Egg basket

This egg basket was made using a plastic mayonnaise jar, scraps of fabric, and a wire hanger. I also used a knife, utility scissors, wire cutters, needle nose pliers, and a crochet hook with an eye on the end like they use for making rugs. The techniques used are weaving (of course) and macrame.







First, I cut the screw band off the top of the mayonnaise jar as close as possible leaving as much jar as I could. It does not matter if your cuts are perfectly straight.















Second, I used the utility scissors to cut the jar in parallel lines approximately 1/2 inch apart.


















Third, fan out the strips. The jar wants to maintain its shape, but it is too difficult to work with it like this. The best method I came up with is to push the strips down one by one while applying pressure at the base of the strip on the bottom of the jar with your other hand. Keep going around and pressing until the jar looks like the picture to the left.





Fourth, tear, or cut, fabric into strips about 2 inches wide. Working from the inside, slip a strip of fabric in between two of the plastic strips leaving a tail about 2 inches long on the out side of the jar.










Fifth, use the weaving technique going inside then outside as you move around the jar. I held the fabric strip with my right hand and with my left hand I pressed the plastic strips down, turned the base of the jar counterclockwise, and pulled the fabric in with the tips of my fingers.







1. cut slits in the end of both the one that is attached to the basket, and the one you are joining on. This slit should be about 3/4" long and no closer than 1/2" from the end.

2. Slip the end of the strip attached to the basket through the slit cut in the new piece.

3. Slip the other end of the new piece through the slip in the piece that is attached to the basket.

4. Pull the strip through the slit.


Pull tight on both strips (but not so tight that the fabric tears through). This makes a fast, easy joining that does not involve sewing, and is not nearly as bulky as a knot.

Continue weaving in and out til you reach about one inch from the top.







Sixth, secure the fabric strip in place with a pin so it won't unravel your work. Bend the plastic strips down over the last row of fabric. That means if the fabric strip is on the inside of the strip, bend plastic to the inside over the fabric strip, if the weave is to the outside, bend plastic to the outside covering fabric. Use needle nose pliers to pinch the fold of the plastic, then tuck the tail of the plastic under the fabric strip on the previous row.

Seventh, thread the tail end of the fabric strip through the eye of the rug hook needle (a bodkin or other elastic guide could also be used).Wrap the fabric strip over the top, covering the top of a plastic strip. Push needle through the basket between plastic strips under two rows of weaving and pull it tight. Work all the way around the basket in one direction, then reverse direction and wrap all the way around again in the same manor. This will insure the bent down portion to the plastic strips are secure and the basket won't come apart when weight is put in the basket.

Eighth, open up the coat hanger (mine is a red plastic covered hanger) and use wire cutters to cut it in half. Use needle nose pliers to turn down both ends. Tie two fabric strips together with a square knot leaving tails of about 6 inches. Slip knot under the bent down portion of one end of the wire. Use pliers to pinch the wire down. This will hold the knot securely. Use macrame technique to cover the wire.

Shape the handle, put the handle ends to the inside of basket and feed tails through the basket making sure that you go around one plastic strip. Tie securely with a square knot. weave tails in.

Decorate with ribbon bows if desired (I used hot glue to attach this bow). These baskets are a good projects for kids to help with. They can be made for Easter, or for other occasions. For instance, you could use red and green fabric and make Christmas baskets, use the person's favorite color and make baskets for Birthdays, or Mother's Day or just a thank you gift . If you fill the basket with cookies or some other goodies you make yourself it will make it all that much more special.

Basket made with Recycled Jeans

This is an Easter basket that I made from the flat fold seams of my son-in-law's old jeans. I cut all the double sewn seams off the jeans, including the ones that go across the back yoke that has the little red wrangler tab that you can see in the bottom picture.This basket took two pair of jeans to make. When cutting the seams out, I leave about 1/4 inch of material on both sides of the seam. I also used both waist bands. On one I left the belt loops attached to the top of the waist band and used a seam ripper to rip them loose from the pants before I cut the waist band off the pants with the extra 1/4 inch of fabric.


To start, with the right side of the seam facing up. I pulled a 4 inch length around and butted it up against each other. I Started at the loop end and, using a wide zig-zag stitch, I began sewing the two together. The hardest part is the first turn. Just keep the seam as flat as possible and turn the corner making sure that the zig-zag stitch is catching fabric on both sides. Continue in this fashion, going around both ends until you come to the end of the first piece. Then just butt the next piece up next to the last one and keep zig-zagging until the bottom is as large as you want it. At that point, pull slightly on the piece that is being attached and continue. This pulling will make the sides start to take shape. When you run thru all the pieces of flat fold seams, use scissors to taper the end of the last piece so it has a smooth rather than an abrupt end. Now, put the waist band on. Attach the waist band with the loops (I cut the snaps and or buttons and holes off first)to the top of the basket in the same manor as before, trim to insure that the two ends butt up against each other. Zig-zag waist band together. Use the other waistband to make the handle. First, fold it in half length wise and sew (with straight stitch). Next, fold it in half and attach the folded side to the basket. Then, twist the two like a rope (twist just enough to make the handle hold its shape, if you twist too much, the handle won't stand up) and attach to the other side of the basket. Use hot glue and attach the loose ends of the belt loops to the basket. Decorate with ribbon thru the belt loops and a large bow. Flowers or other decorations could also be used, it's up to you.