Marie’s Craft Corner, by Marie Heuston

Turn empty tea boxes into miniature Easter baskets!

The size and proportion of tea boxes make them perfect containers for small keepsakes or individual portions of sweets—like Easter candy. Follow these simple steps to create a tiny Easter basket that can be customized any way you like, from the color and decorations of the exterior to the types of candy you put inside.

What you’ll need: In addition to an empty tea box, you’ll need construction paper, scissors, a ruler, a pencil, a glue stick, and Scotch tape. Optional decorations include markers, paint, and stickers.

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Open up your tea box and cut off the lid. With your scissors, cut off the center lid but leave the side flaps in place. Don’t throw away the lid just yet; you’ll be using it to make the handle.

Measure out an inch-wide strip in the center of the side flaps. Use your ruler and pencil to measure an inch-wide strip in the center of each side flap, then cut away the area on either side. The center parts that are left will become the base of the basket’s handle.

Build a handle. Take the box’s lid that you cut off, measure an inch-wide strip along the long end, and cut it out. Connect each side of this new strip to the inch-wide portion of the side flaps and tape it in place on each side. Lightly bend the handle to make an arch.

Choose a color for your basket. Pick a piece of construction paper in the color of your choice (pastels work well for Easter). Line up the shorter side of your box with the longer side of the paper. Lay the ruler along the opposite side of the box and draw a line along the paper. Cut along the line, creating a strip of paper the exact width of your box.

Cover the smaller sides of the box first. Using the smaller piece that’s left over after you cut your construction paper, cover the short sides of your box and glue the paper in place.

Wrap the rest of your basket. Place your box in the center of the construction paper strip that is the same width and wrap the sides up and over the front and back. Glue paper in place and reinforce inside edges with tape.

Cover the handle. Cut two strips of construction paper slightly wider than one inch and long enough to span the length of your handle. Glue in place on the top and bottom of your handle.

Add finishing touches. Once your basket is finished, you can leave it plain or add decorations. Children can draw or paint pictures on the sides or they can add stickers. If you’re hosting a gathering of family or friends for the holiday, you can even make multiple baskets as place markers and write guests’ names across the front of each one. Don’t forget to fill your baskets with Easter grass and your favorite candy!

Share your designs with us! Send pictures of your baskets to our editor at [email protected]. Happy Easter!

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