How to Sew a Storage Basket

Sew an attractive basket to help organize your home.

Simple handmade storage baskets can provide organization in your home. Make several box-shaped baskets to corral small office supplies on your desk, hair supplies and makeup in the bathroom or your daily mail. The baskets are constructed using small amounts of fabric that coordinate with the room they will be used in. Line them up to sort and separate a variety of small items, or place one on a table or shelf as an accessory.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler
• Scissors
• 1/4-yard outer fabric
• 1/4-yard lining fabric
• 1/4-yard heavyweight fusible interfacing
• Straight pins
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Hand-sewing needle and thread

Instructions

1. Cut two rectangles each, 9 inches wide by 12 inches long, from the outer fabric, lining fabric and heavyweight fusible interfacing. The interfacing will stiffen the sides of the basket.

2. Place the two outer fabric pieces wrong side up on your ironing surface. Lay the interfacing on the fabric with the glue side down. The glue side has a slight texture. Iron the interfacing to adhere it to the fabric.

3. Place the interfaced outer fabric together with the right sides facing. Pin together the two 9-inch edges for the sides and one 12-inch edge for the bottom. Sew the pinned edges using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Do not turn the basket right side out.

4. Open the outer fabric basket. Match up one inside side seam with the inside bottom seam. This will form a triangle on the outside corner of the basket. Measure down from the point of the triangle 3 inches and mark with a pin. Sew across the marked bottom of the triangle (perpendicular to the seam). Cut off the triangle 1/4 inch from the seam. Repeat on the other corner. The basket will now have a flat bottom, allowing it to stand.

5. Stitch the lining together in the same way, but leave a 3-inch opening in the center of the bottom seam.

6. Turn the outer basket right side out. Place the right-side-out outer basket inside the wrong-side-out lining basket. Line up the top edges of both baskets and the seams. Pin the top edges together. Sew around the pinned edges using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

7. Turn the storage basket right side out through the opening in the lining. Hand sew the opening closed. Iron the top edge of the basket. Top-stitch around the opening 1/4 inch from the edge (top-stitching is a straight or decorative stitch that is meant to be seen).

Tips & Warnings

• For a medium basket: Cut an 8-inch wide by 16-inch long rectangle pattern and stitch the boxed bottom 4 inches from the triangle point.

• For a large basket: Cut a 10-inch wide by 20-inch long rectangle pattern and stitch the boxed bottom 5 inches from the triangle point.