It's Easter! And time to turn a young lady's fancy to bonnets and baskets. Wearing one of these bonnets, festooned with flowers, lacy doilies and ribbons, she's bound to be the hit in any parade. She'll have as much fun making her millinery masterpiece as she will making the charming little basket and filling it with brightly coloured eggs. Sherry Clark designed the projects as a great activity for an Easter's-on-its-way party that could include its own stylish parade.

Easter bonnets, baskets, headbands and eggs

You need:
Bristol board in desired colours
High-gloss coordinating gift wrap
Coordinating solid-colour letter-size bond paper
Coordinating tissue paper
Coordinating tulle (2 strips, each approx 90 x 25 cm/35-1/2 x 9-7/8 inches, for bonnet; 1 strip, approx 90 x 6.5 cm/35-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches, for headband)
Coordinating cloth or paper ribbon, 6 mrn wide (optional)
Green craft foam
Large and small paper doilies
Artist's paintbrushes and acrylic or poster paints in desired flower colours
Paper paste and white craft glue
Clean Popsicle sticks and cardboard egg cartons
Measuring tape, pencil, ruler, hole punch, stapler, scissors and brown paper

Find the patterns here!

How to make a scalloped bonnet
1. From Bristol board and gift wrap, cut 1 piece each, 55 x 30 cm (21-5/8 x 11-7/8 inches).

2. Paste gift wrap, wrong side down, onto board. Let dry. Trace appropriate bonnet pattern onto Bristol-board side (underside); cut out.

3. Punch hole in bonnet at each dot. From underside, thread end of 1 tulle strip through each hole; knot, to make 2 ties.

4. Along long edge of bond paper, cut 5 cm (2-inch) wide strip, then cut 2.5 cm (1-inch) deep fringe along 1 long edge. Apply glue along uncut edge, then roll up tightly, from end to end, to make fringed flower centre. Trace 7 large circles onto tissue; cut out. Stack circles, then cut petals as indicated by dotted lines. Place stack on small doily. With fringe up, dab glue on bottom and sides of flower centre, place on centre of stack. Gather tissue and doily around flower centre; glue or staple together. Fluff petals and fringe. Repeat to make 9 flowers. Let dry. Glue or staple I flower to bonnet top at each black X.

5. Bring bonnet ends together, top side out; staple together at red X.

How to make an Easter bonnet
1. From Bristol board and gift wrap, cut 1 piece each, 60 x 35 cm (23-5/8 x 13-7/8 inches). Follow Scalloped Bonnet Step 2. Trace bonnet pattern onto coordinating gift wrap; cut out and set aside.

2. From several large doilies, cut off lacy edges, 8 to 10 cm (3-3/8 to 4 inches) deep. Gather, then glue cut edges of "lace" to underside of bonnet approx 2.5 cm (1 in) in around outside edge. (If desired, substitute a gathered 8 to 10 cm wide strip of tissue for doily lace.) With edges even, glue cut-out gift wrap to underside of bonnet, covering cut lace edges.

3. Follow Scalloped Bonnet Step 3.

4. Cut 2 "cups" from bottom of egg carton, then cut 4 pointed or rounded petal shapes into sides of each. Glue cups inside one another so inside and outside petals alternate. Let dry, then paint. Repeat to make 2 flowers.

5. From tissue, cut 2 strips, each approx 70 x 15 cm (27-5/8 x 6 inches) and 4 strips, each 30 x 10 cm (11-7/8 x 4 inches). Fold 1 strip in half so long edges are even. Apply glue along long cut edge, then roll up tightly from end to end, shaping folded edge into "rose.” Repeat to make 2 large and 4 small roses. From tissue, cut two or three 30 x 5 cm (11-7/8- x 2-inches) strips; loop each and shape into "leaf.”

6. On each shaded area on bonnet top, arrange 2 or 3 small gathered doilies, 1 or 2 leaves, 1 egg-carton flower, 1 large and 2 small tissue roses; glue or staple.

7. Follow Scalloped Bonnet Step 5.

Page 1 of 2 -- Learn how to make adorable Easter baskets and eggs on page 2

 

How to make an Easter headband
1. From Bristol board, cut strip, 63 x 6 cm (24-7/8 x 2-3/8 inches) for headband. From gift wrap, cut strip, 66 x 9 cm (26 x 3-1/2 inches). Apply paste to 1 side of band, centre on wrong side of gift wrap, then fold gift-wrap edges to back and paste. Gather, then glue 1 long edge of tulle strip onto centre 40 cm (15-3/4 inches) of headband back approx 2 cm (3/4 inch) down from top edge. Trim into "grass"

2. Trace 5 or 6 leaves onto craft foam; cut out, then cut 3 stems, each 12 x 1 cm (4-3/4 x 3/8 inches). Glue each foam stem to 1 Popsicle stick; glue, with foam to front, to headband back approx 2.5 cm down from top edge. Follow Bonnet Step 4 to make 3 flowers. Glue flowers to stems.

3. Measure circumference of child's head (CM). Cut a 4 cm (1-5/8-inch) slit down from top edge of headband, parallel to and approx 4 cm in from left-hand edge; at CM from first slit, cut second 4 cm slit up from bottom edge, parallel to right-hand edge. Slide slits over each other to join headband ends.

How to make an Easter basket
1. From Bristol board and gift wrap, cut 1 piece each , 40 x 30 cm (15-3/4 x 11-7/8 inches). Paste gift wrap, wrong side down, onto board. Let dry. Trace 1 basket and 1 handle pattern onto Bristol board side; cut out. Roll basket into cone so straight side edges overlap 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches), then glue or staple along overlap.

2. If desired, punch hole at dot in centre of each scallop; thread narrow strip of paper or ribbon through holes, overlap ends and glue. At opposite sides of basket, glue or staple handle ends, approx 2 cm (3/4 inch), down inside. With scissor edge, curl several narrow strips of paper or ribbon; glue end of each to outside at handle end. Trace 2 or 3 leaves and 1 small circle onto Bristol board or craft foam; cut out. Pinch edge of small doily into "petals, " Glue circle onto centre of doily, then glue leaves and doily over paper-strip ends.

How to make Easter eggs

You need:
Eggs
White vinegar
Acrylic paints in desired colours
Fine-tip artist's paintbrush
Acrylic spray varnish (optional)
Small pieces of clean sponge
Peel-and-stick reinforcements (for 3-ring-paper holes) and dots (both optional and available at stationery stores)
Florist's wire (optional)
Large bowl(s), darning needle, paper towels

To make:
1. With darning needle, make hole in each end of egg; blow contents out into bowl. Moisten paper towels with vinegar and wipe eggs clean; let dry. If desired, string blown eggs onto wire while decorating and suspend over large bowl(s) until dry.

2. Using brush, paint eggs with light colour; let dry, then decorate. Polka-dot eggs: With paintbrush, dab on dots of contrasting colour(s) OR stick reinforcers or dots all over egg. With contrasting colour, sponge-paint holes in reinforcers or spaces between dots; let dry. Peel off reinforcers or dots. Spongepainted eggs: Lightly sponge-paint 1 or 2 contrasting colours over base colour; let dry between coats.

3. If desired, spray-varnish eggs to seal.

Find 7 easy and stylish ways to decorate for Easter here.

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