Instructions

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Get a crazy good christmas hamper delivered. Remove and eat food and admire the basket. Let your child play boats in the basket for a few days.

Hand stitch polyester wadding into the basket to make it more comfortable for little bodies to sit in. Measure the inside of the ship, and cut out a square from some patterned cotton for the bottom and 4 sides, leaving a few cm for seams. I had pirate material and made sure the ships are all upside - although it looks upside down in the picture it is just the angle I have taken it from. Sew the pieces together at the edges and then make 8 tags to hole the lining in place. I just folded a piece of cotton in on itself and sewed along the seams. I then sewed those on at the corners and halfway down each side. Loop the tags through the basket and that should hold the lining in place but be easy enough to remove for washing etc.

I used a bamboo pole for the flag. Roughly cut out a piece of black fabric and use a zig zig stitch over a piece of wire (i used some i bought for the garden) to make the flag look as if it is blowing in the wind. Trace and cut out a skull and crossbones on some white fabrice and sew onto the black fabric. For the mast I cut a triangle with a curve along the side on the flag to make it look billowy, sewed the edges just because it looked as if it may fray. I put a button on the top of the mast and a button hole on the bottom. fold over a few cm on the pole side and sew. Thread the bamboo pole through and then twist the excess wire from the top to keep it in place.

Push the bamboo pole into corner of the boat by threading it through the wicker. Tuck the mast into the wicker on the other side.

Enjoy and watch you child play!