The three “R’s” of ecology (Recycle – Reduce – Reuse) all get together in this home project that I found in today’s news featured in The Star online (Malaysia). The article has you take the classifieds (or any newspaper section!), fold, weave and “sew” the sides with string, and what do you have? A basket just the right size to for you to put in – what else?- your newspaper!
Dr. David Shapiro, Professor of Economics (Penn State University), featured basket weaving among his amazing collection of photos from a 2004-2005 trip to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Africa).
Baskets as an “uber-commodity” are available under the Longaberger brand name. They are still hand crafted in the corn fed state of Ohio, and I’m having a Longaberger basket Home Show! Soon! If the consultant calls me back. 
Basket-weaving is also an idiomatic example of a “really easy” college or university major or class at any level.