Basket Full Of Wild Mushrooms

A woven basket sits in the middle of this page, packed so full of wild mushrooms that several caps lean out over the rim. Count them before you start: there are more than a dozen, and almost every one wears a different pattern of dots across its cap. One mushroom near the front has tipped over, so you can see the round end of its stalk and the little ridges underneath. The basket itself gives you plenty to work with. Its tall handle is wrapped in a twisting rope pattern, and the body below is built from wide woven strips that cross over and under each other in neat rows. A bare branch reaches in from the top corner, and small tufts of grass grow on either side of the basket. A few loose seeds and leaves have dropped onto the ground nearby. Try giving the woven strips two alternating shades so the weave stands out, then pick one bold tone for the caps and leave the dots white. Older children who like slow, careful work will enjoy the rows of small circles. Younger ones can skip straight to the big shapes and fill the basket in one color.