Going Green with the Challenge Chicks!

It's the first Sunday of March (wow, where did February go?), and that means it's time for some fun with the Challenge Chicks!  This month our hostess is Anna, and she challenged us to go green-as in, recycle or re-purpose!  I trembled at the sight of this theme...I know what these girls can DO and they all can rock a 3D project!

Spring made me think of baskets, which lead me to do a Pinterest search.  Decided on the recycled item of...

NEWSPAPER!

On Pinterest, I found this link to a newspaper basket, originally posted on the website How About Orange.  I set to work weaving my strips. I cut half of a newspaper page (vertically) and folded the strips into quarters.  I think that I prepared about 24 of them.  It helped to glue the edges of the strips each time I folded them so that they didn't pop open.

Once I liked the size of the bottom of the basket, I folded the rest of the edges up and began weaving the sides. 

Here is the completed basket!  I meant to go smaller, but ended up with a basket that is about 8 1/2 inches square!

I decided that I wanted to make my basket "springier," so I painted the outside with Plaid Folk Art Paint in the color "Sky Blue."  I only added one layer of paint because I liked how some of the newspaper text was showing through...also didn't want the paper to become too soggy.

The border around the top is upcycled, too!  My niece got married in 2004 and registered at Pottery Barn.  She got SO many gifts wrapped in that sage colored twill ribbon at her shower.  As I wrote down the list of gifts received, I wrapped up about 5 yards of the leftovers.  I came home and put the baggie in my gift wrap supplies...this is almost the last of it!  I ironed it out and just glued it around the top edge.  

The flower is cut with Papertrey Ink's Big Blooms #3 die with some layered buttons glued to the center. 

The inside is still the newspaper print.  I think that I may keep some of those mini ink pads stacked in here.  The true charm would be to make 2 more of these in different pastel colors and have them lined up on a shelf.  I just don't know if I have the patience to make another one, though!

Edited to add....It IS quite sturdy, Kara!  It would easily hold crafty supplies like ribbon, spools of twine, scrap paper, markers, etc.  It would be even sturdier if I painted the bottom, but I skipped that part ;)!!

Now it's your turn to have some fun sifting through the recycle bin!  Upload your Going Green project at Splitcoaststampers using the keyword CHXMAR13.
Or you can post to your blog and link to our Facebook Page HERE.

Off you go to visit the other chicks!

Anna Wight

Diane Zechman

Jeanne Streiff

Kelli Jo Hull

Lydia Fiedler

Supplies:

Stamps:  none 

Paper:  newspaper

Ink:  none

Other:  newspaper, Plaid Folk Art Paint in Sky Blue, twill ribbon, canvas sheet from Canvas Corp., Papertrey Ink Bloom Builders #3 die, buttons, twine