October 29, 2007

patchwork sewing basket tutorial

OK, so here is the promised tutorial I have been working on for long time. I started this project a while ago and finally I made some time to finish it and take pictures.

I will show step by step how to make a pretty patchwork lid for a basket. You can use it to put your sewing supplies inside, crochet, crafts or whatever you are working on. My Child uses one just like this as a pretend picnic basket.

I got inspired by one of those Japanese zakka style crafty websites that have very weird signs and fonts. I saw a basket similar to this one while surfing those sites and I liked it, so I decided to make one for myself and share the process with you. I hope you enjoy it.


First you will need...
a basket, any type but small. There are different types, with handles or without them . The one I chose has one handle and it works pretty good. I could not decided if I wanted the square one so I thought I will make that for later.

Materials and tools: sewing machine, scraps of fabric, light weight batting, leather cord (or ribbon or jute), trim like rick-rack or lace, one wooden button (plastic or metal if you like too), a piece of heavy cardboard (big enough to make the top of the basket), white poster board, glue gun and glue sticks, scissors, a card box cutter, one upholstery needle or big embroidery needle, pencil, pen and tool pliers.

First place the chosen basket up side down and trace the opening of it on the cardboard. Cut it and use the cardboard shape to trace onto the poster board like in the picture, cut it too.

Place the batting on a flat surface and cut a piece that is slightly larger than the cardboard top.

Now take your fabric scraps and trim and make a pretty patchwork piece. Iron it and place it under your cardboard top. Cut your patchwork around and about 1" (inch) larger than the cardboard piece. You are going to "glue gun upholster" :)

Place the patchwork piece under (wrong side up), the batting and then the cardboard. Glue the fabric around the edges pulling slightly towards the center of the cardboard so it gives it a nice stretch to the fabric (almost like upholstering). Don't worry if it looks messy, we are covering the center in a bit. Just make sure the exposed edge looks neat.


This is how your glue gun upholstered cardboard should look, cute uh?


Now cut a piece of fabric that is larger around the piece of poster board and follow the same process as with the cardboard but just don't use batting here. This is the piece that will conceal the back side of the cardboard top for the basket. Now both pieces are covered and neat looking.

Take both covered pieced and hot glue one with another with the wrong sides together. Now your basket lid is finished.

Here is how it looks. Next, determine where you want to open it from and hand sew a button close to the edge on the patchwork side of the lid.


Cut a piece of leather cord, ribbon or jute and slide the two ends through some of the open spaces of your basket. Just make sure the cord is long enough because this will be the loop to fasten the button. Place the lid on your basket and adjust the cord so it is easy to wrap around the button.


Take the lid off and knot the ends of the cord from the inside of the basket, cut off the ends if is too long.

Place the lid on top of the basket again and with a pencil mark two points, those marks are for the "hinges" of the lid. Use the upholstery or big embroidery needle to pierce a whole throught out the lid and use the same needle to pass a long piece of cord too, use the pliers to pull the needle if it gets difficult. Do the same with the second mark.


The first picture shows how the lid should look with the two long pieces of cord.
Next pass one end of each piece of leather cord through some spaces of the basket like the second picture shows.


Line up the edge of the lid and the edge of the basket and make knots the cord to secure the lid, don't pull the cord too tight, just enough to keep the lid lined with the basket and easy to open and close; cut off any excess.


Close the lid and this is the way the hinges should look.

NOW...

Your basket is done! Now you can put that WIP inside your pretty basket and take it anywhere! My daughter love it and thought that it will make a pretty pretend picnic basket for herself; that is actually a great idea for a little girl too!

I hope you all enjoy this project and show yours if you make one please :)

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! Great tutorial! I must go hunting for the right basket.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much !! It is a great idea !!

macati said...

this tutorial is amazing! so beautiful and 1000 thanks!
:)

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot for this clear tutorial ;)

Rebecca said...

Sew pretty! Now to find myself some baskets.....

Cassie said...

Excellent tutorial!

Felicia said...

Fantastic! I've bookmarked it. Thanks :)

corry said...

So lovely! Thanks for the tutorial!

wyndesnow said...

What a great idea and thank you for putting together such a great tutorial. I think I might make at least one for a christmas gift. Ohh, I just thought of 2 more people I could make one for. Thank you so very much!!!

Unknown said...

Its really beautiful - perfect for an easter basket I think!

Simone said...

Great idea! Now what else could you decorate that way. . . Also a good container for Holiday treats.

marym said...

This is so cute! Thanks for sharing!

Just one question: did you have any problem with the new lid rubbing on the basket handle when the handle is in the raised position?

marym

Sewicked said...

And this could so easily be adjusted to make a split lid (2 half circles in this case). cool!

Kari V. said...

You are too clever! I love that you did it with patchwork and trim, instead of just one fabric.

Teresa said...

This is really cool! They would also make great toy baskets for kids and pets.

Anne Marie said...

What an awesome tutorial! Thank you for sharing :-)

David and Melissa said...

Thanks so much for the lovely tutorial. I will definitely be doing one or more of these myself! I have a bit a cane fetish!
Mel xxxxx

Anonymous said...

I love the basket. Great tutorial..where did you find the basket?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great tutorial! I'm going to find some fabrics with gold & silver in them to match my gold & chrome painted baskets I made this summer. What a great inexpensive expensive looking present!

Heather said...

Thanks for this tutorial! I am going to try it!

Sarah and Jack said...

This is gorgeous. I have a sewing basket with a sort of ugly fabric top that my aunt gave to me, and I think a redo is in order.

Anonymous said...

So cute! I'll definitely be making this. So glad I found your blog... I'll be adding you to my typepad list today!

Anonymous said...

It is beautiful. Thanks for sharing this my dear! Perfect for gift giving.

Tanya said...

love love love, I am sooo doing this today!

Adriel Dolphin said...

i wanted to let you know that your tutorial led me to make a very special gift for my daughter. photo here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zopho/2137361540/in/set-72157603464675080/

thank you so very much for sharing instructions. it was a great project in every way.

i love the sweet fabric you used.

Estercity said...

¿ Have you see this?
Is your tutorial
http://www.lasmanualidades.com/2007/11/03/como-renovar-una-vieja-canasta/#more-1453

nathalie bearden said...

i'm going to have to try this tutotial....very cute idea!!!

MAK TEH said...

sooo cute.I want to see more craft.thanks.

blueberries in the fields said...

this is such a sweet and lovely idea ! I am going to make one for my daughter who is just starting to sew. it will make a wonderful christmas present. thanks for sharing !

Anonymous said...

I made mine! Thank you, this tutorial was very helpful. Mine is here http://www.flickr.com/photos/casa_arteira_mix/2864084994/

Thanks, Ciça.

Hadeel said...

I think I found a project for this weekend! I have never seen a sewing basket that was really cute, so why not make my own!?

Anna M. said...

I just found your tutorial and your basket looks lovely! I can't wait to make mine! Thanks again for the instructions! =)

Anonymous said...

Thanks!!

thebedroomcrafter said...

i love your work!

Unknown said...

its beautiful, REALLY

PILAR BUJALDÓN said...

Me gusta tu cesta, maravilloso!!!!

Maria Filomena said...

Fantástico...Amei a idéia....Vou fazer um igual...
abraços e agradecida pelo compartilhamento da idéia...
Maria Filomena

Susan Downing said...

Great idea! I have been looking for a small basket hamper to have in our bathroom... but can never find one with a lid. Now I can just make a lid--and it will be so cute, too! Thanks!

Şehnaz said...

BRAVOOOO.....VERY VERY GOOD......

Ania ze Wzgórza said...

This is absolutely georgeus! :)))

Hugs from Poland! :)

/Ania

reverse search said...

Very nice looking. Thanks for your detail tutorial. I'll just hit Joanne fabric Monday afternoon.

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Stephanie said...

Thank you so much for sharing your creativity and showing the rest of us how to mimic it! I just made my daughter the most darling sewing basket for Christmas, thanks to your tutorial. God bless!