Free Christmas Crafts
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Victorian Icing Cards
Juice Lid Christmas Card Ornaments
Spherical Christmas Ornaments from Cards
How to Make a Christmas Card Basket from Recycled Christmas Cards
Copyright © 2006-2008 Jane Lake All Rights Reserved
This recycled Christmas card project is one that many people remember from the past, but they are just not quite sure of how it was done - so here are the complete instructions to make a recycled card basket from old Christmas cards.
This project is more time consuming than I expected, although our free printable pattern will make it a little easier for you. I would suggest cutting out all the card pieces, then settling down to finish the rest of the project while watching your favourite Christmas movie.
The finished card basket is surprisingly sturdy and would look lovely on a hall table filled with scented pine cones or potpourri.
Christmas Card Basket
Supply list:
~ 14 used Christmas cards
~ white glue
~ yarn in Christmas colors
~ computer and printer with paper~
printable pattern
~ yarn needle
~ small but sharp-pointed scissors, sharp awl or similar item to poke holes through two cards glued together
~ optional: crochet hook
Recycled Card Basket
Instructions:
Print the two free printable pattern pieces and cut them out. Trace around the patterns on the back of two old Christmas cards and cut out these patterns to use as templates.
Note: If you don't have a computer printer, you could make your own paper patterns by drawing your own version - each large pencilled square equals one inch, so draw a 1" grid then copy our pattern.Trace around your templates, then cut out 12 sides and 2 bottom pattern pieces from the front of old Christmas cards. Try to center the nicest part of the card pictures in the middle of each piece.
Glue two sides together, with the pictures facing outwards on each side; do the same for bottom pieces. Let the glue dry.
Perhaps the hardest part of this project is poking holes all around the edge of each pattern piece. These are sewing holes used to frame each piece with blanket stitch. I used a large needle to create the holes at first, but then found the sharp tip of some small steel scissors worked better for me. You could also try the tip of small awl.
Make the holes about 1/4 inch apart and about 1/4 inch from the edge. Take your yarn and sew a blanket stitch all around each pattern piece. The illustration at right shows how to sew a blanket stitch.
When you have finished edging with blanket stitch, begin sewing all the side pieces to the bottom, then sewing all the sides together.
Your Christmas card basket is now complete. However, if you know how to crochet, you could finish off the top edge with one row of single crochet.
I love this little basket! Do you have the pattern for larger star shape doorstop that you could set on any side ? it was made from cards cut in a diamond shape and put together with staples ?
I have been trying to find a pattern to make a basket from used
Christmas cards fo a long time. Thank you so much for your contribution.
The easiest way to punch the holes is on a sewing machine, using a #16 needle and the basting stitch as the spacing. Use the edge of your presser foot to get the uniform distance from the edge and remember to clean the machine often!
Thanks for sharing this pattern. I have for some time been looking for a similar pattern for making a sewing basket with a lid out of greeting cards and I think I can adapt this pattern.
Wow!!! I've been looking everywhere for these. My great-grandmother used to make them. I have one now that is at least 30 years old. It is so beautiful. I have pictures of mine at threebordercolliesandapurse.blogspot.com
Shelly - I too had trouble getting the curved sides to fit right. I have patterns for a lot of these baskets/bowls. Saw your cloth "bucket" on your blog - looks similar to one I make that is a scrap bag/pin cushion that hangs on your sewing table or wherever. Mine has straps and a square pin cushion filled with sawdust. What do you use the "bucket" for?
I had long wanted to find a pattern for Christmas card baskets--I had remembered them at both grandmothers' homes. I was so excited to find this on line. My mother, who is 80 has started production. I'm looking forward to crafting them during our long winters. A friend saw the ones Mom is making and said her mother had one with a lid on it!! Thank-you so much. I'm a great recycler, and could not bear to put the cards in the recycle bin. I think I will make some gift tags, also!
I tried to print the directions for the basket. Some of the pages have print over print.
Could you e-mail the directions.
Thank you
Lenora,
Did you use the Printer Friendly link at the bottom on the project? Just refresh the page, let it load completely, and try that. It should work.
Thank you so much for this pattern!! My husband and I love to go to historic Waynesville, OH to the antique shop district and I saw an old one of these and was just fascinated with it and thought "I can make one of these!" I was hoping I would find the pattern online and you came to my rescue! Now I am so excited about making my own and I loved the comment about using a coffee filter as a liner and putting cookies in it! I can't wait to make one! Thank you so much!
