Make, and deliver your own May Day baskets

Celebrate May Day on May 1 by surprising your neighbors, family and friends with clever baskets you make from recycled food containers and boxes. Making and filling the baskets is half the fun. The other half is the excitement of hanging them on unsuspecting people’s doorknobs, ringing doorbells, hiding and waiting to see the surprised looks on the faces of friends who come to the door.

•The small baskets you create may come in all shapes and sizes. Weave ribbon or yarn through the sides of plastic strawberry baskets from the produce department at your market and top with a wide ribbon for a handle. Or try this simple, new idea using recycled cereal boxes.

•The main basket will actually be made from the bottom corner of the box, and the handle will be made from one of the top flaps!

•First, remove the paper liner from inside the box. With the front of the box standing up in front of you, place a ruler horizontally at the bottom-left corner of the box. Measure 4 inches in from the bottom-left corner and make a mark on the box with a pen to indicate the 4-inch point. Now turn your ruler upward and measure 4 inches up from the edge of the bottom corner and make a mark. Draw a straight line connecting your two pen marks, and you will see that you have created a triangle.

•Flip the box around and do the same thing on the bottom-right corner. Turn the box so that the side panel is facing you, and then draw a short, straight line connecting the marks from the front and the back. Flip the box upside down and connect the other two dots. Cut along the four lines you have drawn with a pair of scissors to create a nice basket from the corner of the box. Cut off one of the top flaps of the box to the desired length, arch it over the basket like a handle and glue the ends in place. Let dry. Paint and decorate.

•Fill with spring flowers, blossoms and twigs or with treats such as candy and cookies. Add a note to tell the person that he or she is special. Accompany your child for that special surprise delivery to a friend’s doorstep.