DIY Creative Crafts - Handmade Paper Baskets

This time my love for baskets has given me a DIY! While handmade fabric baskets are really chic and give that very 'cotton rich' look, handmade paper baskets are equally good for storage of light weight stuff~ craft supplies, kiddie accessories like clips or napkins etc.

The stuff that's required is depicted in pictures...pretty easy to find at home, anytime. This DIY like my previous DIYs uses cereal boxes or any other packaging that will be put to a glorious use instead of making its way to the bin!

You could use a sturdy cardboard in case you want to make large sized paper basket. That could be used as basket for soft toys or just about anything you wish to dunk & dump!

1) Cut out two circular pieces (any size that you want)

2) Next, cut out two circular pieces from the Scrap Paper sheet. However, do not cut out the same size. You need to keep at least half an inch extra all along the diameter. Then neatly stick the cardboard piece onto the scrap paper cut out. Leave it to dry for a few minutes. Once dry, make small (about 1 cm fringes along the diameter of scrap paper. The paper will stick neatly onto the dia, otherwise it forms pointy edges.

 3) Apply glue around the rim of the cardboard piece & neatly fold in the fringed scrap paper. Now the base pieces are done. Next, cut out a strip long enough to cover the dia of the circular pieces (with an extra 2 inch length). You can choose what width you want. Cut out scrap paper by allowing for double the width plus 2 inches. (For example, if you choose to have a width of 2 inches then cut out scrap paper with a width of (2+2+2). The extra 2 inches will be used for sticking the bases. The length of the scrap paper should be as long as the cut out.

 4) Now fold your scrap paper into half (lengthwise). Insert the long strip of cardboard. Apply glue on one side & stick the scrap paper. Let it dry. Once dry,keeping the glued side on the outside join both the ends of the strip by inserting one end inside the other. Now seal the end by applying glue. Hold it for a while to allow the ends to stick firmly. 

5) Once dry, make fringes to the extra 1 inch paper that is left out. Neatly fold it in. Then apply glue to the base of one of the circular piece. Set the fringed portion onto the base & press firmly. Once done, apply glue on the inside of the fringed portion (as shown in pic) & quickly set the other base firmly onto it. Press firmly with hands to allow both the bases to stick together with the fringed portion. 

6) The paper basket is ready to use! Yet another Organic Stylish Storage I love so much! {coined the term when I made my first fabric basket :) ! }

They can be used as a little return gift basket for your kid's birthday party or just a sweet little Easter Basket! (Attach handles on the sides by stapling & a sticker).

If you try this, do share your creations & links! I'd love to hear from you!

Completely Handmade

Good or Guilty - To Feel or Not to Feel?

Its a hilarious reality about people who create art & craft creations, they have more stock of craft supplies than grocery! Has that happened to you too? Well, it certainly happened to me! Now that its time for us to move to a new place, my art & craft supplies seem to fill the entire room and its so tough to decide what to take and what to leave. 

As a person who loves to create different things, my (hoarded) collection includes fabrics, colors (all - water, acrylic, oil, crayons, pencil), beads, ribbons, threads, canvases & of course the endless sheets of handmade papers! 

Is this natural or am I developing a hoarding mania? 

Well, whatever that may be, it certainly feels good & guilty at the same time. Do share your story... I'd love some collective empathising... :)

Love to all Craftists!

DIY Creative Crafts - Paper Creations (Part 2)

This is Part II of DIY with Paper. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed creating wonderful things out of paper. Do share with us, your wonderful paper creations. Its lovely to know that someone, somewhere 'did' try a DIY I posted! :)

Okay, if you've tried something out of the previous DIY post (Paper Creations Part-1), you would be having numerous ideas already. I have some of them and would love to share with you.

Little girls love playing with their kitchen sets. Designing their grocery on paper and coloring it (just as the original) would be exciting not only for them but also for you (as a Mom)... You could create Coke cans, Milk tetra packs, Chocolates & so on.... Although the product would be one dimensional, it is something you can recreate, even if kids lose a piece or it tears. I tried making a few fruits, veggies, noodles, Coke etc for my daughter. And she loved cooking them! :)

There is no end to what you can design and color... And the best part is, all this can be recreated at no cost!

Alright, now let's get onto the next idea!

Its fun to teach your child to start a diary (by age 4 or 5)... so they could pen down some fun things they did at that age... or maybe just have a little scrapbook to note something they saw or liked... And yes, you don't have to get them flashy stickers or exotic stationary to decorate their diary/journal/scrapbook...

Let them design what they want to stick on a page... For example, your son  would be excited to spot a green caterpillar or ladybird ! Make that a special moment. design it, color it, cut it and paste it on a page which says '04-02-12: Saw a caterpillar, found it cute' ! And many such exciting moments that kids come across. 

These are tiny & look gorgeous on a scrapbook etc. Please do not create such tiny things if your kid is aged between 1 to 3 years. 

The next part would host a few more exciting things we can create out of card paper. If you have tried it, do share. I would love to read what you have to say! 

Have fun!

Completely Handmade

DIY Creative Crafts - Paper Creations (Part 1)

Thinking of how to engage kids into something creative this summer? Kids are a curious lot and need to use their burst of energy into something constructive, otherwise of course they have a lot of stuff (your precious decor) in the house to toy around!

Okay,so let's get started.

Let us begin with cardboard paper. Take a cookie/cereal box or any other such packaging box. We all have a number of them. Firstly it helps us re-use something that would anyway go waste (help your child learn to be Environment friendly). Secondly, you don't have to plan or run around to get any stationery for such crafts, so you can start off instantly. Thirdly, paper crafts (for that matter anything thats kids play with) last only for a few days, so you don't need expensive paper.

1) You need:  Cardboard paper (re-use a packaging or just get some sheets), colors (I chose pencil colors, as its easy for my kid to use them!), Scissors, Tape, String or Imitation chain.

2) Cut out 3x3 inch squares. You or your kid can draw their favorite things like animals, characters, animals etc.

3) Cut out neatly, the shapes or characters you've drawn. If your kid is old enough to use scissors, let him/her do it.

4) Color them! I highlighted the outline with a black fountain pen.

5) Cut out 1.5 inch piece of string, loop it & stick it on the backside of your cut out.

5) String it! You're ready to wear your new pendant.

5) Or just attach a safety pin with some tape to create a pretty brooch...!

5) Okay little girl, you're ready for your doll party! And hey! boys can have fun too... attach a car, ball or animal brooch on the cap...

Enjoy!, A lot more coming up... Let me know if you tried this!

xx

Completely Handmade