B is for Basket of Kittens

Hi, it's Amanda!  The title of the blog post was enough to make you check it out, right?  Way back in eighth grade art class, I remember learning how to weave baskets.  I thought I would put my basket weaving skills to the test and see if I could weave a basket out of paper.  Plus, having a friend with a new litter of kittens didn't hurt either.  Basket + Kittens = Pure joy.

And here's what the basket looks like sans fussy kittens.  Fun, huh?  Plus the whole thing is made out of paper!

For the basket, I picked the striped Sunswept print from the Splendor collection, not only because it had vertical stripes, but also because the yellow print would make the inside of the basket look pretty, too.   I created the bow using a the red gingham Picnic Blanket print from the Country Charm collection.  I opted to keep the basket simple and sweet so the contents would be sure to stand out.  To make the bow,  I used Heidi Van Laar's paper bow tutorial.  You can find her bow tutorial HERE. 

While the basket did take a little time to put together, it was not difficult.  Here is how you can make your own woven paper basket (finished size without handle 6.75"x4.5"x4.5"): 

1. Cut 28 1"x12" strips of paper.  Make 14 long strips of paper by overlapping and adhering two 12" strips together.

2. Weave 10 long strips of paper together creating a 4x6 grid in the center.  Adhere the outermost strips of paper together.  This will become the bottom of your basket.   

3. Flip the paper over and score the strips approx 1/8" from the edge of the weave.  

4. Fold the strips along the score and lightly secure the tops together with washi tape (or other repositionable adhesive).  This helps keep everything in place while you weave the sides of the basket.

5. Score each of the four remaining long strips with spaces 6 3/4" and 4 1/2" apart.  When folded, they should look like this.  (Do not secure the ends together yet.  This is just a demo.)

6. Weave the scored strips through the basket sides.  Adhere the ends of the horizontal strips together after weaving them through. 

7. Give your basket a "haircut".  This is also where you can even everything out and make your basket look pretty.  Once your basket is pretty and evenly spaced, adhere the top of the vertical strips to the uppermost horizontal strip of paper. 

Adhere strips together.

8. Cut four strips of 1/2"x12" paper.  Create two score marks 6.75" apart on each strip of paper.  Adhere strips to the top of both the outside and inside of the basket. 

9. Cut four 3/4"x12" strips of paper.  Adhere two strips together to create one handle.  Round the corners and punch a hole in each end.  Punch two holes in each side of the basket.  Attach handles to the basket with brads.  

10. Wrap a 3/4" strip of patterned paper around the top of the basket and add a bow (bow tutorial HERE).  Now it is ready to fill with kitties! (or other fun gifts). 

Since this basket is so gingham fantastic, I am adding it to the Moxie Fab World Gingham challenge.  You should play along, too! 

Supplies:

Picnic Blanket Paper (1509) - Country Charm, Sunswept Paper (1684) - Splendor, brads (office supply)

Thanks for hanging out with me today!