Bunny basket tutorial

A few weeks ago I was out shopping, and I came across an adorable burlap bunny basket. I picked it up immediately and was sorely tempted to put it in my shopping basket. But then I thought about it: It was basically a fabric box with features stitched on. Pretty simple. Now, I haven't had enough practice with my sewing machine to attempt a fabric basket, but I could make something just as fun with paper, right? Of course!

I don't know about you, but I think they're pretty stinking cute. I used the Berry Basket die and Bow Builder punch from Stampin' Up! and just added a few extra details. They won't last as long as a fabric basket, but I'm okay with that. And this way I can have as many bunny baskets as I want.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! except "Other items"):
Paper: Naturals White, Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate, Pink Pirouette card stock; Designer Series Paper (DSP) Patterns Stack - Brights (I used the retired version, but any DSP will work)
Ink: Project Life journaling pens
Accessories: Berry Basket die, Bow Builder punch, extra-large oval punch, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, Ovals Collection Framelits dies, 1/16" hole punch, Neutrals Candy Dots, mini silver brads, Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue, bone folder
Other items: Cotton balls, ruler, Easter grass or other basket filler

Ready to make your own bunny basket? Here are the steps I followed:
(Note: I did not include step-by-step instructions for assembling the basic basket or the bow. Check out the basket and bow videos from Stampin' Up! for more information.)

Step 1. Cut a 1/2" strip off the long side of an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of Crumb Cake card stock. Save the strip for the handle of the basket. (You can also use the extra strips from the Berry Basket die, but I wanted a longer handle.) Cut the remaining piece of card stock in half to 8" x 5-1/2". This is just big enough for the Berry Basket die.

Step 2. Die cut each 8" x 5-1/2" piece of card stock with the Berry Basket die. You will use either the scalloped strips or the straight strips for the top edge of the basket; you can use one of the remaining strips as a handle (if you didn't cut the extra strip in Step 1) or set them aside for another project.

Step 3. On one of the basket pieces, use a black marker to make a small dot about 5/16" above the middle slot. Using the dot as the center, draw three whiskers on each side. You can use a ruler or draw them freehand.

Step 4. Use the Itty Bitty Accents punch pack to punch a heart out of Pink Pirouette card stock. Use Glue Dots to adhere the heart to the center of the whiskers. Add two Candy Dots for eyes.

Step 5. Assemble the Berry Basket. I used Mono Multi liquid glue, but you could also use a strong, permanent tape, such as Sticky Strip, or a mini stapler.

Step 6. Use the second-smallest oval from the Ovals Collection Framelits dies to cut out two Crumb Cake ovals. Use the extra-large oval punch to punch out two Pink Pirouette ovals. Glue the smaller ovals onto the larger ones, aligning them near the bottom, to make the ears.

Step 7. With a bone folder, use a motion similar to curling ribbon to slightly curl up the tops of the ears.

Step 8. Glue the ears to the basket behind the face. Use the slots in the basket as a guide for spacing the ears; I centered each ear over the outer slots.

Step 9. Make a bow with the Bow Builder punch and DSP. Use Glue Dots to adhere the bow to the basket either by the ears (for a girl) or under the nose (for a boy).

Step 10. Punch a 1/16" hole in each end of the handle and near the top of the left and right sides of the basket.

Step 11. Use mini silver brads to attach the handle to the basket. If you do not want the handle to be moveable, you can attach it with strong adhesive or a mini stapler instead of using brads.

Step 12. Glue a cotton ball to the back of the basket for a tail.

And there you have it! I added some Easter grass to my basket, but you could use a fringe scissors to make your own filler or crumple pieces of tissue paper. I will be filling my baskets with mini seed-growing kits and a few pieces of candy. For heavier items, you could make your baskets with coaster board or chipboard so they are sturdier.

Here are my twelve baskets:

This must be what you get when you leave two bunny baskets alone for too long!

I want to make tags for my baskets, too, but I'll have to share those later. I was too excited to post this tutorial to wait for the tags. Thanks for stopping by!