Currently, completely different available materials are used for needlework and handmade style products. Plastic drink bottles have become especially popular. This material is not only publicly available, but also absolutely free, which is a big plus.
Weaving baskets from plastic bottles. Step-by-step instruction so simple and understandable that even a child can handle the craft. The advantage of this material is that there is always a variety of textures and color solutions at hand.
Types of plastic for weaving baskets
Any instructions for weaving baskets from plastic bottles will begin with the listing necessary materials. There are three main types of plastic that can be used for such crafts.
Plastic from bottles
This is the most popular material, most often used for work such as weaving baskets from plastic bottles. It is distinguished not only by a variety of colors, but also by different densities, which allows you to make combined products for various household needs (household, decor, etc.).
Packaging plastic
Packaging is not as often used for weaving as bottle plastic, but still many needlewomen do not leave this material aside and actively use it. A big plus of packaging plastic is its length. It is much more convenient to cut a wide ribbon into long ribbons, which are used in weaving.
Other plastic weaving material
Plastic is all around us. Polycarbonate, packing boxes milk bottles, paper folders, plastic cups. All of these materials can be used in activities such as basket weaving. Plastic bottles, of course, make them denser than, say, paper folders. However, combining and matching materials is the height of art in the handmade style.
Basket of plastic bottles
Let's look at the most popular master class. In our case, a basket of plastic bottles will be made very quickly and easily. The main thing is to understand the principle of weaving, and then the work will begin to boil.
What you need
- Several plastic bottles of different colors.
- Stationery scissors.
- Strong thread with a needle.
- Any element of decoration - beads, large rhinestones, buttons.
Progress
So, let's take a closer look at what weaving a basket from a plastic bottle is. A weaving master class will always begin with the preparation of the material. Bottles must be clean and dry. If there were labels on them, then remove them with water and a stiff brush.
Next, you will need to cut the bottle so that the neck and bottom are separated. That is, for work we need the central part of the bottle. However, do not rush to throw away the bottom; you can easily make it out of it beautiful flower to decorate our basket.
We now need to cut the central part into many long strips. What width and length they will be depends on what kind of basket you want to make. We bend each cut strip in half, and then hide the ends in the central part of the workpiece. This can be done either by hand or with pliers.
As a result of the work done, you should have modules. Any weaving of baskets from plastic bottles involves a kind of assembly of these modules. First, a braid is made, then three more, and then they are connected to each other into a square. Or a rectangle, if the basket you have in mind should have exactly this shape.
Now we make a few more frames or squares, only each one is smaller. The square modules must be secured together using a thread and a needle. This way we get the bottom. It remains to make more blanks that will serve as the sides of the basket. When the basket is the desired height, all that remains is to make a handle. It is made according to the same principle - weaving a chain or braid from small modules.
Using the bottom of the bottle for decoration
Why did we leave the bottom? You can easily make a flower out of it to decorate your pen. Connect the two bottoms together so that they touch on the inside. Place a button or bead on top. You can secure the bottoms either with thread or with a glue gun.
This method is perfect for making flower baskets, square flowerpots for garden decoration, etc.
Weaving using a cardboard box
Weaving baskets from plastic bottles is also possible using a mold. We will use it as a cardboard box. Take a box of the shape and size you have in mind for the basket.
Here the task is even simpler than in the first case. Bottles need to be cut long threads. We apply the first layer to the box and fasten it with a clothespin so that the twisting tape does not interfere with weaving. Now we apply the second layer of tapes so that they run parallel to the first. And we begin to twist them among themselves. By adding and braiding the previous rows, we make the bottom and sides of the basket to the desired height. Now all that remains is to take out the cardboard form and adjust the rows a little.
This option is suitable if you need to make large, spacious baskets. Very often, such weaving of baskets from plastic bottles is used to make a container for laundry in the bathroom or a spacious sleeping area for pets.
Advantages and features of baskets made of plastic bottles
Plastic weaving has a number of features and significant advantages in comparison with other materials for needlework.
Water resistance
Products made from plastic bottles are amazingly suitable for use as garden or playground decor. They do not get wet, do not absorb moisture and rot. They are not afraid of temperature changes and precipitation. Such products are easy to clean and dry quickly, which makes them reusable.
Strength
In addition to the fact that this material is elastic and resistant to deformation, it is also quite durable. If, for example, you plan to carry apples from the garden in a wicker basket, then it can easily support up to eight to ten kilograms. Having weaved such a basket once, you can easily take it to the garden, to the vegetable garden, and to pick mushrooms and berries.
Availability
We have already mentioned that plastic bottles are a cheap, affordable and economical material. You probably end up with a lot of plastic in your home when you buy bottled drinks. All you have to do is not throw away such containers for a couple of months, storing them in the garage or at the dacha, and by summer you will have a lot of material that can be used to implement design ideas.
Gloss and color
Among plastic material You come across not only transparent bottles, but also very bright ones (red, poisonous green, scarlet, blue, etc.). From such a variety of shades you can create a truly handmade masterpiece.
Since most plastic bottles are glossy, you will end up with a product that will play with a wide variety of colors and reflections in the light. Combining in the right way colors, craftsmen can get an exquisite and stylish product that they are not ashamed to give to a friend or decorate their apartment.
Plastic has one negative point. Many people treat bottles as waste and garbage, so they would never think that they can be used to create decorative elements. But plastic is actively used as food packaging, so its use is completely safe. In addition, having decided to create some kind of large-scale work from bottles, many people collect plastic on the street, thereby freeing it from this garbage. Both good for society and good for business.
Recycling plastic is not only useful, but also profitable. Do-it-yourself baskets made from plastic bottles will replace store-bought ones and clear your house of junk. Combining the experience of folk art and modern materials, plastic bottles have become a favorite material for crafts. Let us examine in detail what are the methods for weaving boxes and baskets made of plastic.
Bottle baskets - a simple idea
The easiest option is to cut off the neck and melt it on a hot iron. The edges are covered with tape or crocheted. In fact, it turns out not to be a basket, but a handbag. It is suitable for picking berries, storing tools and children's toys.
Important! Choose large water bottles with a volume of 3.5 liters.
Do-it-yourself wicker baskets for laundry and storing things from bottles are made differently.
Wicker baskets made from bottles
For a wicker basket you need to prepare rods.
Preparing the material
For a basket of plastic bottles with your own hands, prepare the material:
- Wash and remove labels.
- Cut off the neck and bottom.
- Cut strips from the middle. Try to make the stripes even and the same width.
Important! There is another way to make long ribbons for weaving. You need to cover the bottle with tape and cut the ribbons in a spiral.
The weaving pattern comes from traditional wicker weaving. There are two ways to make a box.
Basket of individual modules
This weaving consists of zigzags connected into one fabric. To arrange it:
- The strips are prepared in a ratio of 1:8, if the width of the strip is 1 cm, then the length is 8 cm.
- Fold the strip in half and fold the ends towards the middle. You will get one triangle element.
- Insert a second, similarly folded piece into the gaps. We repeat, and we get a chain of connected parts.
- Weave in the sides. You will get a base frame for the bottom.
- Fill the interior space by inserting one element into another.
- Weave a few more strips, the length of the base.
- Place the body vertically to the base and connect them with fishing line.
- Weave a handle from double ribbon.
- The entire structure is held together with a strong thread or fishing line stretched between the individual triangles.
- Decorate with flowers cut from the bottom of the bottle.
Important! The finished basket is too heavy for hiking in the forest. It is suitable for home decoration, indoor flowers and outdoor decoration.
Chess method
An easier method to make a basket from a plastic bottle with your own hands is that you do not need to make individual parts. Operating procedure:
- Take it by the frame cardboard box, the size of a finished box.
- Secure the cut long ribbons with an elastic band on top of the box.
- Stretch the strips across, one after the other.
- Having formed the bottom, move on to the walls.
- Finish the edge by folding the ends of the plastic inward and extending the strips along the weave.
Important! This option is good because you can weave a box of any size. Extend short strips by connecting the working strip with another tape. If the tapes fall into the bases, staple them to the cardboard while you work.
Master class: small basket
From two green and brown bottles you can make a decorative basket for artificial flowers:
- Cut off the neck of the brown bottle.
- Without cutting to the end, make longitudinal cuts so that you get a fringe.
- After one, bend the strips inward.
- Cut out hoop strips from the green one and thread them in a checkerboard pattern through the brown rods.
- Fold up the top edge and secure a handle made from leftovers.
- You can make grass from the neck of a green bottle by cutting it into incompletely narrow triangles and putting it in a basket.
Important! Instead of the green bottle, take thread or ribbon from the bag. You will get a soft organizer box.
Master class: laundry basket
Let's move on to making functional items for the home. Make your own wide laundry basket from plastic bottles using this master class.
Prepare:
- wire for the frame,
- cardboard box of suitable size,
- stripes from a bottle.
Operating procedure:
- Make the box body and lid from wire.
- Using the checkerboard weaving method described above, cover the box, pulling the ribbons through the wire frame.
- Separately weave the lid and secure it with clamps to the basket.
- To prevent the basket from getting dirty, insert a bag inside into which the laundry will be folded.
Important! It is convenient to cut strips with a bottle cutter - a homemade tool made of wood and a fixed blade.
Master class: basket for toys
A transparent do-it-yourself toy basket made from plastic bottles is similar in design to a container with a lid.
Take for work:
- hook and synthetic threads,
- hole punch and awl.
Operating procedure:
- We use the middle part of the bottle. Without cutting, you need to flatten it into a rectangle. One bottle - one wall element for the box.
- Use a hole punch to make holes along the edges of the parts.
- Crochet the modules.
- Sew the plates together.
- Make the lid for the box in the same way.
Important! A toy box can be polygonal in shape - it all depends on your perseverance and imagination.
You can create an original basket from several plastic bottles. Recently, this type of material has become quite popular, its advantages are very clear! You will definitely need such a basket in your household, because it is spacious and reliable!
This master class will help you make an original basket from plastic bottles!
To create a craft you will need the following materials and tools:
- plastic bottles;
- scissors;
- strong threads or fishing line.
The first thing you need to do is blanks for weaving. To do this, you need to cut off the top and bottom of the bottle, that is, the neck and bottom.
Then, from the flat, middle part of the bottle, make strips 15-20 mm wide. In total you will need about 10-13 bottles, of any size.
Then cut along the fold line, you will get two blanks for the parts.
Then, you need to fold the edges of the workpiece to the main line, and press them well too. You will get these ready-made parts for weaving a basket.
They connect very easily! You just need to thread the part into the “ears” of another and so on.
As a result, you get a tape like this.
The place to start is by creating the bottom of the basket! You need to weave several frames.
Then, they will need to be connected to each other using dense threads or fishing line.
You need to wind the thread carefully, without missing a single element.
This is what the bottom of the basket will look like!
After that, you should start creating the side walls of the product. To do this, you need to weave a ribbon of the required length.
And then, using thread and a needle, it needs to be attached to the bottom of the basket, in the same way as in creating the bottom. After the tape is completely fixed, it needs to be lifted. The first row is ready!
Next, you need a ribbon of the same length, which must be attached to the previous one, but the connection method will be slightly different... Each square must be connected separately so that you get end-to-end squares, connecting only the corners of the ribbons.
You can also weave other shades into the ribbons, and it will look quite nice.
The number of rows depends on the desired depth and capacity of the basket. In this case, the basket will consist of three rows.
After the sides of the basket have acquired the required height, you need to attach a handle to them.
Having adjusted its length, you need to make these squares at the ends.
Afterwards, attach the handle to the edge of the side walls of the craft.
And the final stage in creating such a wonderful craft remains, this is decorating the basket with decorative elements. You can cut flowers and petals from the bottoms of bottles.
Connect them with a thread and place them on the basket.
In the end, we got this original basket of plastic bottles!
The final look of the craft. Photo 1.
The final look of the craft. Photo 2.
A product made from such material will last you more than one year! Also make a chandelier from plastic bottles.
The age-old question of masters about where to put the mountains waste material, solved. From plastic bottles you can make excellent baskets that will decorate your summer cottage or original gift wrapping. If you want to learn how to weave baskets from plastic bottles with your own hands, a master class for beginners will help you with this.
History of weaving
Weaving originated in ancient times. This technique was used to create kitchen utensils, baskets for harvesting and storing crops, traps for hunting, house walls, furniture and toys. Wicker items were made from various natural materials- reeds, grass, vines. The toys had a sacred meaning, because they were made with their own hands. They were slandered about health and good luck. Wickerwork was believed to ward off evil spirits. Everyone knows an item called a “dream catcher” and its properties of preventing nightmares from entering the owner’s mind. And wicker furniture is always in trend, light, comfortable and durable. The first wicker chairs were found during excavations in Ancient Rome.
Times changed, new materials began to appear. They weave from everything nowadays - from ribbons, ropes, small colored rubber bands, plastic bottles and newspaper tubes.
Corner technique
This type of making baskets from plastic bottles is quite simple. First, corners are made from cut plastic bottles, and then the product is assembled from them into a single whole. To complete the product you will need:
- Plastic bottles;
- Scissors;
- Fishing line;
- Glue gun.
To work, you need to cut the bottles with scissors into strips 1 cm wide and 8 cm long.
If you are planning to take strips of a different size, then when calculating, remember that the length of the strip is eight times the width. It is important to choose bottles that do not have unnecessary bends.
Cut off the bottom and neck, and use the rest for cutting blanks.
The strips are ready, now you need to bend them in half, unfold them and fold the edges towards the center as shown in the photo.
You will need a lot of such blanks. Connect them together by inserting them into each other.
Weave the bottom of the basket from several parts, alternately fastening the corners. For strength, you can glue the bottom with transparent tape. The parts are attached to each other using a fishing line.
After making the bottom, a long horizontal zigzag strip is made. Its size is equal to the girth of the bottom. The strips are also held together with fishing line. You can fasten them in tight rows or make diamond-shaped passes. Don't forget to attach the correct size handle. The basket is ready!
It can be used as a vase for sweets or a garden planter. The advantage of such a product is that plastic is not afraid of changes in temperature and humidity. If you plan to use the basket as a flowerpot, then you don’t have to make a bottom. Simply fasten the zigzag strips together. Dig up the decoration a little in the flowerbed and plant some beautiful flowers. At the end of the summer season, you can simply rinse the basket with water and put it away for storage.
"Chess"
This weaving method is a little more complicated than the previous one, but using detailed step-by-step instructions, you can easily cope with making the basket.
The difficulty with this method lies in making the strips: they must be long. But even here experienced needlewomen brought the process to near perfection. They came up with a great method that allows you to cut strips of the same width, efficiently using the entire bottle. In order to dissolve the container into strips, you need to remove the bottom and neck and apply electrical tape or narrow masking tape to its surface in neat turns. And then cut the entire surface into a long strip one by one.
Don't try to straighten it; it will still lie correctly when working.
To work on making a basket you will need:
- Strips made from plastic bottles;
- Scissors;
- Rubber;
- Clamps;
- A small container that you will use as a base for weaving.
Weaving starts from the bottom. To do this, place vertical stripes on the table and weave horizontal ones in a checkerboard pattern using this pattern.
It should look like this. Apply clear tape along the sides to reinforce the bottom.
Now this blank can be transferred to a braided box. For convenience, secure the stripes on it with an elastic band.
Continue adding stripes, weaving them in a checkerboard pattern. If the “vine” is over, you should attach the next overlapping strip using tape. Having completed the weaving, remove the product from the base and, carefully bending the strips along the edge, secure them with tape on the inside. Make a handle if necessary. The basket is ready. It’s a great way to go into the forest to pick mushrooms.
Or you can make a large laundry basket.
Video on the topic of the article
We bring to your attention a selection of videos in which you will clearly see the process of creating baskets from plastic bottles.