This darling Easter basket is scrappy, funky, charming, and surprisingly easy! Make your own in any size you want with your fabric scraps!
For some reason this year I have SO many Easter basket ideas I want to sew! Today I was just itching to try out this method and it turned out so cute!
(In fact, right after I finished sewing it, my 7 year old whisked the basket away and put her toys in it. I guess I will have to make another!)
This is a great large-scrap buster, especially for those non-rectangular pieces. Let’s make it!
Supplies Needed
- 2 inch thick medium weight fabric strips (how many you need depends on how big your basket is) My fabric was thicker than quilting cotton but thinner than denim.
- A heavy duty sewing machine needle
- Matching thread
- Sewing Pins, scissors, etc.
How To Sew A Scrappy Fabric Easter Basket
note: This is made using the “rope” basket method, but without the rope, and without being so precise and neat. You can also make it more uniform by wrapping each strip around a cotton cording, or twisting it tightly. I’ll explain more later.
Step 1. Cut Fabric Strips
Choose fabric that is not too thin, but not too thick. Mine was a medium weight material that was thinner than denim but thicker than quilting cotton. It gives the basket just the right amount of form to keep a shape, but still thin and floppy enough to easily sew.
A cute fabric with a bright large pattern looks best for this project, and you can even use strips of many different fabrics for an ever more fun look!
Cut a bunch of 2 inch wide strips from your fabric. You don’t need to make them exact, and they don’t even need to be square on the ends. Just use what you have!
Step 2. Wrap A Spiral
Pinch the end of one fabric strip, and start to spiral it around itself.
You are going to sew in the “ditch” between the strand and the spiral, as you wrap it around itself. To do this, set your machine to the widest zig zag stitch you have, and place the beginning of the spiral under the needle so that you can sew, pivot the spiral, and continue wrapping it around as you go.
As you sew, make sure the zig zag stitch is catching the spiral on one side, and the edge of the tail you are wrapping on the other.
There is no right or wrong way to do this. You can twist the fabric strip tightly to make a more rope like basket, or you can do it loose and fold it randomly as you go to make a more scrappy looking basket.
When you get to the end of your strip, add a new one, and continue along.
You will begin to notice the shape of the basket starting. You can try to keep the bottom part flat before cupping out into a basket shape, or you can make it all round like a bowl. The tighter you pull on the tail as you sew, the more curved it will be.
Conversely, if the basket is starting to get too flat or flare out too much, you can gather or bunch up the edge of the spiral a bit and pull the tail tighter to make it more cupped.
At this point I realized I needed to put my basket on the other side of the machine, so I took it out and switched it to the left side of the needle.
Keep sewing and adding strips!
When you think the basket is the size you want, finish off with a secure back stitch. Take it off the machine and see if there are any gaps or holes you want to fix.
Here is how my basket was looking! I love the floppy, organic shape. The twisted fabric gives it so much color texture.
Now lets make a handle!
Step 3. Make The Handle
You can make your handle however you want! Here is what I did.
I cut four strips of fabric, and braided them into a four-strand braid. (A 3 strand braid would work too.)
Then, I sewed zig zag lines down the left and right edges of the braid to make it match the basket.
Pin the handle to the inside sides of the basket and make sure it is the height you like.
Then, securely sew the bottom of the handle to the inside of the basket.
Trim up any threads you want gone (lets be honest though, this is a thready scrappy basket!) Then you’re done!
I LOVE this cute little basket and it was so fun to make. Some projects are just so expressive and artsy! This one fit the bill.
Please let me know if you need help! And send me a photo of your basket so I can add it here and show it off!
I took a lot of pictures of it. Here are some glamour shots!
Make sure to try my other cute Easter sewing projects too!
