Recycled Paper Easter Baskets

Hi!  This is a simple, easy way to make fabulous paper Easter baskets:)  They are really easy to weave and are made out of colored paper that I have gotten from handouts, flyers, reminders, etc, so they are super cheap (free, in fact;)  Let's get started.

Step 1: Materials

For this project, you will need:

• Misc. colored paper, mine was recycled and had printing on one or both sides
• Modge Podge
• Super glue
• Clothes pins
• Scissors
• Old paintbrush

Step 2: Cutting and Folding

First, take the paper and cut it into about 1 - 1 1/2 in. strips.  They don't have to be perfect;), picture 1.  Next, fold the strips length wise so they are about 1/4 in. wide, pictures 2 & 3.

Step 3: Weaving the Base

Ok, so now we are going to weave the base of the basket.  First, take a tiny dab of super glue and glue together in an X, picture 1.  Next, glue four strips of paper on each side of the vertical piece, like in picture 2.  Make sure they are glued over, under, over, again, see picture 2.  Now, weave in four strips on each side of the horizontal part of the X, using super glue when needed to keep everything in place, see picture 3.  That's it for the bottom of the basket, next we will weave the sides!

Step 4: Weaving the Sides

To start weaving the sides of the basket, super glue one strip of paper to a corner piece of the bottom of the basket, picture 1.  In order to make the vertical sides of the basket, fold the long side strips up at a 90 degree angle.  Next, weave the strip you just glued to a corner through the vertical sides, picture 2.  When you get to the end of that strip, glue on another one so it looks like pictures 3 and 4.  Sometimes it is helpful to use a clothespin to hold the pieces together until they dry.  Continue weaving until you get back to where you started, then glue the end down and cut off the excess, picture 5.  Glue on another piece above this one and keep on weaving!  Every now and then add a dab of glue to hold the current piece in place, and clothespins work really well for an extra hand (or two:)  it should look like picture 6 when you are done.

Step 5: Finishing the Top Edge

To finish the top edge of your basket, cut of the excess vertical strips so that it looks like the first picture.  Next, cut a 1/2 in. strip of paper to cover the edge with.  Fold this paper in half length-wise, then use an old paint brush to apply Modge-Podge to the strip of paper to make it pliable, then apply Modge-Podge to the top edge of the basket and stick down the paper, picture 2.  Continue on around the top edge of the basket until it is completely covered, and looks like picture 3.  That's it for the top edge!

Step 6: Handle and Bow

All that's left are the finishing touches:)  To make a handle, take two different colored strips of paper of equal length, mine were 11 inches long, picture 1.  Next, completely cover and soak them in Modge-Podge, so they are pliable.  Twist them together, picture 2, then stick them onto the inside edges of the basket for a handle, picture 3.  I used clothespins to keep it on while drying.  

Take another strip of paper like was used for the handle, and crumple it up and unfold it repeatedly, until it is cloth-ish feeling, like picture 4.  Fold it in half, picture 5, then back down so that it looks like a bow, picture 6.  Use super glue to glue the bow together, picture 7, and onto the basket by the base of the handle, picture 8.

Step 7: All Done:)

That's it!  You now have a recycled paper Easter basket, now all we need is some Easter candy......:)