Plastic Jug Easter Basket

Free Craft Project

This plastic jug easter basket is so simple but it's such a great addition to any holiday festivities. Make one or make several to give to friends and family members.

Materials

Clorox jug (or similar plastic round gallon jug)
ruler
cloth tape measure
marker
craft (utility) knife
scissors
2 wire twisties (or string)
glue and/or glue gun
1/2" wide ribbon (or fabric strips, construction paper, etc. - see Step #7)
decorative lace trim (see Step #10)

Instructions

1. Rinse jug thoroughly and let dry.

2. With a ruler standing on end, place marks all around the jug approx. 4-5 inches up from the bottom. Connect marks into one solid line all the way around.

3. With a craft knife, make a slit along the seam of the jug, starting on the marked line and cutting upward. Use scissors to cut all around the line, removing the top portion of the jug.

4. Using a tape measure, mark one inch intervals all the way around the top edge of the "basket". Stand the ruler on end and draw vertical lines (at each and every mark) down the sides of the jug to within one inch of the bottom (to create "slats"). Cut each of these lines with scissors. Make certain you don't cut farther than one inch from the bottom.

5. Punch two holes (one above the other and 1/2" apart) at the top of two slats on opposite sides of the jug (to secure the handle in Step 6). With the exception of these two slats, carefully cut each of the others in half vertically (so the slats are now 1/2" wide).

6. Out of the leftover top, cut a 1 inch wide strip however long you would like the handle of the basket to be. Punch two holes (one above the other and 1/2" apart) at each end of this strip (to secure the handle to the basket).

7. Weave 1/2" wide ribbon in and out of your slats, one row at a time, securing the ends as you go. Make certain you alternate each row of ribbon... one row inside a slat, the next row outside the same slat... this will give you the "weaved basket" effect.

Use whatever decorative colors you would like, perhaps alternating between colors as you work your way up the basket (you can also use strips of colored construction paper or fabric strips).

8. When you reach the holes you punched in the two opposite slats, attach the handle to the basket with wire twisties (or string). Then continue to weave the ribbon to the top edge.

9. Wrap the entire handle with ribbon, overlapping the edges as you go, and securing both ends with glue.

10. Place small dots of glue around the outside top edge of the basket and then secure lace trim all the way around. Fill the basket with Easter grass.