How To: Make a Newspaper Basket

This newspaper basket triggers flashbacks to elementary school, where we wove (hundreds! thousands!) of paper place mats for our school's tap dance recital. Since then we've shied away from the craft, but seeing this reminded us of the easy utility of recycled newspaper.

Call us lazy, but this is about the level we're at for making a holdall basket: without the patience to tightly coil the newspaper or the skill to knit, felt or build out of wood or metal, this is right at our level.

How About Orange has the complete how-to, and as one commenter there pointed out, once you're done with the basket, it's painless to recycle it.

Comments (14)

What a cute idea! Too bad we don't get the newspaper... we do have lots of magazines sitting around though!

http://thebluepearlgirl.blogspot.com

posted by EWood on June 10th 2009 at 2:49pm
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The basket is cute, but a tap dance recital in elementary school??? I would've loved that! The most we ever had was some religious-themed play that droned on endlessly.

posted by mmepatty on June 10th 2009 at 3:00pm
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Reminds me of the camp mats we used to make in Girl Scouts...weaving newspaper strips together and then covering them with cut-up table cloth.

posted by clampers on June 10th 2009 at 3:04pm
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I like that it has random information wrapped into it.

posted by Rebecca_J on June 10th 2009 at 3:42pm
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Pre-K nap mat.

posted by bromeliad on June 10th 2009 at 3:53pm
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I like it. I'd love to try it with the Sunday comics pages.

posted by insanity_pepper on June 10th 2009 at 4:04pm
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What a great idea. I work for a newspaper and will start getting the strips started tomorrow. You could also make cute gift baskets with the same idea. Colored bows or ribbon would also be a great add.

posted by baileyb on June 10th 2009 at 4:55pm
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I've been looking for something greener to save my Saturday newspapers in between trips to the recycle bin. (Those blue boxes are plastic after all.) This is perfect, and cute enough that I don't need to hide it in the closet.

posted by catspajamas on June 10th 2009 at 6:29pm
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This reminds me of easter baskets that I used to weave out of construction paper when I was a kid.

posted by suzy8track on June 10th 2009 at 9:27pm
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I love these cheap do it yourself projects.

posted by birdablaze on June 11th 2009 at 12:21am
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It is cute, but I'd be careful about using it as a gift basket because newsprint smears.

posted by Charlotte on June 11th 2009 at 3:47am
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Charlotte-- believe it or not, if you iron the paper with a low temp and no steam, it smudges a lot less and often not at all. Also, you could spray it with a spray acrylic from the craft store which will keep it from smudging as well.

posted by Domestic Intellectual on June 12th 2009 at 11:50am
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Hmmm when I have more free time I might try this...my kitten loves to play with my other baskets lol...at least I won't feel bad if she eats this one :P

posted by alisaan on June 12th 2009 at 9:51pm
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Most newspapers have converted to inks that do not smear (and don't make you sneeze!).

posted by SunnyBlue on December 27th 2009 at 12:08am
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