DIY treat packaging: Paper Plate Gift Basket

For quite a while now, I’ve been looking for a simple DIY project for packaging homemade treats.  What I mean by simple is that I didn’t want to have to go out and buy a bunch of special supplies or tools in order to make it. I don’t know about you, but after spending a good amount of time, thought, and energy on making home baked gifts  I don’t feel like running to the craft store to pick up supplies for gift wrapping. Then finally after weeks of staring at different projects on pinterest, I came across the image that inspired the project in this post. The pin was of a paper plate and washi tape basket.  However, I don’t own washi tape (I didn’t even know washi tape was called washi tape until reading about the project) and the only kind of paper plates we ever buy are the large sturdy kind that you don’t need to double up or put in a little flat baskets designed to hold paper plates (I think those may actually be called wicker paper plate chargers). That being the case, I had to create my own version of  the paper plate basket. So here is what I came up with, I like to call it a paper plate gift basket. I hope you have all the necessary supplies in your home and can avoid an extra trip to the store.

The first set of steps and images are just if you are concerned about the symmetry of  your basket. If you think you can “eyeball” it, skip the fist two groupings of images and start there.

(feel free to click on the photos if you want to see the photos and text larger)

If you think you can cut the plate into 8 equal sections just by eyeballing it start here.

Now for a little decorating

Now the gluing!!!!! Almost done!

Now we just add some ribbon, fill the gift basket and cover with cling wrap, if you want.

Remove your ribbon or twine to cover with cling wrap

tie your ribbon back on TIGHTLY. Tug on the edges of the cling wrap and pull it taught.

Trim along the edges of the cling wrap

Now you’re done!