Chicks on a Bonnet!

If you're a grandma, you likely recall the hat wearing era of the 1950s. To venture forth those years without one plopped atop the head was a fashion crime akin to leaving home bereft of shoes! Netted, jeweled, satin, velvet, pinned, and feathered - both mother and grandmother had hats galore, and I ached to reach the age where I could sport my own.

There was, however, an annual hat wearer's holiday inclusive of the youngest among us, and that, of course, was Easter. Arriving brimmed and be-ribboned for early morning Mass, my sisters and I primly perched upon our pews, peeking furtive glances at the finery amidst us. Oh, the records set those days in sins of pride and envy inside that holy place!

But I like hats, I will not lie, and hate to see them ousted!

Want to make a really, really cute one?

My fanciful salute to vintage years is a thrifty one as well. Basic hats hail from Dollar Tree! To those you'll add:

glittery eggs* 
pastel feathers*
paper basket filler* (1.5 oz. decorates 4)
eyelet or lace trim (hat diameter x 3.14")
pastel ribbon (3" wired preferred)
sparkly tulle roll (6" wide)
a flock of fuzzy chicks
hot glue gun

*also from Dollar Tree

1. Flip hat upside down and glue eyelet or lace trim all around edge of circumference. Flip it back and hot glue basket filler all around base of dome as shown, far right.

2. Tie ribbon into a generous bow. Make it a double by layering an equal length of tulle beneath. Glue the bow to hat as shown.

3. Cluster eggs in three equally spaced areas. Glue them down, adding feathers and chicks.

When my little ladies arrive for Easter dinner, I'll greet them with a hat, a cuddly stuffed bunny, and an escort to the kids' table....here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a cute lil chick a-chirpin'!

This original design, like all blog content, is intended for personal use only. Copyright 2017. 

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Wee Woven Baskets

Bunnies aren't the only cute things bopping about here during the Easter season! It's traditional for kids to gather at grandma's for a holiday workshop preceding the big day. We make party favors and gifts for mommy and daddy. I find that well appreciated because those basket-fillers-in-chief are often overlooked in the annual scramble to make the E.B. look good!

My previous post featured our fuzzy yarn bunnies. After dinner on Easter Sunday, the kids will step up and teach mom and dad how to make their own palm size pets. Once those are complete, the teaching team will hand out these colorful "woven" paper baskets. Plenty of room inside for candy and a newly crafted critter!

Use brightly colored craft paper and paper punched accents to make these 8" baskets (4" without handle). Besides that, you'll need only a ruler, pencil, scissors, and glue. 

To make each basket:

1. Measure and cut paper strips:

1 - 11.5" x 3/4" (handle)
1 - 11.5" x 1" (horizontal strip)
5 - 8.5" x 1" (woven strips)

2. Lay the horizontal strip face down and glue all 5 woven strips to it, side by side, also face down. When you flip it right side up, it will look like the sample in blue.

3. Lay the piece reverse side up, as shown in purple, and match the end of strip #1 to horizontal strip as shown. Glue it down.

4. Continue matching and gluing - second strip will line up next to first glued one. This is how it will look in progress.

5. Basket forms as strips continue to be glued in place. Attach all 5, then glue horizontal strip ends together to complete. Glue handle in place.

6. Decorate baskets with paper punched shapes.

Please note that baskets won't stand alone unless you crease strips at bottom.

Experiment with various lengths and widths to make baskets of different sizes. I'm going to try making teeny tiny ones for the fairy party in the woods we'll be enjoying during Grandma Camp week!