Popsicle Stick Picnic Basket

   One sleepover, my friends and I dug out the box of popsicle sticks and searched the internet for something to make.  We decided on a picnic basket.  Here's a pic:

   Things you'll need:
Rope
   Get it however you want it to look.  We braided our own and it took forever!
Popsicle Sticks (I'd say about 500)
Glue
   We ran out of what was left in my bottle of elmers, so we used the rest of a bottle of fabric glue
   and a lot of wood glue.  So basically you can use whatever kind you want, though I
   wouldn't suggest fabric glue: it's made to stretch.  And I'd get two bottles just in case you run
   out of one.  Its a bummer running to the store to get more glue in the middle of a project.
And Newspaper!!
   We didn't use it and there was so much glue stuck to the table it took strong chemicals to take it off.
   However you won't want to do it directly underneath the project so it won't stick to the sticks
   (pun not intended).

   Lay out the popsicle sticks in columns, like this:

  We used three columns for the long sides and two for the short sides and the bottom.  That up there is the bottom.  Make the bottom columns as long as the long sides.  We put the stick columns stacked up and down for the sides.  That makes the first and outside layer.  Don't put any glue on yet.
   Then put glue on some sticks individually and lay them on the columns like this:

We had one person on glue-ify-ing duty and one on placing duty.

 Put two sticks on the seams of the columns of the first layer.  Then alternate one popsicle stick and two, as shown in the picture.  The second layer should be perpendicular to the first layer.  If you don't know what perpendicular means, it's basically a + sign.  So the first layer should be the left to right line and the second should be up and down.
   Put three layers on the bottom, going perpendicular each time.  So the top layer should match the bottom layer direction-wise.
   Once you've completed all the sides and the bottom, let them dry.  When they're done drying, put glue on the edges and put them together.  This is where having extra hands comes in handy.  (Once again the pun is not on purpose!)  Then put some more glue on the edges of the basket, inside and outside.  We glued in extra little supports in the inside corners:

I don't know if it helped though...

   Now cut your rope to the size you want, tie knots at the ends, and glue it to the inside of two sides.  We glued it on the long ones but you could glue it on the short ones if you want:

That's my cat Cheetah, in case you're wondering.  Apparently either my hand or the rope smells good.

   As soon as everything dries you're good to go.  The basket's not very strong.  At least it doesn't feel like it.  But what can you expect from a popsicle stick basket?  It holds cheetoh bags very nicely.  And it's not so weak that it feels like it's going to fall apart.

   But wait there's more!  We weren't content with a plain picnic basket, so we got out some paint and spruced it up a little:

No I'm not bald!  I just have short hair.  It's hard to see in this photo, but it is there!

   I'm on the right, my sister's in the middle, and a friend's on the left.  My sister and I are homeschooled and Chelsea used to be.  We even did spanish class together (taught by my mom).
   The names underneath our names are nicknames we made up.  We make up new ones like once a year and never end up using them.  And yes, Chelsea's nickname is "The".  Don't ask.  Ok, I'll tell you.  It's short for "Thenda the elf".  I told you not to ask.  Helen's is short for "Rune Sword", and mine is "Craysnips".  And no, I can't explain.  They can't really be explained.  And yes.  Yes, we are crazy.
   So there is how to make your very own popsicle stick basket.