Are you trying to keep (grand) children amused during the school holidays?  Here is the perfect craft for even the youngest children.  Older children will love making their own basket; younger ones will enjoy helping.

I found this on Pinterest and thought it was the perfect way to use up some of those little scraps of fabric you always accumulate as a sewer – unless you're one of those rare sewers who can throw away all the unused bits of fabric on the completion of a project!

Jenae's's instructions (from I can teach my child) show you how to make the baskets.  Here's mine, hanging up to dry.

And here it is after I'd popped the balloon.  Interesting!  (I didn't touch it.)

I decided that I'd made it a bit too deep, although the pen line I drew onto the balloon had transferred itself to the inside of the basket, so having to trim the top wasn't a hardship.  I did lose one of my favourite fabric scraps though!  I've left mine as a bowl, rather than putting a handle on it and turning it into a basket.  I put a weight in the bottom as soon as I'd removed the balloon, to give it a flat bottom.

Most children will enjoy smearing lots of glue all over the outside. Make sure they're wearing old clothes and all surfaces are covered in newspaper – or go outside! I probably didn't use enough glue on the outside, so my basket may not be as sturdy as it could have been.

I've started a Pinterest board called Crafty ideas for kids.  Look there for more fabric-based ideas for children.  Please feel free to add any others you come across, or tell us about them below.