Things You'll Need:
- Balsa wood sticks (1/8 x 1/8-inch)
- Exacto knife or other fine sharp cutting instrument
- Wood glue
- Natural packing material (see Resources)
- Mini craft gourds and pumpkins, ideally 1 to 2 inches in diameter
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Step 1
Cut the balsa wood sticks into 2-inch lengths. Adjust this measurement slightly depending on the size of your mini gourds.
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Step 2
Assemble crates from the balsa wood lengths. Create two squares with the sticks. Allow them to dry for a few minutes, then use them as the top and bottom edge of a cube, using more lengths of balsa to join them. Finally, on two opposite sides of the cube, add one more horizontal length of balsa to finish the crate. The other opposing sides are left open to pull the napkin through.
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Step 3
Use two lengths of balsa wood to create a bottom for your crate. It does not need to be fully covered. You just need a surface to which you can glue some raffia.
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Step 4
Put a dot of glue on each of the bottom slats. Take a pinch of raffia straw and fluff it out a bit, then pat it onto the glue spots.
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Step 5
Create a middle slat for the gourd to sit on. This will ensure that you have enough room to pull the napkin through the finished ring. Once you have let the middle slat dry for a few minutes, glue the mini gourd into place by dotting glue onto each slat that will touch the gourd.
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Step 6
Allow all of the gourd basket napkin rings to dry for 24 hours before using. Fold the napkin in half and pull the middle through the crate, below the gourd.
