Paper vine baskets

Weaving baskets from available tools has always been a popular hobby. Previously, the main material that was used by talented craftswomen was vine. Now it has been replaced by ordinary newspaper tubes.

Paper vine baskets have many advantages.

• They are made from cheap material. You can even weave baskets from used paper and old newspapers.
• Everyone can learn weaving. This hobby is suitable for people of all ages and genders.
• Paper baskets are durable and comfortable. They can be used for more than just home decoration. You can even make a picnic basket or store various household items.
• The finished products look beautiful.

To weave baskets, you need a minimum set of tools:

• knitting needles of the required thickness;
• acrylic or gouache;
• stain;
• varnish;
• glue;
• office knife or scissors.

There is nothing complicated in weaving baskets with your own hands. The whole process can be roughly divided into several main stages.

To begin with, the sheets of paper must be cut into strips of the desired size. Their standard width is 7-8 centimeters. After that, each sheet must be rolled into a tube. To do this, fix its edge at the bottom of the knitting needles, and then twist the paper at an angle.The flatter it is, the longer the tube will be. The other end of the paper strip must be secured with glue. You can use PVA or glue stick.

When all the tubes are ready, you can start processing them. Each of them will need to be painted in the desired color and allowed to dry completely. Many people prefer not to do this and paint the finished product. But if you paint the tubes in advance, then the basket will turn out to be more textured, in addition, you will not see any poorly painted places on it.

You can paint the tubes with gouache and acrylic paint. The second option is preferable because acrylic holds better. It paints over newspaper type very well. In addition, the paint is not washed off with water and does not smudge when the tubes are varnished or stained. For greater strength and elasticity, they are treated with a mixture of PVA, acrylic varnish, water and paint.

After the tubes are completely dry, you can start weaving the basket. The basis for it can be made of cardboard. In this case, the bottom will be more durable. To do this, two circles of the same size must be cut out of cardboard. Further, along the perimeter of one circle, you need to glue the tubes, and grease the second circle with glue and lay on top. The ends of the tubes will be perfectly fixed in this way. This whole structure must be covered with something heavy and left like that overnight.

Next, we raise the racks and weave the base of the basket around them. There are several types of weaving.

• Single. This is the simplest type of weaving. You need to take a free tube and start braiding each stick with it, like a snake. This braid is great for beginners.

• Weaving in rows. This method is not much different from the previous one. The first rows need to be woven in the manner described earlier. Next, the picture must be shifted. This is done very simply. The main tubes that were previously braided must now be left free and vice versa. The pattern needs to be changed every few rows.

• Diagonal braiding. Each new loose tube is attached to a new base stick. Thus, the pattern is constantly shifting diagonally.

When the basket is ready, it must be covered with a layer of primer mixed with PVA glue. This will make it more durable and last longer. After that, you can start decorating it:

• decorate with artificial flowers, ribbons or bows;
• decorate using decoupage technique;
• paint with acrylic paint;
• attach a handle to the basket or make a lid for it.

When everything is ready, the product can be coated with acrylic varnish with a light matte or glossy effect.

Not only a master class, but also beautiful finished products can inspire to weave baskets from a paper vine.

• Easter. The basket, painted in a bright color, looks festive. It is complemented by a comfortable wide handle, which means that such a basket will be convenient to use. If desired, the product can also be decorated with a colored bow.

• Classic. If the product is painted light brown and varnished, it will look no less beautiful than a basket made of vines. You can use it to store everything you need for needlework and other important knickknacks.

In the next video, you will find how to make an Easter basket for eggs and kulich from newspaper tubes.