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Welcome to Day 4 of our 10-day Newspaper Activities series. Today I’m going to share with you how I made my very own newspaper basket. Newspaper baskets seem all the rage these days but at prices in the store of $10 and up, I much prefer this easy next-to-free do-it-yourself option. Besides that, it makes a great activity for the older elementary student who wants to learn the basics of basket weaving. All you need to complete this activity is a couple day’s worth of newspaper and a stapler. That’s it!
1. To begin, cut off the folded edge of a sheet of newspaper.
2. Fold a single half sheet of newspaper in half lengthwise.
3. Fold the newspaper in half lengthwise again.
4. Fold the newspaper in half lengthwise for a third time.
5. Fold the outer edges to the middle of the fold lengthwise like you were going to make an airplane.
6. Fold the newspaper in half a final time. At this point, all exposed edges should be inside the final fold.
7. Continue to create your newspaper strips until you have about 20 or so. You can always make more or less as you go depending on how big you want to make your basket.
8. Next begin weaving the newspaper from the center outward.
9. When you have decided that the bottom of the basket has reached your desired length and width, fold your exposed strips to a 90 degree angle. Weave in horizontal strips to complete the sides, stapling or hot-gluing as you go so as to hold the strips in place. When you are finished you can always remove the staples if you find them distracting.
10. If your strips are not long enough, just tuck the beginning of a new strip behind the end of the old strip and keep going.
11. When the basket is as tall as you would like, cut the exposed strips to create a level edge. Staple the strips along the edge to hold the newspaper strips in place.
12. Now take another strip and fold it over the top of the basket to cover the exposed edges. Staple or hot-glue as necessary.
That’s it! Now you just have to figure out where to put your latest creation. For me, I now have a home for our remotes. Until this basket, those things have been wandering around for ages!
Be sure to come back tomorrow for some newspaper education ideas. Who needs a textbook or workbook when you have a newspaper at your door.
Note: This post is in conjunction with iHomeschool Network’s Hopscotch Blog Hop. Join us October 15-26 for over 300 posts full of homeschooling activities, advice, Biblical encouragement, and much more! Be sure to visit the link below to see the full line up and enter for your chance to win some amazing prizes! And then, don’t forget to come back tomorrow for some more Newspaper Fun!
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26
