Berry Basket Gadget Keeper

crayola supplies

Model Magic® Fusion™

household supplies

recycled plastic containers

Why

Turn a simple plastic berry basket into a fabulous work of art that is functional as well as beautiful! Save space in a landfill and get organized at the same time!

Steps

1. Wash and dry a plastic berry basket. Choose Crayola Model Magic® Fusion™ colors to create a pattern or design you like. These are some ideas on how to decorate baskets to give as gifts or use on your desk.
2. If you want a mod-deco look like the picture on the left, roll a few Fusion balls in the colors you chose. Press the balls from the inside to the outside until the ball is attached and the plastic design of the basket shows through. Repeat to fill all sides and the bottom so that your basket can hold little objects.
3. To make stripes like the basket on the right, roll several sets of coils. Press coils from the inside out, just like you did with the balls, to cover all sides and the bottom.
4. Decorate either basket with shapes, thin rolls that spell out a name, or any other Model Magic designs you wish. Make four small Fusion balls and press on bottoms of the basket corners to make feet. Fusion dries to the touch overnight and dries completely in 2 to 3 days.
5. You could make matching accessories such as a pencil holder or memo clips—just recycle more berry baskets.

When & Where

"This is a great gift for teachers! They all tell me that they treasure handmade gifts the most."
- Marci O., mother of 6- and 9-year-olds

"We used this idea with different types of recyclable containers and the kids were really excited. What a fun way to reinforce environmental responsibility."
- Thomas C., father of 7-year-old

Interesting Info

Garbologists are scientists who measure, weigh, and study what people throw away. They work to discover different things people can do to reduce the waste we leave on the planet. Reusing items, you do with this art project, is one important strategy to help this problem.

Safety Guidelines

Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—

Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Recycled Containers—Must be clean and safe. Do not use containers that contained bleach or other harmful chemicals (for example, household cleaners, dishwasher or laundry detergents). Do not use recycled metal cans that have sharp edges (for example, lids removed by household can openers).