Posted on 30-10-2020 by Elianne van Steenis
It’s September already; how time flies! The summer vacation is over, kids are back at (home-)school and the first Christmas treats can be found in store. We’ve packed our bikinis away, dug out our sweaters and squeezed ourselves back into tights and leggings. We are ready for fall! This season is the perfect time to add some cozy touches to your home. And we’re here to lend you a hand with 4 fun DIY basket accessories to pimp up your basket collection! Want to know more? Then read on.
DIY basket accessories – Piles of paper on every surface, keys lying around, a tube of lipstick or lip balm in almost every room, toys and other odds and ends placed right where they can trip you up. Sound familiar? Although sometimes temporary, most of us end up with our messes staring us in the face more often than we’d like. Tidying up is such a chore! Or at least, it used to be. All you need are some fun, unique storage accessories that will not only solve your mess dilemma but also add some charm to your home. In this blog, we’d like to give you some tips for pimping up that most useful of storage accessories: the wicker basket! Baskets make fantastic hiding places for all your junk while also being cute enough to be kept out in plain sight. Win-win!
Wicker basket
A wicker basket is a perfect option for storing any and all of your belongings. Where we’re talking balls of yarn rolling around the place, loose Lego bricks scattered on the floor, or scarves and hats that never quite seem to make it onto the coat rack. We also love the current trend of using baskets for holding household plants. A nice change from the often-drab garden center pots they come in, but without the hassle of repotting. A simple woven basket also makes a wonderful laundry basket (and maybe, just maybe, your family members will even use it!). We think you get the picture; the possibilities for how to use a basket are endless!
Pimp up your basket: 4 DIY basket accessories
Pompons
There are so many different ways to pimp up a basket. A great place to start is with some pompons! These fluffy balls of woolly fun are quick to make and add a playful touch to a winter hat, bag and any home accessory. Here’s what you need:
The pompon maker comes with step-by-step instructions and YouTube has plenty of video tutorials in case you find visual instructions more helpful. What if you don’t have a pompon maker on hand? No problem! Here’s a step-by-step guide to making pompons ‘old-school’-style:
- Cut 2 ‘rings’ out of cardboard with a small opening in them (how big depends on what size pompon you want to make; it should look like a ‘C’ but with a slightly smaller opening).
- Place the 2 ‘rings’ on top of each other and wrap the wool around the rings until the cardboard is all covered and the inner hole is completely filled with yarn.
- Once that’s done, cut the yarn with a scissors between the 2 cardboard ‘rings’.
- Then pass a strand of yarn between the 2 ‘rings’ and tie it tight around all the loose strands of yarn. Once you’ve tied the knot securely, remove the ‘rings’ and your pompon’s done!
For more information about pompons and all the fun projects you can make with them, click here.
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Macramé feather
Instead of (or in addition to!) pompons, why not make a fun and easy macramé feather? Here’s what you need:
- Some cotton/acrylic/wool yarn, such as Yarn and Colors Fabulous
- A bead, 20 mm For the feather, cut 1 strand, 50 cm long and fold it in half. This will form the central shaft of the feather. Cut 40 short strands, each 15 cm long.
- Lay the central shaft on the table in front of you. Tie a knot about 2 cm below the fold to create a small loop at the top. Slide your bead up against the knot.
- Now take one of the short strands. Fold it in half and lay it under the central shaft.
- Take another short strand. Fold it in half and lay it over the central shaft at the same point as the first but facing the opposite direction.
- Pull the ends of each short strand through the loop of the other.
- Tighten the knot a little and slide it up the shaft against your bead. Now tighten the knot securely to keep the strands in place.
Repeat steps 2-5, 19 more times. Take 1 strand from the last knot and 1 strand from the long central shaft and tie them together tightly to keep your last knot in place. Fluff up the feather on both sides with the grooming brush. Finally, lay the feather on the table in front of you and trim it into shape.
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Mini crocheted garland
What’s a party without a fun garland? Have yourself a crochet-party and pimp up your basket up with a cute little pompon garland. Here’s what you need to make your own:
Abbreviations used
ch = chain stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet (UK: double crochet)
dc = double crochet (UK: treble)
Begin with a foundation chain of 100 ch sts and close the ring with a sl st in the first ch (making sure that your chain isn’t twisted as you close it). Check that it fits around the edge of your basket. It should sit tightly but without deforming the basket. If the chain is too short, add a few more ch sts, making sure that your chain remains divisible by 10.
Round 1: Ch 2 (= 1st sc), 99 sc. Sl st in the 2nd ch to close the round. (100)
Round 2: *Ch 10. Work a 3-dc cluster in the 3rd ch from the crochet hook. After your 3rd dc you should have 4 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops. Ch 3. Work a 3-dc cluster in the closing st of the first 3-dc cluster. Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops. Sl st in the st in which you made your first 3-dc cluster. Ch 7, skip 9 sts, sl st in the next stitch.* Repeat *-* until the end of the round. (10 pompons in total)
Fasten off. Attach your pompom border to your basket with a few stitches or leave it loose so that you can change it up with something else. Up to you!
French-knitted lettering
Sure, pompons, feathers and festive garlands are all great basket accessories. But for an extra unique touch, why not add some text to your basket? For example, if your basket is destined to be a hold-all for kids’ toys, pop the word ‘toys’ on it. That way no one can argue that they didn’t know where to put things. For the lettering, we begin with some French-knitting, also known as spool-knitting. French-knitting is basically yarn braided into cords, by wrapping and trapping rounds of yarn with the one below. And the end result is a long hollow braid which you can then shape into your chosen word and sew in place. French-knitting can be done the old-fashioned way, with a ball of yarn, a knitting spool (or knitting dolly), and a crochet hook/large wool needle. You can find a complete A to Z guide for how to use this kind of spool for French-knitting on YouTube.
Instructions for the lettering:
You'll need:
- 1 ball of Yarn and Colors Must-Have
- Knitting spool (/dolly)
- Pins
- Wool needle with a sharp point
Step 1: Using the instructions that come with your knitting spool, braid a generous length of cord. This depends on the length of your chosen word, so check at regular intervals if yours is long enough. We used a braid approximately 120 cm long.
Step 2: Attach the cord to your basket, spelling out your chosen word. Use pins to fix it in place.
Step 3: Once you're happy with it, sewing the cord in place on the basket. Use the wool needle and small stitches to sew it on at the points where you placed your pins. And that's your basket ready!
But if you don’t have the time, patience or young kids to do the braiding for you, then here’s a fun tip for you: try a knitting mill! These mills, also known as knitters, are handy tools for speedy French-knitting. Great options are the Prym Comfort Twist Knitting Mill and the Tulip I-Cord Knitter. Luckily, using these mills isn’t rocket science and both mills come with clear instructions. 
Color palettes
All that’s left to do is pick your color palette. Think of colors that suit your interior décor or that of whoever you’re making this for. Rummage through your yarn stash, because these basket accessories are great stash-busters. But if you’re stuck for the right shades, then check out our huge yarn selection. We’ve got over 20,000 different types and colors of yarn! So, you’re sure to find the perfect materials and colors for your DIY project!
We’d love to see your pimped-up basket! So, please share a picture with us on Facebook or via Instagram with #yarnplaza. We’re always excited to see your makes.
