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5 from 1 vote

Fabric Storage Baskets

These fabric storage baskets are so easy to make! A 30-minute project. Perfect for storing a variety of things and they make great gifts. Follow our guide for making fabric baskets in a variety of sizes!
Prep Time10 minutes
Active Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Yield: 1 7" basket
Cost: $2-$3

Equipment

  • sewing machine
  • iron
  • ironing board
  • scissors
  • pins
  • sewing pen (disappearing ink)
  • ruler or straight edge
  • sewing needle
  • measuring tape

Materials

  • 2 16" squares of fabric
  • 1 15.5" piece of fusible fleece interfacing
  • embroidery thread
  • thread

Instructions

  • Place fusible fleece square on top of one of the 16" squares of fabric (on the back/wrong side of the fabric.)
    Iron interfacing in place.
    square of fabric and square of fusible fleece
  • Place the other square of fabric onto your work surface (right side up).
    square of yellow floral fabric
  • Place the fabric fused with interfacing on top with right sides together and interfacing on top.
    hand pressing on fabric
  • Place two straight pins on one side, 4" apart.
    hands pinning fabric
  • Starting at one straight pin, sew a 3/8" seam around the entire perimeter, ending at the second straight pin.
    sewing machine and hands pushing fabric through machine
  • Clip corners to reduce bulk.
    scissors cutting corner of fabric
  • Turn right side out. Press seams flat and poke out corners so that they are pointy.
    hand turning fabric right side out
  • Fold the edges of the 4" opening over and pin in place.
    open seam of yellow and orange fabric
  • Top stitch around the entire square. This will give it a finished look and close off the opening where you turned it right side out.
    yellow fabric sewn in sewing machine
  • Fold the finished square in half.
    hand folding fabric square in half
  • Make 2 markings 3.5" up from one corner and 3.5" to the left of the corner, along the bottom.
    Use a straight edge to draw a line connecting the two dots. This should create a triangle in the corner.
    Note: My daughter misplaced my sewing pen so I used a pencil. You don’t really notice the light pencil markings when it’s finished, but a sewing pen with disappearing ink works best! You can also simply make two dots and eyeball it as you sew.
    ruler on fabric
  • Stitch along the line from one dot to the other.
    Repeat this step on the other corner.
    sewing machine and orange checked fabric sewn at the corners
  • Fold the square the opposite way and repeat the steps of marking the sides and bottom, connecting the dots and sewing across the line for the other two corners.
    orange checked fabric
  • Flatten each corner to create a pocket.
    pocket of fabric storage basket pressed flat
  • Tack down the top of each pocket by sewing over the top stitched seam.
    basket pockets being sewn across the top
  • Fold flaps over and pin into place.
    hand folding over basket flap
  • Secure flap by hand stitching an "x" onto each one.
    Note: I started and ended my x's under the flap to hide the knots, but you don't have to do that.
    small hand stitched "x" on basket flap
  • Your fabric basket is now complete. Admire your work and make a second one! :)
    9 fabric baskets stacked on table in 3 rows

Video

Notes

Cutting Guide For Different Sizes.
Interfacing should be 1/2" smaller than the fabric squares to reduce bulk, but for ease of cutting you can use a piece the same size as the fabric squares if you'd like.
  • 5" basket: 12" squares of fabric, 2.5" corners
  • 6" basket: 14" squares of fabric, 3" corners
  • 7" basket: 16" squares of fabric, 3.5" corners
  • 8" basket: 18" squares of fabric, 4" corners
  • 9" basket: 20" squares of fabric, 4.5" corners
  • 10" basket: 22" squares of fabric, 5" corners
  1. To make other sizes take the size you want your finished basket to be, multiply that number by 2 and add 2 to get the square size. The corner size is half of the finished measurement size. For example: for a 6" basket you'll multiply 6x2 and then add 2 to get 14" squares of fabric. Then 6/2= 3" corners.
  2. I've made these in all different sizes and have found that 5" is about as small as I like to make them. Any smaller and the side pockets would be too small to actually use. 
  3. You can use a piece of interfacing the same size as the fabric squares if you'd like. Having it slightly smaller reduces some of the bulk when pressing it flat, but I've made these both ways and the baskets turn out either way!
  4. Felt also works well as a stabilizer. It isn't fusible, but you can attach it using basting spray or simply cut the felt to the same size as the fabric and sew it all together when you sew around the perimeter. I've made baskets with felt and fusible fleece. I prefer fusible fleece, but felt is a great alternative.