chips. Once you make chocolate chip cookies with Cadbury Mini Eggs, you'll never want to go back!
  • Easter Chocolate Bundt Cake – Here's your new favorite doctored cake mix recipe! Make it and then decorate the top with fun Easter-colored icing and sprinkles.
  • Cool Whip Fruit Salad – This delish fruit salad is not only packed with protein, but it's also a fun pastel pink that makes it the perfect dish to serve with your Easter meal!

Sooooo are you drooling a little bit right now? Because I definitely am. 😉


I hope you and your family have a wonderful time! What's your favorite way to celebrate Easter? Let me know in the comments below!

Image with text that reads "last minute Easter ideas" from Fun Cheap or Free

Looking for more great ideas?

  • Throwing an Easter party? We've got some great ways to feed a crowd on the cheap!
  • I always make sure that my grocery hauls for the week include any holiday necessities.
  • Costco is a great place to stock up on those bulk items that you know you'll need a lot of!

Happy Easter!

Jordan Page signature from Fun Cheap or Free

6 Comments

  1. Danielle

    I’m bookmarking this post for next month!

    Reply
  2. Jocelyn Delgado

    I’m usually lasting minute at everything,so these are great!

    Reply
  3. Diana Burk

    Once again, Easter is just around the corner! Thanks for the cute ideas!

    Reply
  4. Gina Cunningham

    Some great ideas! You could also do those paper bunnies (garland) in pink and use cotton balls for their tails. ?

    Reply
  5. Krista Sidhu

    Easter is coming! I’m going to make my kids and bs trotting kids the Easter egg fruit pizza as a snack a few days from Easter

    Reply
  6. Kamryn Carlson

    Just in time for Easter! Can’t wait to try these!

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *