Oooh, all the nifty and thrifty things you can create from old newspaper!
This time I decided to weave them into a little basket. It turned out to actually be pretty sturdy, despite the flimsy newspaper pages.
Materials you’ll need:
- an old newspaper (finally a purpose for that free junk mail)
- string or thread
- clothespins, paper clips, bobby pins or whatever else you find that can keep the paper together
- scissors (even better if you have a rotary cutter and cutting mat!)
- staples?
pic 1: Find old newspaper.
pic 2: Cut newspaper into 20 strips. I cut them into 2-newspaper-column-wide strips, which turned out to be about 1 3/4 in (≈ 7,5 cm). It really depends on how small you want the weave pattern to be.
I kept the length of the newspaper as is. You can trim it down later on.
pic 3: 20 strips of newspaper.
pic 4: Fold each strips in half lengthwise. Fold them again, into quarters and again, into eights. Make sure to crease tightly, so you have some sturdy and crisp strips.
pic 5: 20 ready folded strips of newspaper waiting to be weaved.
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| finished newspaper basket with staples |
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| finished newspaper basket without staples |
I ended up not liking the staples in my basket and took them out again. The other way to finish of the edge is weaving the loose ends into the sides of the basket.
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Update: Since there were a few comments saying they were having a hard time following step 5 of the weaving instructions, I tried drawing it out to help visualize it better. I hope this helps! ;)
Comments
it looks like so much work, but man, that looks good! fantastic job and so neat!
So Cute! Would love for you to add to my Thursday Treasure Party:
http://thetreasurista.blogspot.com/p/treasuristas-thursday-treasures-come.html
@the cape on the corner: It does take a little while with the preparation of the strips, but it also is a lot of fun! I don’t think it was the last one I did. ;)
@L: I will be sure to stop by tomorrow! Thanks for the invite!
Super cute! I just found your blog thru the Tshirt linky! I’ll follow ya! xox!
What a cute idea for newpapers. You did a super job, and thanks for the instructions. I’m going to give it a try, and I hope it comes out as good as yours. I just love your blog. You really have a fun blog. Keep up the good work.
@mary: Welcome as a new follower! I just had a look at your great blog — count me in on that! ;)
@Paula Jo: Thank you so much!! Let me know how things worked out for you. Don’t hesitate to contact me if there are any problems.
Gosh I want to try this sooo bad! I’ve seen something similar before and I always get really intimidated! It looks amazing though! :)
Wow! I love this! I don’t do a lot of paper crafts, but i will have to try this!
ummm…you are adorable! i heart your blog! I feel like your my sista from another mista:D I’m putting your button on my blog because I feel like we got the same style;)
fantastic basket!! I would love for you to come link up to Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug Blessings. http://www.ladybug-blessings.com
How pretty! I love that you are repurposing/recycling with this project too! Nicely done!
Thanks for your sweet comment on my blog! :)
I’m definitely following. Can’t wait to see what else you have in store!
@Kristen: I’m actually already partying at your link party with a couple other posts. Thank you so much for hosting!! You’re linked up in my link party page for link-fun Tuesdays. :)
Holy cow! That’s so cool but looks like it would take forever! Thanks for linking up to my Catch a Glimpse party.
cool idea! Love it!
very cool! love this, and it would be a fun project with older kids!
this is so cute!
Oh that’s a fun project. And even more fun if you get to fill it with candy. :)
That’s pretty neat! I just used an old newspaper to make a Valentine Garland (posted on my blog 2/1 if you’re interested) It’s great to use some of that “junk” stuff for a good purpose!
What a fun idea,I love using items that would be headed for the trash bin.I will have to try this.Thanks for sharing it.
Really cute. You are so creative. If wanted, the finished product can also be painted?
@ abeachcottage: Thank you for your comments! I might try a colored version of the newspaper version. I would just make sure the paint is not too watery. ;) For this one, I liked that you could make out single words and playing with the colors of the newspaper.
Nice project. Looks like you need alot of patience for this one. Great job~
Wow that is so neat! I’ve never done any weaving really, but this looks so cute and simple I may have to try it. Thanks for linking up :)
Cool! I remember doing this as a kid. Thanks for taking me back.
Warmly, Michelle
Very cute! I am looking forward to trying this one.
This is very cool! I don’t know if I’d have the patience to make one, but yours looks great!
Those pictures are so CUTE!! I wonder how large a basket you could make? Maybe even use some mod podge to seal it and have it as a paper recycling basket (or a small one for a q-tip holder?).…okay, you got my brain working. Basically, I LURVE it!!
I wanted to let you know we featured you on WhipperBerry today! You can check it out here . Come grab a featured button if you would like!
Saw you over at WhipperBerry. Great weaved newspaper basket. I have so much newspaper, saving it for some project or other. I’m definitely going to try this!
Thank you everyone!! I love reading your comments!
@ MessyMissy: I’ve actually thought about making a larger scale basket and just glueing the strips together to get twice the length.. I will post, if I actually do. ;)
@ Emily: I know I already thanked you on WhipperBerry, but I’m so excited!! Thank you so much for featuring me!!
cool, I remember doing this with gum wrappers as a kid. domesticdeadline.blogspot.com
What a great idea! :) I thought I followed you a while back on a different link party, but it seems I didn’t actually follow. Soo, I am popping by to say hi again! :)
Hope you come by to visit.
Cheers!
Jen
http://www.cariboobutterfly.com
OMG! Such a great tutorial! I’ve been seeing the recycled magazine baskets, etc. for awhile and never considered making one. Yours looks amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE IT! We used to make them when I was a kid in Miami from coconut palm fronds! We wove them while they were green and when they dried, they kept the shape forever! I seem to remember using clothespins to hold things in place while I wove the strips. Since I won’t be climbing palm trees anymore, and I like the colors and possibilities of the paper, I think I will give your tutorial a try! Thanks for the memory jog too!
hAndiMom
Great toot~ I have always wanted to try this.
(since the days when we did this with gum wrappers)
Thank you for explaining so well.
This basket looks so cool. Thanks for the great tutorial! I’d love for you to submit this to the M&T Spotlight: http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight
What a great tutorial! I’m definitely going to try this one. I’ll be featuring your project tomorrow! Thanks for sharing at My Backyard Eden.
Thank you everyone for the lovely comments!!
@ Laurel: Thank you so much for inviting me to the Make & Take Spotlight!!
@ Carolyn: I’m so excited you’re gonna feature me! Thank you so, so much!!
Uber cool! I’ll be linking … thanks for sharing.
I just love this! I don’t know if I could pull it off or not but looks like fun to try! Thanks for linking up!
You’ve been featured at this weeks Hookin Up with HoH #36!
Feel free to stop by and grab a button!
~Allison @ House of Hepworths
@ Sheri: Thank you for linking up!!
@ Krafty Kat: You should try it! It does take a little while, but is fairly easy to do. :)
@ Allison: Thanks again for featuring me!!
Great post! You’ve made this week’s top 10 most popular and have been featured on this week’s newsletter. Thanks for sharing!
LOVE THIS! Great tutorial! I would love for you to link up to my Ten Buck Tuesday link parties!
http://www.youngnester.blogspot.com
I’m your newest follower! :)
That’s so cool! Thanks for sharing!!!
wow.. this is such a creative idea..
Love it!
Hani
http://craftionary.blogspot.com
Ahhhh! I’m soooo going to make this! LOVE!
http://danirousseau.blogspot.com/
Lovely idea! Unfortunately I cannot understand how you build up the sides :S the instructions are unclear. (Pic 5 of the second group of pictures)could you explain it further or post some step by step pictures? Thanks!
Anonymous, I wish I could have replied in an email. I hope you’ll still read this. :)
This 5th step was kind of hard to capture — next time it gets tricky like this I’ll make sure to have my hubby take some pictures..
I’ll try to explain it (and please have some mercy — English is not my mother tongue..). After intertwining the strips of paper (step 4), you’ll end up with 10 strips in each direction. Now you need to divide those 10 strips on one side up into 5 each and start weaving strip 5 through 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 and strip 6 through 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Next weave strip 4 through 7, 8, 9 and 10 and strip 7 through 4, 3, 2 and 1. Then strip 3 and 8 and so on.
Do the same with the other 3 remaining sides.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you still have trouble with it and I’ll try my best to explain in a different way. :)
xoxo,
Vanessa
I’m sooooo confused about building up the sides. When I follow the instructions you give, I end up with 4 separate corners and I have no idea how to connect them. Could you please please please do a step by step or even better a video tutorial! I’m itching to make many of these for my job as a teaching assistant.
Thanks x
I am really sorry I won’t be able to do another tutorial on this until I’m done writing on my Thesis.. One more week! :)
I hope you understand and I’ll try to give a better explanation of how to build up the sides.
xoxo from Germany,
Vanessa
beautifully done weaving
Made one of these while I was bored at work! I didn’t use string and it turned out pretty good, but I didn’t have pins or paperclips or anything so that made it a little difficult. I ended up using staples in a few strategic places but that made it difficult to pull some parts tight. I also had a hard time folding the tops at first, I wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Eventually I got the hang of it though so I had to make another.…
The second one turned out MUCH better. I used magazine paper, gluing 2 strips together to make it longer, and then only folded into 4ths instead of 8ths and only did an 8×8 base. I also found it quite helpful to use a credit card to really smooth the folds out. Worked wonderfully! (I also had 5 paperclips to work with, helped tremendously!) I love the look of the magazine paper, and I think for the next one I’m going to get colored paperclips and use those to secure the tops instead of using staples.
Anyway, just wanted to share! This is a really fun project!
This was featured on my blog: WouldYouLikeYarnWithThat.blogspot.com! Be sure to stop by and pick up your button!
tooooo cute ^ ^ i love it …
I am on step 5 and have tried every possible weave with every end of newspaper aside from the right one. I keep ending up with a slit down the corner of the bowl that is not weaved together.
please help…
Very neat idea!! I posted a link to this on my blog…thru my pinterest board.
Thanks!
Jennifer @ The Craft Barn
Jennifer recently posted..Crafty Friday — 12÷30÷11
Vanessa you are a creative genius. I simply have to try this one :)
Ellie recently posted..Dealing With Panic Attacks
wow love it! I just saw these at Hobby Lobby…looked like they came from China or Japan. Now I can try making my own..thanks~!
I love this little project! HOWEVER step 5 I’m lost. Instructions are a bit to vague. I’m all twisted up like a pretzel. Not giving up yet though. =) Looking forward to some clarity on weaving the ONE divided side. Start in the middle? Counting from the edge is strip 1? eeks!
LeeChinHo recently posted..a cute and different
I just recently made a little basket out of a grocery sack similar to your basket. I would love to be able to print the directions off without all the comments and such. Do you have a copy of the directions you could just e-mail me. I would like to try making them as my son is getting married in sept and we are looking for ideas like yours to put the candy favors in as their theme is rustic and natural. thanks Sissy
Sissy,
Thank you for your sweet comment. These baskets will be so cute for your sons wedding!
Unfortunately I don’t have the instructions saved in any other way than here. You could copy and paste the instructions to a word-document and print it out from there to keep all the comments from printing out as well. :)
Have a wonderful week!
Vanessa
I featured your newspaper basket in my blog, a Shimmering Star:
Three {Crafty} Ways to Celebrate Earth Day!: http://ashimmeringstar.blogspot.com/2012/04/three-crafty-ways-to-celebrate-earth.html
Thank you for your inspiration!
The diagram really helped me understand the weaving. Thank You. This is a great idea and so practical.
I have always wanted to have a go at this kind of weaving, thank you for the tutorial :)
picperfic recently posted..The Big Day
Ooh this is such a clever and creative idea !! I love it and will definitely be trying it.
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Wow I use to make necklaces kind of like this with paper, and chewing gum wrappers. I’ll have to try this. Thanks for the cool idea!
Oh, how fun! :)
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Joy!
xo! Vanessa
Awesome. I would like to try it with magazine pages. I suppose that would be quite small wouldn’t it?
I think that would look adorable! You could also try and attach two strips of magazine paper to make longer strips if it turns out too small or too tricky to assemble. :)
I hope you’re having a fun day!
xo! Vanessa
hey yours looks amazing but the weaving instructions are still really hard for me to follow! the base is easy but then i get hopelessly lost. i’m going to keep trying though!!
I’m so sorry it’s giving you a hard time.. It’s so hard to explain if you can’t just go ahead and show it first hand. I hope you will get the hang of it after a few more attempts, though. Don’t give up! ;)
Have a wonderful week!
xo from Germany,
Vanessa
Hello, I am a little confused about how you fold the paper. Can anyone explain. Thank you
i review this project on my blog, I had great fun. http://craftycrittercritique.blogspot.co.uk/
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Hallo Vanessa. Ich mag dein Körbchen sehr und habe es bei mir gepostet.
http://schoenstricken.de/2012/09/diy-korbchen-geflochten-aus-zeitungspapier/
Gibt es diese Anleitung eigentlich auch auf deutsch?
Viele Grüße, Jessica
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Ich danke Dir, Jessica!
Leider gibt es bisher keine Anleitung auf Deutsch.. Da die meisten meiner Leser aus englisch-sprachigen Ländern kommen, poste ich ausschließlich auf Englisch. ;)
Ich hoffe Du hattest ein wundervolles Wochenende!
Liebe Grüße,
Vanessa
Wow, yours looks so nice and smoothly finished!
A note for future crafters: I deviated from the instructions and figured I’d give this a try with fewer pieces per side thinking it would make a smaller basket but of relatively equal proportions. NOPE! Mine came out a bit more like a pencil cup than a basket! I used 6 strips per side instead of 10. The weave also has gaps where I split the sides in half to start step 5. The paper just very clearly parts ways there and I can’t see any amount of adjustment closing those gaps. Other than that, the project looks good… :p
The tutorial was relatively easy to follow, anyway. Thanks so much for posting it with lots of pictures for those of us who are bad at following written directions! :)
Oh man, it does look so good, but I’m just not able to assemble the sides. After weaving the edges I got stuck. “Join the 4 sides by weaving them together.” is too few information for me. I tried everything, but the basket doesn’t turn out. I don’t get the sides together :(
Any more hints or some step by step guidance?
Cheers mico
Hi Vanessa,
i thought this little basket is a cute idea for little Christmas presents. I tried with 6 stripes of glossy advertisement-paper. I did NOT work :D
I also think there might be a mistake in the drawing. It almost worked when I inter-weaved the stripes of the SAME side. I hope you understand what I mean. …
Since I am living in northern Germany too, I describe it in German again ;) :
Also, das Ineinander-Weben hat gar nicht funktioniert. 6 recht kurze Streifen von den Werbebeilagen aus Zeitungen waren aber vielleicht auch daran Schuld :D ‘Aus deiner Zeichnung ist zu erkennen, dass du vier Streifen einer Seite mit vier Streifen der anderen Seite verwebst. Das ging bei mir nicht, als ich das versuchte, klabbte sich diese Seite quasi wie ein Deckel über den Boden des Körbchens. Aber wenn ich die 4 Streifen der einen Seite mit den anderen 4 Streifen der gleichen (!) Seite verwebe„ kommt es dem Körbchen nahe! (Wie gesagt, bei mir waren es nur je drei und irgendwie rutschig und kurz, ich starte aber noch einen Zeitungsversuch…)
Herzliche Grüße und schon einmal gesegnete Weihnachten!
This is the second time I’ve been to your site. Thanks for explaining more details.
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I love the project, but will be changing some of your instructions. It is interwoven, not interweaved. The strips are in excess, not access. Since English is not your native language, and we have many strange words and phrases, I hope you won’t take offense at my corrections.
I weave; my item is woven.
I have access to a fine library. (I can get to it)
There is an excess of words in this book. (Too many, or too much; more than is required.)
This is super neat! I’m going to have to make a few for holding items at my flea market booth.
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