how to make modeling chocolate basket 20http://cakejournal.com/tutorials/how-to-make-a-modeling-chocolate-basket/

Materials

Modeling chocolate (I used milk chocolate candy melts to make mine)
Lollipop sticks or thin pretzel rods
A small drinking glass without any curves
Wax paper
Melted chocolate
Large circle cutter from the Wilton circle cutter set
Clay extruder
Paintbrush
Knife
Shortening

Instructions

1. Rub the inside of your drinking glass with shortening.
Cut out wax paper and stick it on the inside. The shortening acts like a glue and holds the wax paper in place.

2. Pour some melted chocolate inside the glass.
The chocolate layer should be a quarter of an inch thick

3. Next, dip 8 lollipop sticks in melted chocolate and place them on a cookie tray lined with wax paper.
Place your tray in the freezer so the chocolate sets quickly. It takes about 10 minutes.

NOTES:
- You may have to cut these lollipop sticks according to the height that you want for your basket.
- You can also use mini pretzel rods instead of lollipop sticks.
- You need to use an even number of lollipop sticks or pretzel sticks. Odd numbers don’t work out that well

4. Stick those lollipops sticks into the melted chocolate. Try to keep them evenly spaced out.
Place this glass in the freezer so that the chocolate hardens up. It takes about 15- 20 minutes depending on your  freezer temperature settings.

5. Once you take the glass out of the freezer, carefully peel the wax paper away from the glass and slowly pull out the whole chocolate structure.

6. Gently, peel away the wax paper from your chocolate structure and it should look something like this…
Place this whole piece on a sheet of wax paper so it doesn’t mess up your work area with brown chocolate stains.

7. Use an extruder with the circle attachment to make many long modeling chocolate ropes.
These will be used to create the typical basket weave.

8. Carefully, start running your ropes through the lollipop sticks.
You go through one and come out the other ….in and out…in and out…. you keep doing this until you have something like this…Cut off the excess with a sharp knife and use the warmth of your fingers to stick the joint together. Be careful not to press too hard.

9. Now, take another rope and start going through your lollipop sticks again. But this time, you will go in the opposite direction. Instead of going “in and out”, you will go “out and in.”  

10. When you get to the end, use a sharp knife to cut off any excess and stick the joint together with your fingers.
Continue doing this “in and out” plus “out and in” motion until you have reached almost the entire height of your basket.
Leave a little empty space at the top.

11. Next, take three ropes and pinch them together near the top. Start braiding just like your would braid your hair.

12. Brush very little melted chocolate on top of your basket. Now, very gently… pick up your braid and stick it around the top.
You may have to press a little to hold it in place.

13. Brush some melted chocolate around the base of your basket and stick another braid around it.

14. Cut out 2 little loops of modeling chocolate and stick them on either side of the basket using some melted chocolate.

15. And you are done!  You can keep this basket at room temperature or in the fridge. Fill it up with whatever you like.

Ideas by Farwa and Abeer

For  more details visit: http://cakejournal.com/tutorials/how-to-make-a-modeling-chocolate-basket/