Tutorial: Crepe Paper Easter Baskets

Lovely crepe paper Easter baskets! These frilly pails look lovely grouped together for a centerpiece, and make sweet packages for gifts.  Imagine walking into work and seeing one of these on your desk!

They are made out of food takeout containers - the wide paper cup kind that restaurants use for soup.  I got a big stack of them for under $4 at a restaurant supply store, and they had several different sizes.  The ones I'm using in this tutorial are 3 7/8 in diameter, and 4 inches tall.

Step 1: Most crepe papers come in folds about 20 inches wide and a couple yards long. Without unfolding the crepe paper, cut off a 5 inch section.  Unfold it, and you'll have a nice long strip.  Cut a second section, this one should be about 4 inches.

Step 2: Now you get to make frilly ruffles with your paper strips.  I'm using a sewing machine, set on a basic fairly wide straight stitch.  Use your hands to pre-gather the paper and then run it on through the machine, stitching right down the middle of your paper strip.  If you don't have a sewing machine you can do this part with a long needle and some thread by just doing a running stitch, and gathering by hand. You should end up with something like the lower photo in step two.

Step 3: The handle.  I'm using a wired tinsel cord which is a beautiful pewter shade.  I sell it in the shop if you'd like to have some.  You could also use wire wrapped in ribbon, pipe cleaners twisted together, or twisted paper cord.  Cut an 18 inch length, bend it into a horseshoe shape, and use a dot of hot glue to attach it to the outside of the container on both sides.

Step 4: Take your 4 inch wide ruffle, and cut a length that with just cover the inside of your container.  Run some hot glue about 1/2 inch inside the lip of the container, and press the ruffle into place.

Step 5: Take your 5 inch ruffle, and line up the top of it with the top of the ruffle you've already put inside the container.  It's ok if the bottom hangs past the bottom of the container.  Run a stripe of glue about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the container, and press the ruffle into place. Once you've covered the entire container once, just continue by gluing the ruffle over the previous layer.  My ruffle went around the container about twice. Finish it up by running a strip of glue along the entire end of the ruffle and press.

Step 6: Use your scissors to clean up that bottom edge, clipping flush with the bottom of the container. Cut a length of tinsel cord long enough to wrap around the container.  Cover the stitches, and either twist the ends, or glue to hold it in place.

I decorated my finished easter baskets with ribbons, doilies, millinery stamens, flowers, and leaves in all sorts of pretty pastels, and I think they look great!  Fill the container halfway with shredded paper, or some other nice cushioning material and fill it with the treats or goodies of your choice!

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