On a tight budget? Just want to create a new and different kind of basket this Easter? Well, prepare to spend pennies on a fabulous basket that will thrill any child or adult. Theyll never know you made it yourself, and best of all, its so much fun to create! Although this is a very messy craft - so maybe not appropriate for young kids - the designer will truly enjoy making a one-of-a-kind basket that the recipient will treasure for years to come.
Decide how large or small you want the basket to be then choose a round balloon which is comparable in size. Blow up the balloon, tie a knot in it, and set it aside for a few minutes. Youll be using crochet string to wrap the balloon. Crochet string can be found at most places that sell sewing supplies. The string is available in many beautiful colors and is very inexpensive. One ball of string will make several baskets.
Old techniques for creating the balloon baskets involve covering the string with dripping glue and attempting to wrap it around the balloon. Having the string sliding off the balloon as you tried to wrap it around wasnt too much fun. Eventually you would get the balloon wrapped, but not in the design you wanted, since your ultimate goal became trying to keep the string on the balloon. The old technique can still be used to create the string basket, but this time, do something different with the glue! Fill the bag with yards of string. Squirt in ordinary white glue but add fabric stiffener to it. The stiffener product can be found at stores that sell sewing supplies. If you have no fabric stiffener you can achieve the same effect by squirting in some wood glue. Wood glue is very stiff and will help the string attach to the balloon. If need be, add a few drops of water to the wood glue, then work it inside the bag until the string is completely covered. Begin wrapping the string around the balloon in no particular pattern. As you pull lengths of string out from the bag squeeze excess glue off of it by squeezing it gently while you pull the string through your finger and thumb. Wrap around and around until the string begins to take the shape of the balloon. When completely finished there should be some gaps between the string; the balloon basket should not be solid. These gaps are necessary not only to reach in and pop the balloon with a needle, but to ultimately create the lacy look of the basket. Make the craft much simpler - albeit still messy - by using spray adhesives instead. Plan to get lots of the adhesive on your hands but it can later be removed with nail polish remover. Spray an area of the balloon and position the string across the area. Spray another area and wrap the string in that direction. Do not lay the balloon down unless its on thick plastic as the balloon will stick to most any surface. Continue spraying and wrapping until youve nearly covered the balloon completely. Again, there should be slivers of balloon showing through the string. When the adhesive is dry to the touch take a needle or pin and pop the balloon. You can retrieve it later. Now youll take scissors or a craft knife and cut an opening in the string. Set the string basket on a flat surface and cut a circle or oval shape at the top. This will become the opening of the basket. Now you can tie a satin ribbon on or even hook a purse strap to it. The string is stiff and will hold quite a lot of weight. Line the basket with Easter grass and fill with goodies. Its easy to make the initial basket then use spray paint to paint it any color you wish. Adorn the basket by gluing on a flat, wooden bunny shape, flat ceramic eggs or similar embellishments. Youll find many Easter trinkets at any craft store. The string basket is cheap, sure, but does that really matter? Since its so beautiful, and so unique, no one really needs to know the cheap part, right?
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