Weave an Easter Basket Scene

      This is a time consuming project that has wonderful results when completed. I recommend this craft for students in 3rd or 4th grade. It will take time for them to create their pictures and to also carefully follow instructions. Never avoid teaching art assignments to older children for any of these reasons. Perseverance is a rewording human attribute to develop and nurture in the young. They will make something they can be proud of and teachers will learn to adapt processes to challenge their aging protégé.

First steps to weaving this Easter basket craft.

       Far left: I cut a basket stencil to fit the largest piece of standard sized construction paper I could find. Working large for this art project makes it much easier for a small child to craft. Adults may scale the activity down and create interesting Easter cards using the same weaving process with ribbons if they'd like. Center: Here you can see; I've traced around my stencil and added long wavy lines down the front vessel part of my basket design. I then cut along these lines that imitate the 'warp' part of the woven design. Proceed then to use long strips of construction paper to mimic the 'weft' process by which the construction paper basket is woven. Far Right: After I have woven my basket, I will paste down and tuck in loose edges of the design on the front side of the basket to hide any imperfections.

The woven basket in progress.

       Far Left: Turn the woven design over and mask the back side of your picture before cutting it out. Center: Cut out the basket carefully; remember to leave approximately 1/8 of an inch around the edges of your flat woven basket as you go. Far Right: The finished basket is now glued along the edges only and adhered to a bright white background. Only the edges of the basket and the handle of the basket are glued, so that additional paper elements may be added into the inside of the flat woven picture in the end.

green construction paper grass

       Cut some grass to add to the bottom of your woven Easter picture. Measure from the bottom of your background paper up to the point where you would like the grass to cover the bottom of the basket. Double this measurement and cut a strip of green construction paper out that will run the length of the white construction paper. Fold the paper in have horizontally and cut narrow slashed along the folded edge only. Be careful not to cut all the way to the other edge of your folded paper; leave about 1/8 of an inch of an additional boarder. Unfold your grass border. It should look something like the one pictured above. The cuts do not need to be as regular as mine.

Now refold your green construction paper
and staple it to the white construction
 paper along the bottom edge.

Left: Cut the loops in half. Right: Give your grass a
 bit of a fringe with the sharp edge of your scissors.

Now you can cut and color some bright eggs, peeps, and a chocolate bunny to add to your woven

 Easter picture. I also stuffed the basket with green, paper, Easter grass in order to enhance

the three dimensional effect. Glue the paper embellishments on the complete picture.