Make Your Own Easter Basket!

We hear a lot these days about 'going green' and 'save the environment'.

Some may be tired of hearing these things. This fun project is a 'green' project.

However, I made this many years ago 'BEFORE' green was something more than just a color.

Once I month I go to Kirsten's class and show them how to do a 'hands on' project. Next month we will be making these fun Easter baskets. (This will be precut for them.) For those who are 'green minded' they will like this because (except for the brads to hold on the handle) it is 100% recyclable! When I made this project years ago the cardboard egg cartons were smoother and I had a place to staple the handle on. Today the egg carton has made some changes, much rougher, and more biodegradable. So you work with what you've got! I had to use brads to keep the handle on.

Easter Basket - How to...

2 cardboard egg cartons - 1 dozen egg size

poster board

tissue paper

colored paper or construction paper

or whatever paper you want to use

2 brads

glue

stapler

1-Cut off the lids of your egg cartons and discard.

2-Take the two egg cartons and gently bend them slightly into an arch. Staple the ends of the cartons together to make a circle. If some of the carton pops a hole around the egg cup area it is okay. It can be covered up with the tissue paper flowers.

3-Cut a round circle from poster board (or whatever you have). The circle will be close to an 8-inch circle.

4-Put glue around the entire bottom of the egg carton circle and place on cardboard circle. This makes the bottom of your Easter basket. You made want to put something on top to lightly weigh down the circle so it stays glued to the basket.

5-Cut a handle 1-1/4-inch wide and 13-inches long from poster board (or whatever you have). Decorate your handle with crayons, pens or stickers. Punch a hold at each end of the handles. I clip the corners off each end of the handle.

6-Punch a hole on each side of your basket. I punched the hole where there was a small diamond shape along the top of the egg carton.

7-Tissue paper flowers-You will make 24 paper flowers-Cut pieces of colored tissue paper into 4-inch squares. Layer two pieces and put a pencil in the center and twist from the bottom (or just do it with out a pencil). There are 24 egg cups so you will need 48 tissue squares. Make a circle of glue half way down each cup. Press the tissue flowers inside each cup.

8-Put the handle on your basket with the two brads.

9-Use shredded paper for basket filler. Put in plastic eggs, etc. You're done! :o)