Kids ECO Camp: Woven Newspaper Basket

Kids ECO Camp: Woven Newspaper Basket

Give your old newspapers a new and fulfilling life by turning them into a beautiful basket! Use this video tutorial to learn how to upcycle newspaper with a weaving technique to create a useful woven basket.

Materials:

  • Newspaper 
  • Wooden Skewer
  • Craft Glue
  • Elmer’s Glue
  • Bowl

Step 1: Use the wooden skewers as a guide to roll up pages of a newspaper. For the base of the basket, eight rolled up pages of newspapers are needed.

Step 2: After rolling up each piece, take the wooden skewer out of the newspaper roll.

Step 3: For each rolled up piece, glue down the paper after rolling it, making it tight so that it does not unravel.

Step 4: Lay down two rolled newspaper pieces vertically (pointing towards your body) next to each other.

Step 5: Take two more pieces and lay them on top of the first two horizontally (parallel to the table’s edge)

Step 6: The fifth and sixth pieces of rolled paper can be laid down vertically next to the first and second, while on top of the third and fourth pieces.

Step 7: The last two rolled newspaper pieces of the base of the basket are woven under the first two and over the fifth and sixth pieces. These will lay horizontally.

Step 8: Lift up each rolled piece to secure the middle of the basket with glue. 

Step 9: Put a dab of glue on one end of one rolled piece of paper and connect it with another.

Step 10: Fold at the part where the two newspaper rolls are connected. Bend it over one of the four sets of four rolls sticking out. It should look like a “v” shape or chopsticks now.

Step 11: Using the long newspaper roll that was connected, take one end of the closest to the set of four and bend it over those four.

Step 12: Take the other end and bend it under those four. Think of this motion as under and over.

Step 13: Once the roll gets wrapped around once, start weaving the rest of the connected piece through two pieces instead of four.

Step 14: Weave one end under two and over two.

Step 15: Wave the other end over two and under two.

Step 16: Repeat until the roll is done and connect two more pieces with glue to make the roll long again.

Step 17: Repeat steps 14, 15, and 16 until the circle that is being made by weaving gets bigger. Continue weaving but now only weave under and over one piece sticking out.

Step 18: Continue to weave under and over alternating which piece is under and which is over. Now take your bowl and place it upside down on the table with the woven pattern on top. This will help form the bowl shape as you keep weaving.

Step 19: Flip the bowl right side up and continue weaving under and over one piece of rolled newspaper. The rolls should be sticking up towards you now. As you get to the top, secure with glue.

Step 20: Trim the pieces sticking up where you want to stop.

Step 21: Apply glue to the basket with a paintbrush, similar to using mod podge. Congratulations! The woven basket is completed and can now hold items! 

*Optional: Create a Handle for the Basket*

Step 1: A piece of wire can be the structure for the newspaper rolls.

Step 2: Make four or five rolled up pieces of newspaper to create the handle.

Step 3: Twist around the wire and put a dab of glue every so often to secure it.

Step 4: Cut off any excess and bend to form the handle.

Step 5: Attach the handle by using glue or tape.

Learning and Discussion Questions:

Basket weaving with newspaper strips is a technique of the new age. It descends from a practice of weaving with natural materials found in nature in many parts of the world.

A. Woven baskets were used to carry goods that were traded by early explorers. Techniques found in Asian baskets can be found in European baskets because of this trade of goods by explorers. Many African and European traditions ultimately made their way to the Americas, including basket weaving. 

B. Visit this website to learn more about the unique techniques and history of basket weaving: History of Basket Weaving

Thank you to our sponsor, PNC Arts Alive!, for helping to make this video possible!

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