Paper Basket: A DIY craft guide on how to make them with your kids

It is possible to make paper baskets with the mere materials that one may find lying around the house. It acts as a fun craft idea that both children and adults can participate in their free time. Paper baskets also provide an alternative to wrapping gifts- and it can save one a lot of time. Here is a step by step guide on how to make paper baskets.

Materials required

• Construction paper of different colours
• Scissors or craft scissors
• Glue

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Steps to make

• The first step to making this type of paper basket is cutting the paper in strips. The paper should be cut into equal-sized strips- depending upon the desired size of the basket.
• In this step, the maker can use either the same coloured paper or paper strips of different colours to create a variegated look.
• The next step is to weave the basket.
• Half of the number of strips should be laid out, face-up, with their edges in a neat line.
• Then, the remaining paper strips should be woven into the basket to create a basket weave pattern. This step should be continued for till all the strips have been woven into place.
• The strips that are protruding from the sides of the basket should be folded up. Eventually, these will create the four sides of the basket.
• To make this process easier, it would be convenient to put a heavy, square-shaped object in the middle of the basket to keep it steady while the edges are being folded upwards.
• Next, a strip of paper has to be woven through the four sides of the basket to hold it in place.
• The previous step should be repeated till the top is reached and the basket can eventually stand up and hold its shape on its own.
• This completes the basket. One can also add a handle to the basket by taping or stapling a strip of lace to two of the sides of the basket.

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The woven pattern of paper baskets is the simplest and most common there is, but it is not the only design of paper basket out there. There are plenty of other methods to create paper baskets of various colours, shapes and sizes with the help of different papers. For example, if one wishes, one can also make a paper basket out of newspapers lying around the house.

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