If you are looking for an easy, inexpensive, unusual project to make, this is it . . . a wastepaper basket made of paper. The idea came from some I saw in a catalog. Those were made of newspaper. I made mine from wallpaper (excellent), gift wrapping paper (not so good), construction paper (fine) and bond paper (good). Size is optional, but for an average basket that will still hold up even though it is made of paper, 12" x 12" is a practical size.
Materials:
five, 12" x 12" squares of paper (figure A)
iron-on vinyl - either high-gloss or matte finish
sewing machine
iron
Steps:
1. Iron vinyl to both sides of each of the paper squares and trim to size.
2. Fold over the top edge of four of the squares and take in a half-inch hem.
3. Place two of the squares together with wrong sides facing (figure B). Starting at the top edge, sew a 1/4-inch seam down one side (figure C) edge to within 1/4 inch of the bottom edge.
4. Place another of the sides next to one of the two sewn together and with wrong sides facing, sew a 1/4-inch seam along the edge, again stopping 1/4 inch before the bottom edge. Continue in this manner until you have all four sides are stitched together (figure D).
5. Fold the bottom edge of one of the sides up as best you can and place it against one side edge of the bottom square with wrong sides facing. Stitch the two together taking in a 1/4-inch hem. Repeat all the way around (figure E). Basket done!
Variations:
- Use decorative scissors for cutting the outside edges.
- Make a basket using brown wrapping paper on two sides and colored construction paper on the other two. Our basket featured black construction paper and stamped wrapping paper.
- Make a desk-sized waste basket to sit on the top of your desk to catch small scraps of paper and the like. Our desktop version was made of bond paper. Seven-year-old Liza Toache made handprints on the sides (figure F).
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