Monday, April 28, 2014

Makin’ May Baskets?

Alrighty then.  Thursday is May Day. It is one of my favorite days! That is the day I will deliver a few May Baskets.  It is a tradition…an old one for sure and some people have never heard of May Baskets.

The tradition as I know it:  You decorate baskets fill them with candy and you take them to neighbors and friends.  You go up to a door and hang the basket on the door knob, knock and then run, because someone will chase you and try to kiss you.  I am old, I will settle for a hug…because I am not running away.

I have had my idea and supplies for a few weeks.  Today I will buy the candy.  You can also put flowers in a May Basket..but I am doing candy.

Here is my May Basket 2014 Tutorial!

May Baskets one

 

May Baskets two

I hope you get the main idea.  It makes a triangular shaped basket…that is why there are so many folds. Sheryl shared this on her One Hundred Years Ago Today Blog.  Hers was a gift box and mine is a May Basket!

IMG_8309

I chose a stiff card stock for this project and some shiny stickers and metallic tinsel stems. I am making them in blue and pink.

I challenge all of you to make a May Basket and give it to a friend or neighbor, it doesn’t have to be fancy…just fun.

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30 comments:

Pauline Persing said...

I know exactly who I'll make a basket for...my neighbor across the street...92 and still mowing her own lawn and going to exercise class three times a week.

linda m said...

That is such a fun idea. When I was growing up I don't remember doing anything like that. Never too late to start.

DJan said...

I have made May baskets a few years now, since you got me started. Thanks for the reminder! I think I'll try to make these pretty triangular baskets this May Day. :-)

Cranberry Morning said...

What fun! We always made May baskets and took them to our neighbors when I was a kid. They always contained candies, May flowers, and springing beauties. What a lovely memory!

Primitive Stars said...

Morning, love the May baskets, love the month of May too, Blessings Francine.

Karen said...

Another sign of Spring coming your way:)

troutbirder said...

Mrs. T. still does this also though she never told me about the kissing part....;)

Shirley said...

We used to make May baskets when we were kids; we had a book called Things to Make and Do and it had a few patterns for May baskets- Easter baskets too. We use to hang them on the tree branches for each other to find (big family)

Nancy said...

If I weren't so lazy/tired, I'd make some of these before Thurs. I hope you get LOTS of hugs!

Country Gal said...

Lovely May baskets . I can't believe May is just around the corner , where does the time go ? Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

Anonymous said...

What a lovely tradition! I wish I lived next door to you.

L. D. said...

I use to help a friend who lived in town, deliver May baskets. It was a tradition for the two of us until we were just to old to be doing such things. I think it is a great tradition. We had two girls who use to do them every spring but one is now a lawyer in New York City and the other works and lives in a nearby town.

L. D. said...

I wanted to mention that we always filled our baskets with wild violets both purple and viola colored.

bobbybegood1 said...

Gee, I wish we were neighbors. What a super duper sentiment. I love altruism, acts of kindness. What an amazing we to live. Keep it up. P.S. - I didn't think you were the running type - LOL! Cheers!!

Cynthia said...

Loved doing this when I was a kid and so did my kids growing up. I think the most fun part was the running and hiding! Yours are really cute.

Anonymous said...

This was a delightful activity I remember doing. But then we had to stop doing it. Something about communists, whatever those were. I'm glad to see it isn't forgotten custom.

Linda said...

I just might do this.....and candy sounds great for a stuffer!

Red said...

Hey, I think I could follow the instructions to make a may basket. I'm wondering where this tradition originated. You do a very interesting thing with your may baskets.

Wendy said...

Thank you for taking me back to my childhood. Enjoy the day.

thecrazysheeplady said...

I'll do it! :-)

Henny Penny said...

You do such nice things, and have so many projects going on. Makes me feel like I need to do more. The baskets are really cute.

Ryker said...

I guess we had not heard of these baskets either. Cute idea!

kathy b said...

what a fun idea. WELCOME to May! I love may. Full of warmer days and garden promises

Jacqi Stevens said...

When my daughter was grade school age, her art teacher taught the class to make May baskets. Only--thankfully!--she taught the class that the May baskets were to be filled with flowers. She told them to ring the doorbell and run because no one was supposed to know who delivered the May basket. I suppose there are all sorts of varieties to this custom. Whatever, it's fun and sweet--candy or not!

Hope your weather gets the same heat spike we are expecting at the end of this week. It would really spoil things to have to trudge through more snow to get those May baskets delivered! I heard it is supposed to hit 90 around here this Friday.

Dreaming said...

I remember your post about the baskets last year - the first I had ever heard about it. It makes me wish I still lived in my previous neighborhood - but heck, maybe it is a way to make friends up here!
Thanks for the challenge!

Anonymous said...

You are so creative. It's fun to see how you started with the gift box idea on my blog--and refined it to make an awesome May basket.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

We must be a bunch of slackers in my town, because I've never ever seen anyone actually do this! Great idea and I like your basket. Have fun and get lots of hugs!

Terry and Linda said...

I love to give May baskets...although, I have never ever received one!

✿♥ღLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Sam I Am...... said...

I just might do that this year!

Linda Reeder said...

I never heard of candy in May baskets, only flowers. but then if your don't have flowers blooming yet, candy makes sense. I also never knew why you had to run away.