Fabric Basket Tutorial – Mary Martha Mama (2024)

A tisket, a tasket, I made a fabric basket! I am sharing all the details in this DIY fabric basket tutorial so that you can make one too.

It all began one day while I was browsing through the fabric section in Hobby Lobby. Per usual I found a few things I liked, including this duck canvas that makes me think of mountains.

I thought it would make a fun tote or basket and eventually settled on making it into a basket. It’s not exactly square, it’s somewhere between a square and a circle.

The finished dimensions of the basket are about 11 inches long, 11 inches wide, and 9 inches tall.

I’m using it to store some of my sewing supplies, namely some of my fluffier fabrics like my terrycloth. But you could use it to store any number of things like toys or books.

For the fabric basket tutorial you will need:

• 1/2 yard of fabric for the outside of the basket (I used this one)
• 1/2 yard of fabric for the inside lining of the basket
• 3/4 yard of firm fusible interfacing
• 1/2 yard of cotton webbing for the handles
• thread, needles (I used heavy duty ones because of the thick interfacing and canvas), and sewing machine

DIY Fabric Basket Tutorial:

Step 1: Wash, dry, and cut your fabric to size. You will make the following cuts:

• 2 rectangles of 20 inch X 13.5 of the fabric for the outside of the basket
• 2 rectangles of 20 inch X 13.5 of the fabric for the inside lining of the basket
• 2 rectangles of 20 inch X 13.5 of the interfacing
• 2 9 inch pieces of the cotton webbing for the handles

Step 2: Iron the interfacing onto the wrong side of the fabric that you are using for the outside of your fabric basket. Use a press cloth so that you don’t get any adhesive onto your iron.

Do this for both pieces of the outside fabric.

Step 3: Pin the two pieces of outside fabric together with the right sides together. Sew along the sides and bottom, sewing 1/2 inch from the edge.

Step 4: Press the seams open. This is a little hard with the stiff interfacing but press them a little.

Step 5: Hold the outside fabrics with the open side down. Then pinch the bottom seam and side seam together. Push it flat.

Lay a ruler across the corner, making a triangle. Draw a line across the bottom of the triangle where the width is 7 inches. Trace along the edge of the ruler. Sew along this line.

Repeat for the other side.

Step 6: Cut off the triangle corners.

Step 7: Turn the outside pieces of the fabric basket right side out. Take one of the pieces of cotton webbing. Pin one end 2 inches from the center seam.

Pin the other end 2 inches from the center seam on the other side.

Sew the handles into place, sewing 1/4 inch from the edge. For extra strength I sewed back and forth a few times.

Step 8: Now to make the lining for the inside. Lay the two lining pieces together with the right sides facing.

Pin and sew along the edges, sewing 1/2 inch from the edge BUT leave an opening in the bottom unsewn.

Step 9: Press the seams open. Then repeat step 5 (pressing seams together, drawing the line at 7 inches, pinning, and sewing across, trimming off the triangles) with the lining.

Step 10: Put the outside part of the fabric basket into the lining part of the basket. Pin and sew across the top of the basket, sewing 1/2 inch from the top.

Step 11: Use the hole in the lining to turn the basket right side out. Pin the hole in the lining closed and then sew it shut.

Step 12: Tuck the lining into the basket and iron it nice and flat.

Now you can make your own fabric basket! How did you like the fabric basket tutorial?

Want more DIY sewing tutorials? Check out my sewing page.

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