How To

How to Make Your Own Basket Embellishments

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By eHow Contributing Writer
(1 Ratings)
Make Your Own Basket Embellishments
Make Your Own Basket Embellishments

Add a personal touch to your basket by using embellishments. Look around the house for unique materials and objects to use.

From Quick Guide: Basics of Fruit Baskets
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Basket Reeds
  • Buttons
  • Ceramic Beads
  • Flat Hobby Paintbrushes
  • Metal Snuff Can Lids
  • Raffia
  • Scrap Lace
  • Stencil Brushes
  • Stencil Paints
  • Tole Paints
  • Wiggly Eyes
  • Wooden Cutouts
  • Leather Thongs
  • Stencils
  • Acrylic Paints
  • Basswood
  • Beads
  • Felt
  • Glass Beads
  • Water-based Paints
  • Acrylic Paints
  • Wooden Beads
  • Pipe Cleaners
  • X-Acto Knives
  • Beading Needle
  • Needle-nose Pliers
  • Scroll Saws
  • Tin Snips
  • Needle-nose Pliers
  • Tin Snips
  • Stencils
  • Water-based paints
  • Pipe cleaners

    Wood Cutouts

  1. Step 1

    Purchase or cut out your own wood shape from a thin craft wood, such as basswood, found at most hobby stores. A heart, watermelon, teacher's pencil, or sunflower cutouts make cute embellishments for a market or purse basket.

  2. Step 2

    Cut two slits in the middle of the wooden cutout. The slits need to be the width of the weaver used in your basket.

  3. Step 3

    Use a piece of reed 6 inches longer than the width of your wood cutout.

  4. Step 4

    Thread the wood cutout onto the piece of reed leaving about 3 inches of reed on each side of the cutout.

  5. Step 5

    Slide the reed ends under the spokes and over the weaver so the wood cutout is attached to basket.

  6. Cowboy Style

  7. Step 1

    Add a bandana when weaving your melon or egg basket about 2 inches from the God's Eye.

  8. Step 2

    Weave the bandana the same as you would a piece of reed.

  9. Step 3

    Make bells from tobacco can lids. The lids are made from a tin that will make a tinkling sound.

  10. Step 4

    Cut the rim from the can lid so you have a round, flat piece. Wear a leather glove when cutting and curling the tin to prevent cuts.

  11. Step 5

    Cut the flat piece in half.

  12. Step 6

    Use needle-nose pliers to roll the half-round piece into a cone shape.

  13. Step 7

    Leave a small opening at the top to slide a piece of leather into.

  14. Step 8

    Slide a leather thong into the cone top and squeeze shut with needle-nose pliers.

  15. Step 9

    Tie the other end of the leather piece to the bandana with the bells hanging down.

  16. Step 10

    Cluster two or three bells for a nice sound.

  17. Odds and Ends

  18. Step 1

    Use pipe cleaners twisted around a weaver for cat whiskers. This works well on a doorknob basket.

  19. Step 2

    Paint eyes or use large wiggly eyes.

  20. Step 3

    Glue felt triangles for ears and a tongue.

  21. Step 4

    Use tole paint to add "seeds" for your watermelon basket or "petals" falling from your sunflower cutout.

  22. Step 5

    Weave wider birch weavers into your basket to stencil your favorite designs on.

  23. Step 6

    Rough-carve a piece of driftwood into a tiny trout to hang on the side of your driftwood basket.

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