DIY Network

Waste-Not Wastepaper Basket Make a cool wastepaper basket…from wastepaper. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-502

Roll up some recycled style!

What's the best material to recycle into a wastepaper basket? Wastepaper, of course!

Michele Beschen brings a sense of humor to recycling with this fun wastepaper basket covered in skinny rolls of paper. Inspired by a favorite junk shop find, this clever creation is a great way to B. Original with paper. Even better: These easy paper rolls also look great covering lampshades or other accessories.

Scroll down and roll up – a fun new look.

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Waste-Not Wastepaper Basket

Materials:

concrete forming tube, 8" in diameter
painter's tape
sharp utility knife or hacksaw
craft knife
ruler or measuring tape
1/2" thick foam core
glue gun with glue
decorative papers
vinyl-coated clothesline
pencil, skewer or dowel

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

• Concrete forming tubes are available at home improvement stores. Choose one 8" in diameter; it will form the sides of the wastebasket.

• The wastebasket will be 8" in diameter and 11" tall. Measure and mark a point 11" from the edge of the tube; repeat at several points around the tube.

• Attach a piece of painter's tape around the tube at the marks. This will give a straight cutting line.

• Cut around the tube at the tape line using a sharp utility knife or hacksaw (figure A).

• Lay a piece of 1/2" foam core on the work surface and set the cylinder upright on top of it. Trace the inside diameter of the cylinder onto the foam core, set the cylinder aside and cut out the foam core circle with a sharp craft or utility knife.

• Insert the foam core circle flush with the bottom of the tube (figure B). It should fit snugly. Apply a bead of hot glue around the inside of the tube where it meets the bottom.

• Paint the wastebasket in the color of your choice, in case any of it shows through the paper treatment.

• Choose papers to create the outside of the basket: You can use maps, pages from books or magazines, wallpaper or wrapping paper. Newspaper is too thin to work well for this project.

• Work with the finished edges of the paper to reduce the amount of trimming needed for the project.

• Roll individual pieces of paper into tight cylinders: Use a pencil, skewer or piece of dowel as a form for the rolls. Start at one end of the paper and roll the paper as straight and tight as possible. Michele Beschen found it took about 6" of paper to get the right roll (figure C).

• When the roll is big enough, apply a bead of glue down the entire length of the paper, glue the paper down and trim the excess. Slip the roll from the form and start rolling the next one.

• Apply a bead of hot glue to seal the outside of the seam on each roll (figure D).

• Secure the rolls to the wastebasket with hot glue. Make sure to apply the first roll straight; then, simply butt the rest of the rolls up to each other all the way around the basket (figure E).

• To finish off the wastebasket, cut some vinyl-coated clothesline wire into pieces 4" to 8" long. Bend the pieces to create arches and insert the ends of the arches into the tops of the tubes (figure F).