Repurpose: How to Make a Basket out of Old Maps

Now that you've got GPS in your car and on your smartphone, chart a new course for your old paper maps by weaving them into a sturdy, multihued basket.

Once you realize that the maps clogging your glove compartment are essentially obsolete, you could recycle them. But where's the fun in that? Instead, weave them into a basket. It might sound intimidating (let's face it, the only weaving most of us do nowadays is in and out of traffic) but as it turns out, paper's easier to work with than more supple materials, and the basic over-under weave requires less brain power than refolding a map.

It does take time — about two hours to cut up the maps and fold them into strips and another two to do the actual weaving — but it's soothing and meditative, like a long car ride. You may get lost a few times and have to retrace your steps, but it's all just part of the journey. The finished piece is practical and a great conversation starter — a monument to road trips gone by.

For the step-by-step instructions, head on over to Sierra magazine's Repurpose page.

--Wendy Becktold