In our household the holiday season is not yet over as we will be celebrating Los Tres Reyes Magos, Three Kings’ Day, this coming Monday, January 6th. In Puerto Rico, my family always celebrated El Día de Los Reyes by making baskets for the children to use to collect grass for the Three Kings’ camels. The idea is that you leave grass under or next to your bed for the camels and the Three Kings leave behind a present and candy in place of the grass, much like they gave baby Jesus gifts.
I’ve shared more about our Three Kings’ Day traditions from Puerto Rico in the past and today (with the help of my mami who made these baskets for my kids) will show you how to make your own Canastas para Tres Reyes (Three Kings’ Day Baskets) for your kids! They’re easy to make and you don’t need a lot of materials – you can find most of them at your local Walmart – just as you’ll be able to find affordable Three Kings’ Day gift options at Walmart too! Ready to make your Three Kings’ Day baskets?
Three Kings’ Day Baskets for Kids (Canastas para Día de Tres Reyes Magos) {DIY Craft}
Materials Needed
- Shoe box with a lid
- Tissue paper or wrapping paper (preferably you’d use decorative wax paper, but it’s hard to find)
- Elmer’s glue
- Stapler
- Tape
- Scissors
- Copy paper or newspaper (optional)
How to Make Three Kings’ Day Baskets for Kids
Measure half of your shoe box length-wise, marking the half-way point with a pencil and cutting the box all around, starting at the point.
On the lid, using half of your already-cut shoe box, measure out a piece to complete the box. Also cut off the sides of the lid for later use as handles of your basket.
Glue the additional side from the lid to complete the box, being careful not to press too hard, but adding some pressure so it will glue together.
Tape strips of copy paper or newspaper to the corners to reinforce the box, if you wish.
Cut out a piece of tissue paper to the size of the bottom of the box and glue to the inside bottom of the box.
Let the box dry overnight, about 10-12 hours.
While box dries, begin cutting out square pieces of tissue or wrapping paper, about 3 x 3 inches in size. Cut out a variety of colors and designs, to your liking, so you can mix and coordinate accordingly to the design you wish to create.
Once you have a good variety of tissue paper squares cut out, it’s time to make the flowers for decorating the baskets. You’ll first need to cut the papers diagonally on all four corners toward the middle. Then using scissors, curl each strip, making sure to hold the paper in the middle with your fingers and not bring the scissors too far towards the middle as to avoid tearing the paper. This is much like curling a ribbon with scissors. Take a peek at the quick Instagram video below for an example of how to make the tissue paper flowers!
How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers for Three Kings’ Day Baskets
After your box has dried overnight, use the sides from the shoe box lid that you previously cut off to make a handle. If the side is too thick, cut it to a thinner strip to fit your basket better, bend it to a handle, and staple it to either side of your basket, on the inside.
Once you’ve made enough tissue paper (or wrapping paper) flowers and your basket is dried and ready, simply glue your flowers to your basket! Begin by covering the staples on the inside of the basket from where you stapled the handle. Then, cover all four sides of the basket and the handle with your tissue paper flowers, using a dot of glue in the middle of the flower. Feel free to fill in some gaps and overlap the flowers if need be.
On the eve of Three Kings’ Day (La Vispera de Reyes), have your children use their canastas to collect grass for the Three Kings’ camels. These Three Kings’ Day baskets can be used each year if carefully stored and cared for, or you can make new ones each year with your children to keep the Three Kings tradition going.
Feliz Día de Tres Reyes!
All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™
Oooohhh! I love to make this with the kids. Thanks!