Crafts Projects to Download

For my appearance March 24, 2002 on the Sunday Morning News program on KGO-TV, ABC television in San Francisco, I created a design for a folded paper basket (about 3 inches wide) to use as placeholders for holiday dinners. Fold down the front flap, write the name of a dinner guest, and fill the basket with nuts, raisins or candy. You can click below to download a ready-to-print PDF file of baskets decorated for Valentines Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also included below are ready-to-print designs for Easter ornaments and Easter cards.

For more computer crafting ideas see my book, The Arts and Crafts Computer

Also check my class schedule for upcoming classes at the Mendocino Art Center.

Contact Janet Ashford at jashford@jashford.com


Instructions for Printing and Folding a Ready-made Holiday Basket

1. Download the basket art.
Click on the graphic below to download a full-size version of the Easter basket that you can print at home on your color inkjet printer.

2. Print the basket art.
Print on letter-sized sheets of card weight paper. It's best for the earth to use recycled paper, which you can request from your local stores or order from Green Earth Office Supply.

3. Cut, fold and glue.
Cut out the basket with scissors, fold it, and use a glue stick or liquid household glue to glue the basket together. If you fold down the flap at the top of the front panel you can write a name on it and use the basket as a placecard for your dinner.

4. Fill with candy or nuts.
The basket can be filled with paper "grass" or tissue paper and Easter candies. If you buy Easter chocolates, be sure to choose brands that have a "Fair Trade" certification on the label. That's the only way you can be sure that the chocolate was not made with cocoa beans picks by child slave labor in Africa. (At this time, candies made by Hersey, Mars/MM, Nestle and See's are not "fair trade.") For more information on Fair Trade chocolate and coffee visit Global Exchange. The baskets below were filled with tissue paper and organic jelly beans.

Follow the same instructions to use the holiday baskets below.

Click to download Valentine's Day basket

Click to download Thanksgiving basket

Click to download Christmas Basket

Instructions for Making an Easter Cube Decoration

1. Download the cube PDF.
Click on the graphic below to download it.

2. Print the card art.

Print the art on letter-sized sheets of card weight paper. Please use a recycled paper if you can (Mother Nature will thank you). You can order recycled paper and other "green" office supplies from Green Earth Office Supply.
3. Cut, fold and glue.
Use scissors to cut out the cube. Score along the fold lines with a bone folder or butter knife, using the template as a guide. Fold the cube and glue the tabs to the side using glue stick. Attach a loop of ribbon or yard for hanging the ornament.
4. Create variations
Change the background colors in your image-editing program, to create variations of the cube.
5. Hang the cubes from a branch.
I used a manzanita branch cut from my back yard. I placed it in a flower vase filled with glass pebbles. The weight of the pebbles keeps the vase and branch from tipping over


Instructions for Printing, Cutting and Folding Four Ready-made Easter Cards

1. Download the card art
Click on the graphics below to download larger versions in PDF format.
2. Print the card art.
Print on letter-sized sheets of card weight paper. Please use a recycled paper if you can (Mother Nature will thank you). You can order recycled paper and other "green" office supplies from Green Earth Office Supply.
3. Cut and fold
Cut each sheet in half the short way with scissors or a paper cutter. Fold each card in half and mail in a 4 by 5-inch envelope (Baronial or Invitation size). Please use recycled paper envelopes.
4. Include a hand-written, heart-felt message inside the card.
Your friends and relatives will enjoy receiving a card that includes your own thoughts in your own hand-writing.