May Day Basket – a Fun Tradition to Share

I recently discovered that the May Day Basket tradition isn’t as widely known or practiced as I thought. After moving to a new neighborhood (many years ago), I left May Day Baskets on my neighbor’s porches. They had no idea why or what was happening! Growing up, I made May Day Baskets with my sister, using construction paper, stickers to conceal used birthday bags, and a lot of ingenuity. We carefully crafted our “baskets” and handed them out to friends, neighbors and even strangers. I recall sometimes even including picked dandelions with the gift!

Recently, during an episode of Sew What?, the weekly Sulky streaming series, I asked viewers if they made May Day Baskets and if so, what they added to the baskets to showcase sewing skills. Many had never heard of this tradition, as well! Now I’m on a mission to bring back this fun and thoughtful tradition so others can join the fun!

WHAT IS A MAY DAY BASKET?

May Day Baskets are small gifts anonymously given to friends, neighbors and/or co-workers to celebrate spring on the first day of May. The idea is that the “basket,” which doesn’t have to be a basket at all but some sort of receptacle, is crafted, made, thrifted or repurposed to hold flowers, baked goods and/or some trinkets to brighten someone’s day. As a kid, gifting May Day Baskets is the most fun part – because you get to “ding-dong-ditch” the recipients, meaning to leave it, ring the doorbell and run away!

HOW TO SEW A MAY DAY BASKET

Because a May Day Basket doesn’t need to be a basket at all, lots of patterns work for sewing a May Day inspired basket. Even a simple zipper pouch can become a May Day basket!

Grab a tote bag blank or make an easy one yourself. Embellish with a stitchout sample or leftover quilt block from another project to make it special. Fill it with a bag of your favorite chips and some springy flowers.

Grab an Easter Basket Blank, but personalize it for a May Day gift! These roomy fabric baskets are easy to embroider and large enough to hold a loaf of homemade bread, a small plant or a slew or movie theater candy boxes, depending on the recipient. Choose from pink, green, blue or purple seersucker. The height of the sides is 7″, the bottom insert is 5.5″ X 9″ and the handles have a 7.5″ drop. The handles are made of a quality canvas and can be ironed for a quick pressing. The inside polyester is white and can be wiped clean. Learn how to embroider these baskets HERE.

A Rope Basket is a great choice for May Day gifting. Plus, you can vary the size for the item you plan to gift inside. Create several small rope baskets, and embellish with a monogram or floral design. Learn how in our extensive Creative Rope Baskets Session, available on-demand for watching at any time.