Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Cut 3 3/4-inch inch wide strips of fabric as long as possible.
Fold the strip in half lengthwise with the right side of the fabric on the inside.
Sew the long edges together with a straight seam, 5/8-inch from the edge to make a fabric tube.
Cut a piece of string 6 inches longer than the fabric tube and tie a safety pin to the end of it. Drop the safety pin down the tube so that the string goes through the tube.
Cut a piece of 1-inch-wide cord 1 inch shorter than the fabric tube and pin the string securely to the end of it. Sew the same end of the tube to the cord.
Pull the string and push the fabric tube down over the cording, turning the tube inside out as you pull the thick cord into it.
Coil the end of the tube into a flat coil; sewing the sides of the tube together as you coil it. Keep coiling and sewing until the coil is the size of the base of the basket.
Wrap the covered tube around the edge on top of the coil to begin forming the sides of the basket. Sew the bottom of the tube to the top of the coil as you wrap.
Wrap the next ring of tube on top of the first ring of tube, sewing it in place in the same way. Continue wrapping the tube up to form the sides of the basket. Make more lengths of tube as needed and sew them to the end of the first tube. Fold in the extra fabric on the end of both tubes before you sew on the new tube.
Make a handle, if desired, by raising the tube an inch or two above the last ring of tube for 3 to 5 inches before sewing it down again. Sew the next ring over the raised edge in the same way you sewed on the lower rings.
Cut the cord inside the tube so that there is 4 inches of fabric tube extending beyond the cord to finish the basket. Fold under 1/2 inch of the raw edge of the fabric and sew the empty fabric tube to the top of the basket to make a smooth edge.