Each time you buy groceries at a shop or store, the checkout assistants provide you with carryout paper bags or paper sacks to hold your items in for bringing them out to your car. After you have unpacked the contents of the bag at home, you possibly tuck the flattened bag in the under-the-sink drawer for storage until the opportunity to reuse them for they are highly reusable. The problem begins when you have so many of them there, and they in fact cannot be all used for your anticipated needs. What can you do with them? You can simply produce new containers out of them.
Minimal handmade baskets out of very easy to do even children can make them, and often enjoy doing so. You can use these crafted baskets for giving away a few produce from your garden, or some simple presents. Many are tired of the department store variety of gift wrapping that some handcrafted wrappers will be very refreshing, for it arrives with the affection and concern of the gift source. Creating a simple basket you can earn many points with the recipient.
The essential steps in making the easiest usable basket are outlined below:
5. Take out four paper shopping bags. Fold down the open mouth of one by folding the rim outwards, until the rolled edge is about three inches from the bottom.
6. Place the second bag inside the first bag. Fold down the edge of the second only until it touches the edge of the first bag. Perform the same with the third bag inside the second bag. You now should have a three-layered basket sturdy enough to carry most light dry items. Flatten the rolled sides by folding them down.
7. Remove the bottom of the fourth bag. Fold it the same manner until you have formed a ring. Place the layered basket inside the ring and position the ring in the middle to make the handle. Stitch, glue or paste it in place and you have a paper basket.
8. Embellish it with pasted-on cut-outs, color it with pens or inscribe some quotes on the rolled-down rims just for fun. The intention is to particularize the basket to make the simple gift it contains more meaningful and special.
You can make other kinds of containers with paper, like interlacing rolled and flattened bag paper into a little basket or vase for holding a table floral centerpiece, for instance. Rolling them tightly will stiffen the tube enough for the resulting basket to be erect; rolling the tubes slackly will make them very flexible for plaiting. Paper printed with colorful illustrations makes lively trays or vases or something similar; plain-colored paper grants certain style when made to complement the theme of the place.
Anything you may wish to make a paper basket for, and it is restricted only by your imagination, you can make the making of the baskets an enjoyable family activity by engaging the children. They will love to do them and you will adore them doing the baskets.
