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How to make hearts

How to Make Heart Baskets

Making heart baskets requires a few simple materials and follows a relatively straightforward process. You'll need paper in your desired colors, a template to ensure the correct shape, and scissors for cutting. Then, the pieces are woven together to create the finished basket. Follow the steps below for an overview of how to make a heart basket.

What You Need

To get started on making heart baskets, you'll only need a few simple materials, which you probably already have at home. Here's what you need:

• Glossy paper (or other desired paper)
• Scissors
• Glue stick (for attaching the handle)
• Wax paper/cardboard/carbon paper

The Template is Important

Before you start weaving, you need to choose a template. On our website, you’ll find a large selection templates, including a simple 9-stripe basket that we recommend for beginners or as a quick refresher.This is also used in the weaving example example below.

The template is essential for creating a successful heart basket. It ensures the basket has the right shape and that the strips fit together precisely during weaving. Without an accurate template, it can be challenging to achieve a symmetrical and even result, especially for baskets with complex designs.

The size of the template depends on its use. Smaller baskets are great as decorations or small gifts, while larger baskets can hold more and be used as decorative elements. For standard baskets, you can start with a square of 8x8 cm and adjust as needed.Remember to add a Weaving addition to avoid the basket being too tight during weaving.

Cut Out the Basket

Choose two different colors of paper for your basket. Cut out two rectangles approximately 10 x 26 cm in each color. If you want to add a handle, you can adjust the size by making one of the rectangles slightly wider, for example, 12 x 26 cm.

1. 1

   Choose two different colors of paper for your basket. Cut out two rectangles approximately 10 x 26 cm in each color. If you want to add a handle, you can adjust the size by making one of the rectangles slightly wider, for example, 12 x 26 cm.
2. 2

   Fold each rectangle in half along the short side, as indicated with a dashed line on the template in step 1. Make sure the colored side faces outward when you fold.
3. 3

   Trace the pattern from your chosen template onto your basket. This can be done in several ways:

   • Carbon paper
   • Wax paper
   • Paper and pencil

   Remember to draw the basket handle. It can be as tall as the basket itself. Also, make sure the bottom of the template is along the folded side of the paper.
4. 4

   Cut out both pieces along the drawn lines. To save time and ensure both basket pieces are exactly the same, you can place the papers inside each other and cut them simultaneously. This is only possible if the basket has...symmetrical pattern.
5. 5

   When finished, you should have two basket pieces in different colors, both with a closed bottom, and a handle in the desired color. Now you're ready for weaving!

Weave the Basket

This section shows you how to weave the basket after cutting out and preparing the pieces. There are various ways to assemble a heart basket, but here we present a simple and effective method you can follow.

1. 1

   Take out the two cut-out parts of the basket. To make the instructions clear, we have labeled strips on the white basket with the letters A, B, and C, and on the red basket with the numbers 1, 2, and 3.
2. 2

   Place the red basket on top of the white one so that the semicircle of the white basket is closest to you. This provides a good starting position for weaving.
3. 3

   Place the white C-strip on top of the red basket. Ensure that the white C-strip covers the entire red 1-strip. If the C-strip does not span the entire red strip, the basket may become too tight, leaving insufficient space to complete the weaving. To avoid this, you can add extra length to the strips by cutting them slightly longer.
4. 4

   Start with the white C-strip. Open the red strip 3 and pull the white C-strip through it.
5. 5

   Continue by opening the white C-strip and pulling the red 2-strip through it.
6. 6

   The final step for the white C-strip is to pull it through the red strip 1.
7. 7

   Now move on to the white B-strip. Place it on top of the red strips in a starting position, as you did with the white C-strip earlier. In the next steps, we will repeat the process from steps 3-5, but in reverse order.
8. 8

   Start with the white B-strip. Open the white C-strip and pull the red strip 3 through it.
9. 9

   Continue by pulling the white B-strip through the red strip 2, and finally, pull the red strip 1 through the white B-strip. When you finish with the white B-strip, you should have two colors according to the pattern shown in the image.
10. 10

    Complete the weaving with the white A-strip. Before you begin, it may be helpful to tighten the basket slightly by pulling the white B- and C-strips as far toward the red semicircle as possible. This will give you more space when weaving in the white A-strip. If it is difficult to weave the C-strip due to tight space, it might indicate that the basket was cut slightly incorrectly or that Weaving addition is too small.
11. 11

    Apply a small amount of glue to the bottom of the handle (on the open side) and place the handle inside the heart basket.
12. 12

    Let the glue dry completely and carefully open the basket from the inside to ensure that the handles are not stuck together. Also, be careful not to let glue seep outside the handle, as this could glue the basket shut and prevent it from opening. Congratulations, you have made a heart basket!