Diagonal Weave Catalog Basket - Cylinder Shaped

Time to put those mail order catalogs to a new practical use!

Step 1: Supplies Needed

1 mail order catalog
Scissors or paper cutter
Something to use to pry staples open
Plastic bottle (the size of the bottle will determine the diameter of your finished basket) from this example I used a large medicine bottle, but you could use a soup can or even something much larger like an empty bleach or vinegar bottle.
Glue stick and a bottle of craft glue
1 sheet card stock or poster board
pen to trace with
Optional:
small clothes pins
utility knife to cut bottle to use as a liner for your basket

Step 2: Step 1

Open catalog to center seam and carefully remove staples.

Step 3: Step 2

With paper cutter or scissors, cut pages in half the long way to create strips.

Note: after you have made a few of these baskets you might want to cut strips of varing widths to add interest to the woven pattern.

Step 4: Step 3

Fold bottom long edge of strip in half to touch top edge.
Open up the strip and fold bottom edge to touch the center fold.
Fold the crease at the bottom edge up to center.

Step 5: Step 4

Rotate strip 180° and fold the “new” bottom edge up to center
Then fold again to center.
Now fold the whole strip in half creasing well.

Step 6: Step 5

Find the center crease line (at pen point in illustration)  and fold the top part of the strip down so the outer edge touches the crease. The new crease will be folded at a 45° angle causing the top ½ of strip to form a 90° angle with bottom half.

(scissors not required -I just needed a weight to keep strip flat and folded for the photo)

Step 7: Step 6

Fold the top part again and glue to secure. Glue stick works just fine for this. Put a weight on the fold or clip with a clothespin until dry. Make a whole bunch of these. (I used 13 strips to make the basket shown on page 1)

Step 8: Step 7

While glue is setting, trace bottom of the bottle 2 times and cut out both of the circles. Set aside.

Don't cut the bottle yet even though It is shown that way in this photo. (forgot to document this step and had to take photo after I had finished the project.)

Step 9: Step 8

Lay the strips out as shown, building with new strip over top of previous and offset to just above and right. (ignore the one with the clothespin on it)

Step 10: Step 9

New strips are added just above and to the right of last. Fold back every other of the strips that go across, when you place in the new strip to create the over/under patern.
Continue to add strips weaving them over then under the strips across the top.
You may want to use your glue stick between the strips to keep them from coming apart. 
If desired, secure with clothes pins till glue sets.

Step 11: Step 10

Continue weaving in the strips until the top edge is long enough to just wrap around your bottle.  This can be done free-form, but using a bottle will provide some structure and make it easier to weave in the loose ends.

Step 12: Step 11

Weave in the loose ends.
The first picture shows me holding back alternate strips from the “lower” side to make it easier to lay in the next strip from the “upper” side.

Step 13: Step 12

When all strips are woven in, put one of the paper circles on the bottom of the bottle. Apply a generous amount of craft glue.

Step 14: Step 13

Fold the strip ends over the bottom, adding more glue as needed.

Step 15: Step 14

Glue the second circle over the first and all of the strip ends to create a finished look. Put a weight on it til dry (I used a pillar candle)

Step 16: Step 15

All done!  Remove bottle. You can then cut it shorter using a craft knife to create a “liner” for your basket. This adds stability and protection from the things you store in it. This size basket would make a great pen and pencil holder and the liner would protect the basket from sharp points and leaky pens.

Shown with liner next to an identical bottle with a cut line drawn on it.

Vary the diameter of your bottle (maybe a bleach or vinegar bottle for a wide basket). Height will be controlled by the length of the strip (yes you could glue strips together for greater height)

I’ve also wrapped these weavings around other shapes of containers (think square or rectangular boxes)