By Cherie Ford

Needed:

2 liter pop bottle

small piece of cardboard or posterboard

1/3 yards of material if using one design

or

1/2 yard for basket and 1/4 yard for lining

1/4 yard batting

ribbon

5/8" wide lace edging to go around the circumference of a 14 1/2" circle

thick rubberband

glue gun

* Remove label from 2 liter pop bottle and clean inside thoroughly. Turn upside down, drain and let dry.

* Measure from bottom of bottle up 4 1/2 " around the width of the bottle and cut around creating the base.

* Measure on the remainder of the bottle 1 1/2" wide strip and cut for handle.

* Cut a 14 1/2 " x 7 1/2" strip of material for basket lining

* Cut a 3 1/2" circle from cardboard for a base and two 3 1/2" circles from batting.

* Cut a 5 1/2" circle for a base lining to cover the cardboard and batting.

* Cut two 14 1/2 squares. Fold each 14 1/2" square in quarters and cut a 14 1/2" circle.

* Cut two 9" squares of batting. Fold 9" square into quarters and cut circle.

* Cut about a 3" x 12 " strip of material to cover the handle

Assembly:

Take cardboard circle and glue batting to it, cover with the 5 1/2" circle of material and glue material to bottom of cardboard covering the batting. You can cut slits in material to get a better fit around the batting and cardboard.

Place the lining material inside the plastic bottom. Play with it till you have it placed so that the material hangs over the sided about two inches or so and that the material doesn't clump too unsightly when you put the cardboard circle bottom inside. You have to picture the outside covering to come up and cover this. Glue the lining to the bottle. Glue the circle you covered with batting and material inside bottle.

Glue lace around one of the 14 1/2" circles on the wrong side of the material. Place then the two 9" circles of batting in the middle of this and take the other 14 1/2" and glue this circle to the circle you glued the lace. Wrong side to wrong side with batting sandwiched between.

Take the 3" x 12" strip of material and cover the 1 1/2 wide strip you cut for the handle. Glue on the underside of the handle. Glue handle to outside of bottle at least one inch down or more. You can decide after you take the 14 1/2" circle and place the bottle in the middle and draw it up on the sides. Secure this circle with the rubber band. Play with the material for creasing etc. The handle you want to be below the rubber band line. Cover the rubber band with ribbon and create a pretty bow.