This folding method is exactly like the newspaper seeding pots I'm making with my nephews this week. Go to http://www.forgreenies.com/origami-newspaper-seedling-pots and simply substitute a tablecloth for newspaper.

totally agree with the above statements. A cool idea, but the instructions are too vague and the pictures are too small.

I liked the idea ! shd try it ,, but yeah the pic's are not so clear, i used my little origami experience to understand them!

looks like a great idea, but pictures are not clear enough to copy without some instructions to go with them.

Would love a larger picture and of course text on the project. But as USual with the Martha Stewart Empire they would Charge you for it. Most of their ideas are recycled or ideas from o0ther places.

What a neat idea , i did a practice round with plain ol' paper, the instructions leave a bit to be desired though ... and i think this could be made into more permanent baskets using some fabric starch and ironing the folds

It took a few tries but I did it! Written instructions would help.

origami picnic basket

Please include printed directions along with pictures. The photos are not easy to follow - I tried, but just couldn't make it work. Thanks in advance for written instuctions.

I love this for small paper boxes. Not sure how well it would work with much softer fabric. Note: I was not able to follow these instructions; I used the ones at http://carottelychee.blogspot.com/2008/08/origami-picnic-basket.html . Thanks carottelychee!

i must be kraft challenge.... i cant' seem to follow the instructions... and picture are sooooo small.... not good for people like me....

i've done alot of origami but the oilcloth is hard to work with and doesn't hold crease well; very frustrating.

I don't usually have problems with MS instructions, but these diagrams are not user friendly. They are so tiny, it makes it really hard to see what to do-especially near the end where someone on MS staff must think we don't know that the 5 foot square cloth is going to end up as a smaller box, so the pictures get tinier and tinier to illustrate this. Thank you to those of you who posted other web site info to help understand this!

These diagrams leave out a crucial piece of information.
This fold is based on a rectangle with a simple sink fold at middle
(just like the start of a bow tie fold). The rolled down sides can be
"secured" with office clips.**************A variation on this is useful for traveling. Using some sheets of heavy weight plastic, along with office clips. VOILA!!! you have water proof collapsible boxes of various sizes for washing fruit, clothes, holding stuff!!.

Wow...MS is recycling ideas this week. This is the second daily feature this week for this particular idea.

If you open "Google / videos" and search for origami boxes you get a lot of videos. Here's just one (of many): http://www.ehow.com/video_4986855_fold-origami-box.html Warning .... it's addictive ... you'll be searching out all sorts of other how-to videos!! :>)

I see Svilena beat me to it by a minute! Sorry for the duplicate...

Re-posting the correct link:
http://carottelychee.blogspot.com/2008/08/origami-picnic-basket.html

This link is in english: http://carottelychee.blogspot.com/2008/08/origami-picnic-basket.html

The web site is not in english

Here is the link:

http://carottelychee.blogspot.com/

Luckily I had gone to her web site and found some other things I liked so I bookmarked carottelychee's website, so use this for her step by step instructions:

http://carottelychee.blogspot.com/ Then just look up the Origami picnic basket. You will be all set to go!

how can i view the directions and pictures from carottelychee?

where am i missing the instructions from carottelychee. i went to her name and clicked on it. only found something on baby bibs

OH I must really be dense! I can't get it...........yup video would be really nice

I couldn't have made this without the photos posted by the kind lady -as the above illustrations are somewhat confusing: they don't tell you to open up the pointy end to make the bottom of the box, but the photos on the blog explain and show it clearly. I was able to make a box from a piece of paper as suggested and it turned out the first time I tried it. I recommend to all trying to do this to look at the photos first. Very nice photos - thank you so much carottelychee for your blog/photos.

I love having new ways to fold things. I also love Martha's Origami Nesting boxes - I stitch her "Baby Booties" (http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.0e0eb51a2e6b5ad59...

Our family uses this pattern all the time to place table scraps (bones, shrimp shells, etc.) Take a magazine, catalog,or other heavy paper at least 8" x10". Don't worry if it's not square. Follow the steps 1-14 for the first box. Make additional boxes steps 1-13, flip over and store flat side down in the first box until needed. Use at the table at mealtime. Kids will like cleaning up the dishes when most table trash is already in the boxes.

carottelychee---HURRAY -- FOR YOUR PICTURES OF THE STEP BY STEP. Origami is new to me and frankly I had given up. Even my husband said "OH I can figure this out"--NOT!. The pictures were a must!!! Has anyone bought the oil cloth and actually tried this? Let us know!

Thank you rij12861 for the tip about using a cardboard at the bottom of the basket! I'm also glad to know that my pics helped some other crafters :)

This fold is actually quite popular in Taiwan - lots of families fold scratch paper (fliers, printouts you don't want, etc.) into little baskets and keep them in the dining room. They're great for holding seeds, chicken bones, etc. when eating - then afterwards you can easily toss it all into the trash.

CarotteLychee, thank you. Your instructions saved me from a lot of frustration. Love your blog.

Martha.....please hire the ladies from Carotte

Thanks CarotteLychee, you photos really made it simple. Try making individual sized ones out of paper or starched linen napkins. Pop something inside (bread roll, floral bloom, cup cake, party poppers, small gift, etc) to enhance your table setting.

carottelychee, just a hint for you., If you are using soft fabric, make a cardboard bottom to give the picnic basket some strength. Great how to picture! Kudos to you.

terrie-bear, yes, there are two sides. It is as if you are making roll down handles.

Hi! I made this "How to" in picture on my blog for this project after I try to make it this afternoon and I had really a hard time to decifer the plan! I had to try several times with paper before it worked out for me. Hope my explanations and picture will help those trying this project!

http://carottelychee.blogspot.com/2008/08/origami-picnic-basket.html

Are there 2 sides to fold down 3 times or do I roll them down together in step 12? This is where I am lost! Can someone help? How do I unfold this?

Thanks cindynelson for advising that you started with paper. This is actually a breeze. Especially when you realize point 12 is folding down the paper three times. Now using cloth, it is wonderful! I have a cozy picnic planned for my living room.

if you make sure to start with a square of stiff fabric it will work out rather well. This definitely doesn't work with softer fabrics. I reccomend using an oragami sized piece of paper to practice as it makes the folding a lot easier when you get to the full size.

Cindysnelson- Trying it with Paper first was such a good idea! I just tried it, and it topk me a while, but I finally got it to work!! Also, I saved each individual group of pictures from above and blew them up using my photo editor. The lines were a little fuzzy put you could see which way the arrows were pointing better. Can't wait to try this with the real thing!

Cindysnelson- Trying it with Paper first was such a good idea! I just tried it, and it topk me a while, but I finally got it to work!! Also, I saved each individual group of pictures from above and blew them up using my photo editor. The lines were a little fuzzy put you could see which way the arrows were pointing better. Can't wait to try this with the real thing!

So cool! We picnic a lot, so I can't wait to try this.

Good idea. I too tried it with paper. It worked also. For those having trouble maybe practicing some Origami would help. Just an idea. I know I have done some in the past.

id say print out these directions and keep in the picnic basket for how to refold it back once the picnic is over!

Fold square in half vertically L 2 R then in half horizontally top to bottom Fold in half vertically L 2 R
There r 2 layers of paper on the right Take the top layer of paper on R

Most of the directions are straightforward origami folds until step 12 (flip over between steps 11

What a cute idea! I, too, just tried it with a piece of 8 x 11 paper and it worked. My only confusion was in Step 12 - written directions would definitely have been helpful. In that step, you fold (sort of roll) each side down toward the pointed end. Those are the handles. Then you open it up - the pointed ends become the bottom of the basket.
Hope this helps.

Neat idea but I tried it with a piece of paper, did fine until step 12. It felt like the Garly Larson cartoon of a scientific formula "step 13 - a Miracle occurs, step 14 - a box." Maybe a tutorial in the symbols used in origami would be helpful.

I would like to congratulate cindysnelson for figuring this out so quickly. The directions are very difficult, and I have given up. A bit of explaination would have been nice.

Very, very confusing...I got lost at about step 5. VIDEO please!

Origami always blows my mind!! I just cannot do it without a video or very, very explicit instructions. I got lost on this one at about step 5. This was more complicated than most!! VIDEO please.

I have tries to fold this a few times, but seem to get stuck at the end.

I made it to step 10 but couldn't figure it out from there. Ditto on the video.

cindynelson...maybe you can bring some light to this project?
It sounds neat, but hard to follow.

Yes Martha, we need a video. Explain as if we are 8 years old. I was never good at origami. Love the idea.

I just fumbled my way through using a piece of paper. It would have been easier with instructions that werea a little more clear.

However, I plan to make several paper baskets, fill with candy, and that's what we'll give out for Halloween.

I am also thinking about making some for organized storage in the trunk of my car. I'll probably place something in the bottom to make it a little more sturdy.

The illustrations are not user friendly at all! A video or a better how-to illustration would be appreciated for this great idea.

The instructions are a bit vague, can we have a video or more details instructions please?

I'm trying this at work with paper and the directions are not that clear. A video of the folding process would help this great project.

Actually, these instructions are clearer than most origami instructions. If you try it out with paper first, it will become clear as you work through it. By the way, all those curved lines ARE arrows. I love the idea of the changing pad for a baby shower - and filled with little item, it will be especially nice. This is a fun craft idea - using origami to make something big instead of tiny.

Great idea! I really wanted to try this and like "Cindysnelson" first attempted it with paper.....but unfortunately, it was impossible to follow the tiny diagrams.....dear MS crafters -- could you please revise the diagrams and instructions, ideally add a video doing the step-by-step, or at the very least....."Cindysnelson" could you please explain how you did it?
Thanks!

It would have been great if the instructions were clearer or showed on video.
Very hard to follow. Can you make a video for that craft?

Thank you

Ruby Bagonia

I'd like to see a video of this. Think it would be easier to follow directions.

This is a neat idea! Just tried it on paper too, and it's good I've got already some experience in origami. It's not difficult, but a first-time try on origami needs some explanation of the signs.

It WORKS!!!! Wow! I like thw idea that cindynelson had about using idea for baby shower and I can even see this for wedding shower, house warming etc....

I just saw this and tried it with paper. I thought if I tried it out small, I could figure out the folds easier and actually made it work the first time.I think it is a really cute idea, and I can't wait to try it with fabric. I am even thinking about using this idea on a smaller level. How about a water proof changing pad for a baby shower?

This sounds like a neat idea, however, the directions are not very clear. It would help if there were arrows showing the direction of the folds, or a video. I tried, but finally gave up.

This project would benefit from a short video showing how to do it - the illustrations are not very clear!