Five dollar board into a keepsake basket.. Step by step.

For this project I purchased a 1/2 x 6 x 36 inch craft board from Lowes. It's a nice clear pine and it will make one basket for only five bucks.

I cut the board into 6 inch blanks. The pattern was cut and is ready to be applied to the boards.

I prepped all the blanks with blue painters tape. The tape makes the pattern easy to remove and also helps lubricate the blade. The small amount of lubrication helps prevent burning and also increases the life of the blade. I applied the patterns with spray adhesive over the blue tape.

Over at the drill press I drill all the entry holes. I use a 1/8" drill bit.

I cut the top and bottom parts first. I'm using a Flying Dutchman #3 scroll reverse blade.

Then all four rings were cut out. I like doing similar pieces one after the other because I can get a solid technique and stay consistent.

Now all the parts have been cut and sanded. I like to ease the edges of the top and bottom. You need to be careful with the rings while sanding. They are delicate.

It's time to start gluing and stacking the rings. Apply glue to the first ring and center it on the bottom.

Give the glue a few minutes to dry so the ring does not slide around while applying the next ring.

To achieve a basket weave pattern you need to alternate the rings as shown in the photo above.

Continue to glue and stack the rings. Only apply glue to the contact points of the rings. You don't want the exposed parts to be covered with glue.


The pattern has four rings. You can obviously make the basket taller by cutting more rings.

Apply glue to the top of the last ring and center the top. Take your time to make sure everything is centered and lines up well.

I apply a heavy weight to the basket and allow the glue to dry. I finish the basket with a bath in lemon oil. Once it dries I use spray acrylic to protect the wood and add a little sheen.

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