paper grocery bags into baskets!

[slick]

Finished product:


Okay, all you need is glue, old paper bags from the grocery, clothespins, and scissors.  It's cute, strong, and recycled, and I know all you craftsters can come up with a million cool variations!


1. Cut the bottoms off your paper bags (and handles).  For this project, I think I used 3 bags.  Then cut what's left into (4) 1-inch strips or so horizontally (The size is really up to you, depending on how big you want your basket to be!)  I like to keep the double width of the bag to make it strong and then fold those strips again horizontally, so that I end up with strips that are 4 bags thick.  For this project, I made a total of 9 strips--6 for the bottom, and 3 to weave in the sides:


2.  Place them in a weave--over and under pattern.

Then use the clothes pins to clip all the top edges together.  Fold up where you want your sides to begin (where there's no weave--just strips) and crease that fold.

3.  Begin weaving paper strips around the perimeter in an over-and-under pattern.  When you get to the end of the strip glue it to itself and secure with clothespin until it dries.  Keep going up the basket, securing each strip and gluing its ends:


4.  When all your strips are woven in, make sure everything is tightly woven...keep tugging and arranging until it is. **This the key to happiness**.  Then trim the top edge.  Glue each top piece in place:


5.  Then use one strip over the top edge to finish it, and crease the corners:  

6.  Then use twine of some sort to secure it in place, sewing between the intersections of weave:


That's it!  You're done, and it's ready to store craft supplies!  I've also used them as gift baskets, bill holders, etc.!  

[abricot]

Reminds me of when I used to make baskets with construction paper, but I really love the color of brown bags... and I love the hues that your basket came out with....

Cool

[thixle]

I used to make these to hold fresh picked tomatoes! Believe it or not, they held up the entire season... Man, I miss my garden.

Thanks for posting the instructions, I had forgotten all about that!

[momo]

great idea!

[Jason]

now I know why I was saving all of those whole foods bags (well, besides the way cool handle)  thanks for the tip!

[second-hand-smoke]

oh my gosh! that would make the perfect little trashcan for under my sewing table - and if it got gross you could just toss it and do another. thanks for the great idea! and for saving me the $$ for a trashcan LOL

[begin again]

great idea.  And i love anything that involves weaving- one of those techniques that looks harder than it is. Rah.

[Kar-UH]

Awww, I feel left out, none of the stores in my crappy town paper bags

[peanut]

Awesome instructions!  Thanks!

Unfortunately the only stores where I ever get paper bags are the liquor stores......

[io]

i liked this idea but i didn't have any paper bags (the only ones we ever get are from the market and covered in any fruit that didn't make it home), so i made one from old newspaper. i am going to give it a coat of varnish at some point because newsprint stains anything it touches.