Easter Craft: Pipe Cleaner Easter Basket

You can’t celebrate Easter without an Easter basket and these little baskets are easy to make with pipe cleaners. Pipe cleaners are fun and easy to work with, and they are great for kids. These mini pipe cleaner baskets make great gifts, or favors and the kids will enjoying making them!

Things you need:
6 – Pipe Cleaners (color of your choice)
1 – 3″ Styrofoam Egg
1 – Floral U Pin
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

Things to do:
1. Begin by cutting four pipe cleaners in half. Hold the pipe cleaners together in a small bundle and twist them together in the middle. Spread out the pipe cleaners; creating a star shape with eight points. Be sure that you keep them twisted together in the middle. Add a ninth point by attaching another pipe cleaner to the center of the star shape. You will want this ninth point to be the same size as the others, so be sure to trim all points so that they all the same length.
2. Space out each point so that they are evenly spaced between each other.
3. Hook a full length (12″) pipe cleaner and twist one end around the center of the star.
4. Center the bottom of your styrofoam egg in the center of your pipe cleaner star shape and pin it down using a floral u pin. Slowly and carefully bend the pipe cleaner points up around the styrofoam egg to form a cup shape.
5. Carefully begin weaving the full length pipe cleaner over and under the points of the star shape in a circle formation. When your full length pipe cleaner runs out, simply twist another at its end and continue weaving. Remember to weave tightly so that your basket will hold its shape. You may stop once you have reached the end of the points. Delicately take the styrofoam egg out of your basket. You can wrap the end of the pipe cleaner around itself and cut off any excess to secure the edge of your pipe cleaner basket. Lock in the weave by hooking the end of each point over the last weave.
6. Twist two pipe cleaners together to create the handle of your little pipe cleaner basket. You may cut down to desired length if needed. To attach the handle, just simply hook to the lip of your basket.
7. Finally, to create the base of your basket twist two pipe cleaners together and create an appropriate circle big enough to fit on the bottom of your basket. Trim any excess and glue the base to the bottom of your basket. You have now completed your little pipe cleaner basket! Now it’s time to fill with Easter grass and little treats!

Project Notes:
To make your pipe cleaner basket stronger and more secure add dabs of hot glue along the inside edges as you weave.

The instructions above are to make a basket about 2-1/2″ in diameter. To create a larger basket use the same instructions but use full length pipe cleaners when forming your star shape instead of the halves.

Photo Credits:
Martha Stewart