Terra Cotta Easter Buggy Basket

Materials

6" standard clay pot
1/4" diameter wood dowel (at least 18" long)
1/2" diameter wood dowel (4" long)
4 wooden toy wheels (2" diameter)
2 chenille stems any pastel color
2 craft sticks
acrylic paint: light blue, red, orange, green, yellow, black, white
gloss polyurethane varnish
flat paintbrush or foam brush
thin liner brush
outdoor or construction adhesive
hand saw
sandpaper
painter's tape (optional)
black paint pen (optional)
Easter grass, candies, small toys, etc.

1. Assemble the wheels: Using the hand saw, cut two 4-inch axels from the 1/4-inch dowel. To be sure of the length, measure the bottom of the pot and add enough room on either side equal to the thickness of the wheels (figure A).

2. Paint the wheels and the axels white. You may need to do some sanding and paint more than one coat. If desired, add a yellow swirl to the wheels (figure B).

3. Paint the 4-inch handle (the 1/2-inch dowel) yellow.

4. Base coat the flower pot inside and out in light blue, using two or three coats. Paint the two craft sticks light blue as well.

5. Once the basecoat is dry, add your jelly bean pattern. You can draw them freehand, create a stencil, or use a jelly bean stamp for consistency in size. Randomly scatter them in red, yellow, green and orange. Using black paint and a liner brush (or a black paint pen), outline the jelly beans to smooth the lines and add some punch. Then add a highlight stroke in white on each jellybean (figure C).

6. After all the paint is dry, cover all the parts with high-gloss polyurethane varnish, and allow to dry overnight before assembling.

7. First assemble the wheels. Turn the buggy pot upside down and measure as you go to ensure a great fit. Glue a wheel to either side of one axel using the constructive adhesive. Lay the axel in place on the bottom of the buggy to see exactly how far apart to place the wheels. The wheels should touch the sides of the pot for stability. Do the same with the other axel (figure D). You may want to use blue painter's tape to hold the wheels in place until the glue sets (figure E).

8. Assemble the handle by using the thicker 4-inch dowel and the chenille stems. Wrap a stem around one end of the dowel about four times; using another stem do the same on the other side. Attach the other end of the stems to the craft sticks by wrapping a couple of times around the center of the stick (figure F). Secure the wrapping with the construction adhesive.

9. The craft sticks are used to secure the handle inside the pot. Glue one side of each of the sticks and secure them vertically to the inside of the pot, so the handle pops up out of the top of the pot (figure G). You may want to hold the sticks in place with blue tape until the glue sets.

10. Fill with Easter grass and any other goodies of choice.

Tips:

The detail work can be done easily with a stamp and paint pens. You can dip your stamp in acrylic paint and add the outlines and highlights with the paint pens.

Add beads or buttons to the chenille stems or wire to decorate the handle.