Shoptalk by Sturbridge Yankee Workshop

Here are some eggs-tra special ideas on crafting your own Easter basket. Fun for the family!

Rope and fabric basket:
You will need: long strips of 1/2- to 3/4-inch-wide cotton cloth torn across the grain, a blunt, wide-eye tapestry needle, and approximately 7 yards (21 feet) of 3/8-inch stiff rope.

Thread the needle with a strip of cloth but do not tie a knot in the cloth. Starting at the very end of the rope, wrap the free end of the cloth strip around the rope, making sure to overlap the cloth each time around to hide the rope.

Once several inches of the rope are covered, begin coiling it into a tight disk. Bind the coils together by passing the needle and cloth strip through the inner coils of the rope and pull the cloth taut. Make a second wrap over the first to secure it.

Continue wrapping the rope with the cloth strip, binding the covered rope to itself every inch or so. To add a new color, simply begin wrapping a new strip around the rope, covering the previous strip by one inch.

When the coiled disk reaches an acceptable diameter, build up the sides of the basket by stacking the covered rope on top of previous coils, securing it in the same manner as before.

When you’re ready to make the handle, secure the rope in place by binding it to the last coil of the basket. Then arch the wrapped rope over the basket to the other side. Form a small loop to sit just inside the rim of the basket and secure it in place by binding the cloth to the top coils of the basket. Reversing direction, arch the rope over the basket again, twisting it around the first part of the handle. Cut the covered rope, leaving it long enough to make a small loop at the end, like the one on the other side of the basket. Bind the rope to the basket and secure the end in place, tucking in any stray fabric ends.

Use a recycled gallon milk jug to make a ‘green’ basket.
You will need: an empty gallon-sized plastic milk jug, poster paints, cotton balls, construction paper, pipe cleaners (optional) and glue.

Cover your work surface with old newspaper. Cut out a large hole in the milk gallon container. Take the container, and put it in front of you, with the handle facing away from you. Cut out most of the front portion that is facing you. The piece you cut out should be pretty large.

Cut black or brown construction paper into circles for eyes. Cut black or pink triangles for noses. Cut green construction paper into thin strips. Also cut out bunny ears.

Paint the outside of the jug however you want; let dry. It is not necessary to paint the bottom or the inside.

Use the cotton balls for tails or spots, pipe cleaners for whiskers, the pre-cut triangles for noses, and the pre-cut circles for eyes. Use shredded green construction paper, for grass on the inside.

Make a fluffy bunny basket:
You will need: a box that’s about 12” x 8,” cotton balls, pipe cleaners, cardboard, and a stapler. You can use google eyes, construction paper cut into circles, or draw eyes.

Re-seal any opened edges of the box you are using and cut out the top face of the box. Use this piece of cardboard to draw and cut-out bunny ears. Cover each side of the box and both sides of the bunny ears with cotton balls (glue). Glue the ears to one end of the box. Color two cotton balls to use for the nose and tail. Cut a long strip with the cardboard and staple it to two sides of the box to make a handle. Then attach a construction paper nose and pipe cleaners for whiskers. Line the inside of the basket with tissue paper.

Have fun crafting your special basket!