Easter Basket Pictures

What's more fun than receiving a basket of candy and treats for Easter? Making your own, of course! Inspire your little artist to construct her own woven Easter basket out of construction paper and ribbon. It may look two-dimensional, but don't be fooled: this little basket opens to reveal a colorful assortment of fun Easter shapes! Heavy on the cutting and gluing, this activity is a great way to build up strong hand muscles and boost those fine motor skills.

What You Need:

• 2 sheets of white or light colored construction paper
• Several sheets of construction paper in bright colors
• 1" ribbon in a variety of colors
• Clear tape
• Scissors
• Markers
• Clear drying, non-toxic glue

What You Do:

1. Cut the ribbon into two sets. For the first set, cut 6 8-inch pieces of ribbon. For the second set, make 8 6-inch pieces. The long ribbons will make up the horizontal part of the basket and the short ribbons will form the vertical part.
2. Now start the weaving. Place the longer ribbons horizontally in front of you, arranging them one on top of the other, edge to edge (but not overlapping). Carefully tape them together, laying the tape along the far left edge of the ribbons. This will make weaving easier for your child.
3. Hand her the shorter set of ribbons, and help her weave each one in between the horizontal ribbons.
4. Once all the ribbons are woven together, carefully glue the whole thing onto a sheet of construction paper.
5. Let the glue dry.
6. Invite your child to draw the outline of a basket around the ribbons with marker, complete with handle. Can she name the shapes she drew?
7. Now that her basket picture is complete, it's time to add a pocket to the back to make it just like a real basket! Cut a slit in the paper right over the top edge of the basket to create the basket's opening.
8. Help her cut out a piece of construction paper the same size and shape of the basket. This will form a pocket for the basket.
9. Flip the basket picture over and glue the pocket piece on the back. Place a line of glue above the slit in the paper and place the pocket over it. The pocket should cover the slit, but make sure you don't glue the slit closed! Add glue around the remaining edges of the pocket and press into the paper.
10. Let dry.
11. Your basket is almost done! Finish by making things to put in the basket. Encourage her to cut flowers, Easter eggs, grass, and even baby chicks out of construction paper and place them inside her basket.

Change the look of your Easter basket each day by making lots of different construction paper shapes and filling the basket with a different assortment each morning.