News on baskets.

On Facebook I already told you to collect newspapers for this weeks DIY. Did you do it? I never been much of a newspaper reader. It’s just so unhandy big and noisy and unhandy (yeah, I say that twice because that’s the most troubeling). I don’t get how people can read newspapers while eating their (Sunday) breakfast. Where do you put your plate? Which hand do you use to hold the cup? Seriously. It’s a mysterium for me. However I do collect newspapers for easy arts and crafts project. Sometimes I get a weekend edition just to bring it home and store it (unread) under our sink for future projects. Or I steal them from our neighbors when they’re gone for the week(end) and I tell myself how good of a neighbor I am for hiding to outsiders that they are not home. Clever me! So considerate…

What I do read are magazines. Much handier and I like to coze up on the couch with a cup of tea and indulge in the images and inspirations I draw from them. Magazines are my kind of cup. I don’t only read them once but go back and flick through them months later. So storing them is a real challenge. I just kept them on a pile next to the sofa.

What this has to do with this DIY tutorial? Well, I finally found a solution: a basket out of newspaper. The irony of that isn’t lost on me. And what’s the best part: it’s easy and done in one afternoon (or evening).

All you need is:
– a pile of newspaper (the large kind)
– a bowl of goo
– a tucker

That’s it. Really.

I made a little picture tutorial on how to fold the newspaper.

1. Unfold one page to its maximum size. Add some goo the the upper quarter and fold into half.

2. Add goo to the upper half and fold into half again.

3. Add goo to the whole piece and fold a third down.

4. Fold the lower third up. Done!

I used about 20 stripes for my basket. (Tipp: If you wait for the goo to dry it’s easier to handle. You can – like me – do it with the moist paper as well though.) Now you have to weave the bottom. On the picture you see just the beginning. You can take one of the magazines you want to store in the basket and see how big it has to be.

To weave the walls of the basket just fold the ends left from weaving the bottom up and add a new stripe as seen on this picture. Don’t worry if it looks a bit messy in the beginning. Once a stripe is finished, tuck a new piece to the end and follow through.

In the end fold the left over ends and tuck them to the wall. Now look what I made!

Now. Carry on!