Simple Easter Baskets

I got a Wild 'Hare' last night and decided to be the Easter Bunny for my office.  Talk about the last minute... It was at 10:30pm when I sat down to make them.  Good thing they are easy to make.  I made 12 and it took me about 2 hours.  Not too bad.

I am trying to use up a bunch of paper and stuff that I have in my stash.  On this project I used a 9x9 paper pack from The Angel Company called Genevieve and some random brads from American Crafts and Making Memories.  If I had started sooner, I would have inked the edges and used a decorative punch on the handle, etc.  Ah, but alas, I don't often work that way. LOL!

I used some paper moss for the grass in the baskets and punched tags using my scalloped oval punch from Stampin' Up.  Then, I filled them with those little chocolate eggs wrapped in decorative foil.  So cute!  Everyone at the office was surprised and loved them!

Here's how you make them:

1. Cut a 6"x6" square of cardstock paper.  If you use light-weight printed paper, I would glue it to cardstock first to make it thicker.
2. Score the paper at 2" and 4" in both directions on the paper so that you have a 9 square pattern.
3. Then, cut vertically down to the 2" score line at 1", 2", 4" and 5" across the top of the paper.
4. Turn the paper around to the bottom edge and repeat step 3.  Your paper should look like this with the dashed lines scored and the solid lines cut.

5. Next, in the upper and lower squares in the center section of the paper, you are going to cut them into a triangle.  I marked the paper at 3" along the upper and lower edges of the paper and cut from that mark to the intersection of the 2" score line and the 2" cut line as shown here.

6. Now, just fold all the score lines in and start assembling your basket by pulling in the 1" strips on either side of the triangle over to meet up with the point of the triangle.  Then, pull the outter strips in so that they are evenly across from each other.  You can glue them together if you want to keep them from slipping.  Then, punch a hole through all the layers with a Crop-O-Dile or a piercing tool.
7. Insert a brad to hold them together.
8. Cut a 1 1/2" x 6" strip for the handle and punch a hole on either end of the strip centered and about 1/2" from the edge.
9. Insert the brads into the holes on the strip for the handle and spread the brad's prongs.

You're all done!!

I hope you like this project!  Now, go Make Something Cute!  And have a Happy Easter!