Basket Made With Paper Strips

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To make an attractive basket, cut strips of tough paper about 1/2 an inch wide and about 12 inches long. Weave the base of the basket by the over-under method. Use an even number of strips, and allow their ends to extend on all sides. When you have a base of the desired size, push the strips close together and bend them upward at right angles to the bottom. Then take a long strip and weave in and out of these up-standing strips. Crease the corners. Now finish this process be weaving far enough around the second time to tuck the end in securely. The first strip woven in should be pushed down to close to the bottom. Each time around to be sure that you go outside the spokes passed inside the last time around. When the desired number of rounds have been made, leave the two middle up-standing spokes on each side. Cut the others so that they extend above the weaving a length nearly twice the width of a strip. Now bend each spoke down so that it weaves into the basket and the end disappears. To strenghten the edge of the basket, weave a second strip around, on top of the last one, before the spokes are turned down. To make the handle, braid the four remaining spokes so that they interlock. Then bind the handle with another strip winding it around and around, and fasten the ends securely. The basket is now ready for putting flowers in it.