Saturday, March 31, 2012

Easy Paper Basket

Old World Roses in a Basket
by Albert Williams  (English 1922 - )


This is a simple paper craft that I created for a 5-year-old, but it could be used to accent a table for tea guests, with each basket made to give away holding something else handmade, or anything that suits your theme.  You can use really high-end scrap papers, or you can use a paper from a brown paper bag. I used children's construction paper.


The only ingredients are paper of any size, scissors and tape.


Square-off your paper by picking up a point and bringing the paper over to line up with the straight edge on the other side. 

Fold any excess paper sticking out, evenly lined up with one edge,

and cut it off along the folded line.

Set the excess piece aside 

Open up the paper and fold one side up to the middle line.

Fold the opposite side up to the middle also.


Open up the paper again,

and fold up the other two sides to the middle.


Open it up again and you will see the fold lines of a lot of even-shaped squares.

Cut off all four corners.



This is what it will look like with the corners
cut.  You can use this for a template and just trace around it to make other baskets, or you can follow the entire proceedure for each basket. In my observation, children would rather know how to do this step-by-step so they can pick up a piece of paper any time and do it themselves, so I do not make a template. However if you are making 20 of them for a special event, make a cardboard pattern and trace around it.

Pull up the corner sides and put one piece of tape on each corner to secure it.

Fold that left-over strip of paper in half, lengthwise.


Cut along the fold into two pieces.

Use one piece for a handle, taping it once on each side.

These are not strong baskets, but will hold some lightweight paper craft, hand shredded paper (made with a hand held shredder usually available in craft and scrapbooking stores) or used to hold some kind of food served at the table.



6 comments:

Unknown said...

This is so adorable! I love reading your posts. Have a blessed day.

Finding Joy said...

What a pretty idea.

Eileen @ cottage beach house said...

Thanks for this inspiration. I remember making a similar basket as a child at Easter! This is a perfect project to bring back memories and to pass on new ones!

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of another cute craft we did as kids. We'd take empty 1/2 gallon milk containers (the cardboard ones) and glue cotton balls all over it, covering it. We would then use the opening as the mouth, gluing on pipe cleaner whiskers and construction paper ears, along with googly eyes. It is a craft that can be done well by even small children, it costs very little and it keeps the kids occupied.

Rightthinker said...

I love this idea, Lady Lydia! How fun!

We made Spring flowers from the paperboard egg containers yesterday..cut them, trimmed them, painted them, added pipe cleaner stems, added cut out petals to some for variety, and then made a "vase" from a decorated stewed tomato can..

I think your project will be our next!

God Bless!

Lydia said...

Andrea, your egg carton flowers sound interesting!!