This basket was handmade by my great-grandmother. She used to embroider old Christmas cards together and form them into a basket. This has to be at least 30 years old. It's been in my family and now it's been given to me. I absolutely treasure it. She also has thick transparent plastic over the cards sewn in, so it's really durable. I just can't figure out how she got it to curve so perfectly. I remember my mom saying she stopped making them because it was really hard to sew through the thickness of it and would really hurt her hands.
I think this was a popular craft to make in the 1970s possibly. I can't find out too much information about it on the internet. If you know anything about these, know how to make them or have one you were given or that you made, please post a picture and let me know about it.
I took pictures all around the basket and there's even some on the inside and one on the bottom as well. The pink angel holding the lamb is my favorite. Isn't she sweet?
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9 comments:
omg! I so remember these! My neighbor when I was little used to make them all the time! she formed them around something and then used yarn to sew them together! luv it! luv the angel!
wooow , c'est magnifique!!!!
comment précéder vous???
il faut continuer tout ça!!
I have been looking for one of these also. I remember them when I was younger. This one is wonderful. I so wished I kept mine. Now that I am older, I would so love to know the secret to make them. I think corn starch was used to stiffen them when they dried, but I am not sure. Thank you for sharing your treasures.
I haven't seen any patterns for the tall thin ones like this one. But there are a few free patterns out there with printable templates to make different shapes.
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/christmas/card-basket.shtml
http://collectibles.about.com/od/christmascollectibles/ig/Christmas-Collectible-Crafts/Make-a-Vintage-Card-Basket.htm
There are probably some more out there. It's a neat project! I like your great-grandmother's, I'd love to make one like that!
:-)
That basket is beautiful. I have my cards all glued and punched out. I just dont know how to do the sewing part. That yarn work on the basket is so cool. Does anyone know how to do it? email me at satisfactionmlf(nospam)@yahoo.com when emailing leave out the words (nospam). Thank you so much.
I made mine in Brownies, which would have been around 1957.
I love your basket. When I was in grade school in the 60's we sang carols at a nursing home and every child was given one of the baskets that the residents had made. It was a different shape then this and I still have it. I made a duplicate years ago. I just tried to copy what I saw using a basket stitch around the edge. I also bought a really pretty one 2 years ago on ebay that was shaped different then both yours and mine. It it rounded on the sides and used a different stitch to hold it together.
If you would copy the outline of the side pieces - really only one and one of the bottom piece I would try to replicate it for you.
fsmartin at verizon(no spam).net
The stitch is probably a single crochet with embroidery floss.
The stitching is a single crochet. If you search the internet for vintage christmas card baskets several sites come up showing how the crochet work is done.
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