Of all the ways there are to make May baskets, probably none will be daintier than the lace May basket made by merely folding a 5 inch paper lace doily. Perhaps you have some paper doilies left over from your valentine making?
It is wise to line this basket in some way. One way is to cut a circle of colored paper which you fold in along with the lace doily. But a still better way is to fold in a circle of cellophane – either clear or colored. (maybe you have some cellophane left from your Easter basket!) It need not be pasted, for the handle will hold it in place.
Still another excellent lining is silver foil such as is wrapped around some kinds of tea, or the beautifully colored foils that florists put around flower pots.
Either foil or cellophane will protect the doily from moisture as well as make the little basket stronger. You can even put a wad of moistened cotton around the flower stems without spoiling the lace.
All that’s left is to past on a strip of paper as a handle. Ribbons, bright bits of cord and pipe cleaners also make good hangers. Even a scrap of plain wire can be wrapped with tissue paper to make quite as fine a hanger as any. An especially nice way of dressing up a wire hanger is to twist small fowers all along its length.
Little spring flowers will surely look their very prettiest in such a May basket as this one of lace.
(Holiday Handcrafts from 1938)
Today in Grandmother’s Patternbook – in the kitchen – Crochet Cottage Curtains
Today in Thrifty Creativity – bringing in the May – Tissue Paper Flowers
Today in Grandmother’s Dollhouse - Vintage Ladies – two lovely crochet ensembles for your 7 – 8 inch dolls
