DIY Mini Baskets

A recent trip to Ikea sparked the inspiration for today's post on mini twine baskets. As Jason and I wandered through the comfortably chic room layouts of the Ikea showroom, I noticed they had small crochet baskets for bathroom organization. The baskets were made of a very chunky and stiff cord with tight stitches making the fabric very sturdy. After inspecting the handiwork I naturally checked the price and was disappointed (but not surprised) to see that they were $12.99 (CAD) for a set of two. I won't go into my usual rant about a) outsourcing artisanal work and b) not paying the crafters what they deserve but I will say that I absolutely wanted (needed!) crochet baskets.

At home I was going through WIPs, arts and crafts supplies, old clothes, and other miscellaneous objects that have landed in my workspace over the years. One of these items was a twine crochet purse I bought 15 years ago. I must have used it once before it ended up in the back of the closet. And then it probably spent another 2 years in my workspace, awaiting its fate.

After the trip to Ikea, coming across the forgotten purse started the creative process of taking the purse apart, unraveling it, and reusing the twine to crochet these totally adorable mini baskets. I even made a lid with a handle because it just needed a handle. I call it the snake charmer basket.

The baskets are super easy to make, you just need to make a circle and then work even until you reach your desired height. Alternately, once you have the width of the circle, do a round in the back loop only so that it has a more pronounced edge. Do the same with the lid and don't forget the handle - it's just a set of chains and then sewn to the lid. Make sure the circle for the lid is bigger than the base circle of the basket.

For the first basket I used different stitches - single crochet, double crochet, and half double crochet. For the second basket I used single crochet throughout. I used a 4.00mm hook for the first and a 3.75mm for the second. Since the yarn or twine didn't come with a label, I'll have to guess its weight is 3-4 (light to worsted weight).

Read this post if you're new to working in the round. Read this post to find out how to make a magic ring.

If you make these crochet baskets I'd love to see your creation, just tag me on Instagram @popsdemilk_crochet and use the hashtag #popsdemilkLooking for more crochet organization patterns? Then you might like my Tshirt Yarn Basket pattern.

**********

This pattern is for personal use only. The pattern and its photos may not be reproduced, distributed or resold, translated, published, altered, shared or posted in any way over the internet or offline. You may sell finished items made from this pattern as long as it is handmade by you, not mass produced, giving the credit to Pops de Milk / Patricia Castillo as the designer. If you have any questions, you can email me at patricia@popsdemilk.com