Easy [News]paper Container

This basket is made from everyday materials, and can be made into many sizes and shapes. It can accommodate plants, office supplies, toys, paint brushes, yarn -- whatever you wish.

Supplies include newspaper sheets, glue sticks, hot glue gun, a measuring tape or ruler, rubber bands, two pieces of cardboard 6" by 6," and paint.

Open one sheet of a newspaper on a flat surface. Begin rolling the paper from a bottom edge, keeping the roll tight by spreading your fingers as you roll.

When the paper is rolled tightly, glue the last edge with the glue stick. Continue making rolls of the newspaper until you have made about 55 sticks.

Save some long rolls for weaving --at least eight or so. Keep these the full length.

After cutting the rolls in half, put the weaker part [ends of the rolls] of the roll on each section of the cardboard. Use approximately 13 to 15 rolls per side of the cardboard. Glue down the rolls, about 2 inches in, with the hot glue. Rolls should fit together snugly, with some room at the corners. There should be an uneven number of total rolls. Add one long roll at one corner extending outward, and hot glue the second piece of cardboard over all the rolls. Weigh down with a heavy object.

Bend the rolls upright, and begin weaving the newspaper. Using an in-and -out technique, weave the long roll horizontally through the rolls, around the cardboard. Try to keep the sides upright. It may help to bundle the rolls from one side together with a rubber band, work that side, and then replace the rubber band, and move to the next side.

When you run out of paper working horizontally, add another piece of newspaper, either by gluing the ends together or by snipping the ends off and inserting the new roll into the one coming to an end. Keep weaving until the desired height of the basket is reached. I used a yogurt container as a gauge.

When the basket is the desired height, glue the long roll to the back of the basket. Take the protruding rolls from the inside, bend them to the outside, and tuck them into the previous row. Take the adjacent roll from the outside, bend it toward the inside and "hide" under the forward-bending roll. This takes some patience and persistence, but will work out. Glue as you go, with the hot glue gun.

On the inside, cut off the roll ends. [Who's looking at the inside?] Hot glue down if necessary.

When the top is complete, paint the entire basket as you wish inside and out.

For a plant, it is useful to line the basket with something plastic--like the yogurt container. For other uses, a "liner" isn't always necessary. Enjoy your handiwork!