Newspaper baskets

Population: I had good results with this project with adolescents (11-17) who have trauma & drug abuse/use in their backgrounds.
Materials: lots of newspaper, glue sticks, paperclips, acrylic paint & brushes & palettes.
Time needed: at least two sessions (1 hour each), if not longer.
Helpful note: I found out this directive would work great for dyads. Two staff created one basket together the first day of working on this project, which helped control the level of frustration. The second day we worked on baskets together, each person receieved help and this really helped get through the weaving of the first row (that row is the most difficult) and weaving the other rows.

Directions:

Tear large sheets of newspaper in half down the center crease.

Start along the long side and fold about one inch over and over and over until you create a flat reed. Use the glue stick to glue the edge down.

Repeat this to make lots more 'reeds.'

Lay at least three reeds down parallel on surface. Then take another and weave it over and under perpendicular to the ones on the surface. Do this at least three more times. Making a basket less than 3 x 3 is difficult, bigger can be better. Once the base has been created, fold up the sides and make sure the sides are all about even in length. Then once it seems about even, fold each strip up and over the base creating a crease. This helps make the next step easier. A little glue in each corner really helps too.

Take another reed and use a paperclip to secure it to the underneath of a side reed and then weave it over and under all the way around creating the first row on the sides. Having a partner help hold the sides, makes this process less frustrating. At each of the corners, crease the reed. Once you have gotten back to the where you started, tear the reed off leaving enough to overlap the beginning. Remove the paperclip and then glue the reed to itself.

Repeat with other reeds, making sure the next row goes over if the previous row went under and vice versa.

When sides are completed, the left over spokes coming up can be tucked up and under the top row of weaving. It helps to tear it off so that the leftover is only about two weaves long.

Use paint to decorate.

My experience: This project is difficult and frustrating when it doesn't seem to stay together. I would suggest making one yourself so that you understand the difficulties yourself. Some worked through the frustration, some made a second when the first got too frustrating, and some were able to say this is frustrating and ask to color a mandala instead. Having a partner really helps and the pride in making the product is not diminished at all by having someone else help.

Next week, we are going to try an easier version of basket weaving using a bottle as a template. I will post that directive up once I have tried it with my students. I would suggest, as this is what I will do in the future, to do this easier version first. Some of the young adults have done this easier version of weaving previously and said that would have been better to start with.