Easter Goodness

I am almost done with the kids' baskets.

Since we're "starting over" we don't have a lot of holiday paraphernalia. What a blessing: no tacky dollar store plastic ugliness to make our holiday full of useless trash; no excess of awful artificial weirdness called candy to fight over; just a few simple gifts for the kids because I love them!

I'm pretty proud of the baskets themselves. I made some paper mache bowls and added a handle of scrap yarn for the little egg hunters. Zombie Mac and I will have our baskets sans handles. Sugar Pirate painted his of course - any opportunity for the boy to use acrylic craft paint must be embraced.

After Easter, the bowls will be put into service as holders for our growing collection of pine cones and rocks.

These are super inexpensive (just right for my budget) and could be adjusted to suit your family very easily.

Supplies:
torn up newspaper or paper bag
a couple handfuls or so white flour
water
a glob of white glue or modge podge
paint
a plastic grocery bag
a small bowl for the mold

Directions
1. Tear up your paper (Great project for any paper tearing kid. One year old Ninja Monkey loved it.)

2. Mix water and flour until it is runnier than pancake batter and stir in the glue (This is good for goo loving kids like two year old Sugar Pirate.)

3. Put your bowl upside down in the plastic sack and start dipping the paper in the mix and laying it on.

4. When it is thick enough to seem sturdy, let it dry for a few hours before you take it off the mold and plastic sack.

5. Let dry completely (about two days), and paint if you want. To add some color to bowls I didn't want to paint, I put the paint in the paper mache paste.

6. Punch some holes in the side and thread with some yarn you tie off or anything else you think would make a great handle.