Making Easter Bonnets

Although real Easter bonnets are not quite as in fashion as they were decades ago, making Easter bonnets is a fun craft project. Plan on getting them ready before the neighborhood children's Easter parade, and remember that pastel colors, fun accessories and creative expression are always a hit.

Easter Basket Bonnet: Purchase an inexpensive plastic Easter basket, and fill it with Easter grass and plastic eggs. Glue the items down securely. Affix two strips of wide ribbon on each side of the bottom of the basket. These ribbons will tie below your chin. Finally roll up a length of fabric, coil-style, and glue or staple it to the bottom of the basket. This fabric will keep the basket secure on your head. Add a bright bow to the basket handle to finish it off.

Medieval Easter Bonnet: Using a piece of poster board, cut out a rectangle shape and roll that into a cone to fit the child's head. Don't staple the cone together yet. Lay the poster board flat, and allow the child to decorate it. Use tissue paper, cotton balls, glitter glue and sewing notions when making Easter bonnets. When the glue is dry, roll the hat into a cone, and staple it in place. Pull a wisp of scarf through the top of the cone, and secure it. Now, there's a medieval princess hat that's a complement to any Easter dress.

Garden Easter Bonnet: Use a plastic hat from a dollar store, such as a fireman's hat or construction hat. Use various pipe cleaners to make flowers with wiggly stems, fuzzy leaves and loopy petals. Affix the bottoms of each flower to the top of the hat, and then glue down Easter grass or florist moss to the top; this hides the taped-down pipe cleaner. When the child wears the hat, it will look like a spring flower bed has sprung up in the strangest of places. This also works for wire-stemmed silk flowers.

Straw Easter Bonnet: Use a floppy straw hat as the basis for this Easter bonnet project. Cover the crown of the hat with silk flowers, glue-gunned in place. Add long, curly ribbon to the back brim of the hat to hang down in curls, braids or just loose. Add the finishing touches by gluing sequins, pearl beads or other glittery detail along the brim for a fancy, feminine hat.