May Day

May Day

Each year we make May Day baskets to celebrate this spring tradition.

Scalloped Cone

This is a little cone basket that can be used for May Day flowers or to put Valentine cards or treats inside. I apologize for the poor copy of the pattern below, but it was the best I could get on the scanner! Hopefully you can use it to get an idea of how to make your own pattern. Click to enlarge.

May Day Baskets

I have included several pictures of these baskets since it is a little difficult to see the top and the bottom in one picture. The first picture to the left shows the top of the basket. This basket does not have the ribbon handle attached. The solid blue basket on the right, below is a picture of the little basket upside down. We used a 10 inch circle of construction paper for the bottom and one layer of printed tissue paper. You can also use wallpaper (l layer) or two-three layers of tissue paper, construction paper, etc. We glued the tissue paper and the construction paper together and gathered it around a tin can. We used soup cans since we had plenty of them. You can also use plastic cups, etc that is about the same size as a regular size can of soup. Use glue sparingly if you use the cans since it is easy for the basket to stick to the paper on the can. We gathered the paper up around the can and secured it tightly with a rubber band. Pull the outside edges out to flute the edges as shown. We allowed it to dry overnight and took the rubber off the next day. We used a sharp point to make make a hole at the top of the basket. See the picture below to see where to place the ribbon. We tied knots in the ribbon on the underneath side of basket to prevent it from pulling through. You might put a dab of glue to prevent it from pulling through.

Another May Day Basket

This basket was made using paper plates. The back has the center, top part cut to make a handle for the basket. This piece is cut in a half circle shape using the top lines of the inside mark on the paper plate. Like this: I hope that makes sense? Then one half of a paper plate is stapled to the front to make the part that holds the flowers. Click on the picture to enlarge. The basket was painted and tissue paper flowers were added for May Day.

Tissue Paper Flowers

We use three layers of tissue paper cut into approximately 4 inches squares. We lay them flat on a table and fan fold them back and forth. Then you fold them in the middle and use a pipe cleaner in the center to pull it tight. The outside edges of the fan folded part is rounded or cut into points. The two sections are pulled together to hide the center of the flower where the pipe cleaner would show. The kids always seem to be successful if they fan fold it correctly. If they fold it over and over and NOT back and forth, it won't work! Some have a bit of trouble with the back and forth idea of fan folding. Usually the kids are able to help each other if you don't have enough adult help.