Friday, April 10, 2009

Spring basket how-to


"I am just dying," I told my friend, "for a to-die-for spring basket!"

So I splurged on a very sturdy basket of woven wire. Looks vintage, loaded with detail, just my style.



The first step wasn't too picturesque. I emptied a carton of canned tomatoes and cut it down so it filled the inside. Then went outdoors and scooped up a bunch of the ever-present moss, grabbed some packing excelsior from a shipping parcel I saved months ago, and lined the basket to cover up the yucky carton inside.

Then the fun part. I tucked in some maidenhair fern and
little violas, a pair of birds' nests and some feathers, and finished off with some natural eggs to which I'd glued the simplest of paper decorations snipped from little scraps.





Then I looked at the basket from different angles, moved a feather here or a bit of moss there, just making little tweaks...

You can't see it well but I calligraphed a wee tag and tied it on with French silk ribbon in an olive tone.






The dainty flowers and ferns, along with other woodsy natural elements gave me just the basket I've always dreamed of, and on a shoestring, too.

You should try this quick & easy seasonal basket- it's really surprising how simple it is and a snap to make with whatever you've got in your yard. I might add a few violets this afternoon...