HOW TO MAKE A PAPER BASKET

Paper baskets  are useful around the house and make great gifts. They can be made using material you already have and are a fun and easy craft for any age. Develop your basket weaving skill and experiment with the shape,size,colors,and appearance of your baskets to add another level of creativity. 

• prepare strips of paper to weave your basket. on the sheets of paper to become the base of your basket.

• weave the base of your basket. layout strips of the paper next to each others so that the lines on each strips are face up and form one continuous line.starting at the top line, weave another strip through the strips you have laid out, over one strip and under the next. center the strip horizontally with respect to the strips you laid out. using another strip, weave it through the strips in the opposite way from the first one, so that this one will go underneath the strips that the first one you weaved went on top of. then slide the strips together, making sure the edges line up.

• fold up the strips sticking out the sides of the basket. each side should come up with same height.

• weave a strip between the now vertical strips of the base, folding it to fit around the corner of the basket. you can simply tape or glue the two pieces together. try  to place the connection so that it comes on the inside of the basket and is hidden by a strip from the base. this will give your basket a clean, seamless look.weave the strips all the way around the basket. when the two ends meet, tape or glue them together, hiding the tape in some way.

• repeat the above steps with another strip. keep repeating until you reach the top. 

• finish and polish off your basket. tape or glue the ends of the base strips to the top woven strip. the tape or glue a slightly wider strip of the base to the top of the basket on the inside , lying it on the top of the vertical strips. if you want to add a handle simply tape or  glue each end of a long strip of paper to opposite sides of the basket.

• done