Paper Power: Make a Basket from Paper Strips

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For the smaller basket, you will need six paper bags.

First, carefully open the grocery bags at the seams. It is easiest to open the bottom first, then the back seam. The open bag will look like this figure. Cut off the ragged edge lengthwise along the fold line.

Using medium heat, iron the bags flat. Don't try to iron out all the fold lines; you are only trying to flatten the bags a bit.

To make the 11 ribs, cut three of the bags into four equal pieces each (fig. 2, see Image Gallery). Don't worry if they don't come out exactly equal. Place one piece of paper on the work surface in front of you, with any unwanted words or artwork face up. Fold in half lengthwise and crease. Open back up and fold one long edge to the center crease-line and crease. Turn the paper around and repeat this step with the opposite edge. Now fold the two edges together with the folded parts inward and run this strap along a sharp edge, such as a counter top or table edge, to hold it together. Repeat with ten more pieces.

For the four weavers plus the rim, cut the other three bags as follows. Cut on the second fold line from one end of the bag. Save the small piece for a future project. These extra pieces also make great drawing paper for the kids.

Now, fold the long piece in half lengthwise and cut on the fold. You now have two long pieces. Fold these pieces as you did before when making the ribs.

Take one of the long straps and form a circle (the rim), tucking one end into the other about half an inch. Holding this circle in place, take one of the shorter straps (ribs) and tuck one end perpendicularly into the rim where you put the ends together. Staple the three ends together. Leave the other end hanging free.

Staple in ten more ribs, spaced about an eighth of an inch apart, for a total of eleven ribs. Now, including the last rib stapled, count back six ribs, and bring that rib's free end across and next to the first rib stapled and staple it into the rim about an eighth of an inch from the first rib. Repeat with the fifth from last, then the fourth from last, and so on, bringing each end across and next to the last one stapled.

Now taking each free end of the five remaining ribs, weave them alternately through the six ribs at the bottom of the basket, bringing them up and across and stapling them into the rim, forming a checkerboard pattern. Since some straps may not fold exactly, you may or may not have extra space in the rim after all the ribs are secure. You may need to remove some of the staples to adjust your spacing. After you have made a few baskets you will develop a feel for how much to space the ribs. Also keep in mind that the spacing doesn't have to be exact, since folk-art is seldom exact. Now add an extra staple to each rib around for extra strength. Before you start to weave the sides, you can straighten up the bottom.

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