Challenge No. 18 Submission: Ribbon Basket

When it came to the ribbon challenge, I have to admit, my response was, what the hell do I do with ribbon?  The one idea I really liked was doing streamers for my new bike.  Alas, it hadn't been delivered yet so I abandoned that idea.

Somewhere in my brainstorming, I came up with the idea of weaving a ribbon basket.  I didn't know if it was really feasible, but I did it!  I needed to use a sturdy, grosgrain ribbon

I formed the basket around a box, using pins to hold the ribbon in place as I worked.  I was surprised at how quickly the process went once I got going.  I had woven baskets before so I had experience with it.  It's actually easier working with ribbon.

For the handle, I glued wire onto a length of ribbon.  I then glued another length of ribbon over the wire so it wouldn't show.  I couldn't find any pre-wired ribbon that was heavy enough to do the job.

I was convinced the entire time I was weaving this that when I pull it off of the box I was using as as "mold," the entire thing would collapse.  The finished basket is actually very sturdy.  The adorable ruffly ribbon around the top edge gives it the support it needs to hold its shape.

The bottom was the key to this project.  I started with a narrow width ribbon and used it exclusively to weave the bottom.  These ribbons then became the warp for the sides of the baskets.

Now, who has got a bag of jelly beans I can use to fill this thing?