Recipe for "Recycled Butter Box Easter Basket"

Make this adorable little Easter Basket out of this....

Create your own by following the recipe below!

Ingredients:
1 empty 4 quarters butter box like the one shown above
1 piece of patterned paper large enough to wrap around the box
16-20 guage wire for a handle
2 eyelets with a large enough opening for the wire handle to slide through
Enough ribbon to wrap around the box and to make a bow
White paint or your preferred color choice
Foam brush or paint brush
Crop-a-Dile
Preferred Adhesive ( We used Beacon's 3-1 liquid glue...LOVE this stuff! See the photo below!)

(And no...we're not doing any plug for this company! :) We have just found this adhesive to really live up to its reputation! Awesome stuff!)
DIRECTIONS:
Cut the top flaps off of the box or tuck inside. Depending on your preference, paint the bottom of the box a desired color (I used white) and paint or ink the edges of the box where the flaps used to be. I've also made recycled gift baskets/boxes without painting - its a fun way to show people you recycle! Measure the width and length of the box - make sure to measure each side of the box too because I found that some brands are not exact on all four sides while others are. Cut a piece of paper to fit the box.

Measure each side individually and then score the fold line for all four sides and crease the paper for a nice smooth edge - this helps the paper fit the box almost perfectly! Adhere the paper to the box using your favorite adhesive. Wrap a piece of ribbon around the top of the box and glue in place. Make a small bow and glue to box front on top of the ribbon you just glued around the top of the box. Using a Crop-a-Dile, punch a hole in the top of the box going right through the ribbon. Set an eyelet in each hole. Cut a desired length of wire for a handle. Curl the wire around a pencil or dowel to make it look like a spring. Stretch it out to desired length. Thread an end through the hole on each side of the basket. Curl the ends up around the basket handle. Add a little sentiment with stamps on the basket front, a flower and/or a die cut or leave plain like we did!

***Add shredded paper curls to the basket by cutting up old book pages or newspapers in small strips with your paper cutter. OR use your junk mail, your paper scraps, etc...by running it through your paper shredder!!! Wrap the wider strips around a pencil to curl and fill your basket! Try running your shredded paper through an embosser - I bet it would look amazing!! Ta-Da!