FaveCrafts

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How To Make a Basket Out of Chicken Wire and Yarn

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My fave event at the Craft Hobby Association Show in Anaheim is the Prime Publishing Blogger Networking Event. I love putting faces in person, to folks I’ve become friends with in type. And when you get home, the swag arrives, big time!
This year I got a large selection of metal and metal tools from MD Crafts. and a Mega Bulky acrylic yarn from Bernat. I never would have chosen these  materials and tools for myself, and they really got the creative juices flowing.

 

Crocheted Mega Bulky Chickenwire Basket
Tools and Supplies 
  • MD Crafts Chicken Wire
  • MD Crafts Hobby Shears and Gloves
  • Bernat Mega Bulky Acrylic yarn
Instructions
  1. Wearing the gloves, use the shears to cut a piece of chicken wire about twice as wide and long as the basket you want to make.
  2. Folding and bending the wire, mold the wire into a basket shape, tucking in sharp edges.
  3. Be sure to fold over the top rim for stability and strength .
  4. Starting at the top  make a loop with the yarn and begin finger crocheting around the rim.
  5. Using your finger, poke the yarn though the wire holes and pull the yarn through creating a chain stitch.
  6. Starting at the bottom, build up the sides in the same way, going back and forth in rows through the holes in the wire.
  7. You could add beads or other embellishments in at this point.
  8. I did try using a 15mm hook, and decided fingers worked better !
  9. If you have sharp areas or wire, use extra stitches to cover them.
  10. At the top rim, chain about 7 stitches to create a handle and secure with a slip stitch.
  11. Repeat building up the other side and making a handle.
  12. Weave in any loose ends.

You can add as much crochet to the walls as you want. I had already made a crocheted bag out of the yarn, so I only had enough yarn to do the side walls. (The bag is also featured in a free E-Book-Best Blogger Crafts 2015)

You could use your basket to hold your new craft tools…or carry veggies in from the garden, or what ever your imagination can create!

What would you like to use this basket for?

Scrappy Fabric Baskets from Threading My Way: National Sewing Month 2013

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It’s Day Twenty-One of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

National Sewing Month 2013

Hi, Pam here from Threading My Way. I’m thrilled to be joining in with National Sewing Month.
Today I’m going to show you how to make your own Scrappy Fabric Basket, using small pieces of fabric from your stash. Measuring 6.5″ x 4.5″ x 4″ (16.5 cm x 11.5 cm x 10 cm), this handy sized basket is sturdy enough to stand up by itself. Let’s get started with the tutorial.
Materials:
  • 20 pieces – 11 inches x 2 inches (28 cm x 5 cm) – fabric strips for the exterior of the basket.
  • 2 pieces – 9 inches x 9 inches (23 cm x 23 cm) – contrast color for the lining
  • 2 pieces – 9 inches x 9 inches (23 cm x 23 cm) – light weight iron-on interfacing
  • 2 pieces – 9 inches x 9 inches (23 cm x 23 cm) – medium to heavy weight, woven, sew-in interfacing
The fabric strips can be any combination of prints. I used quilting cotton. You may not use all the strips.

I like the combination of the light weight iron-on interfacing and the medium to heavy weight, woven, sew-in interfacing. This produces a basket that will stand up by itself, without being bulky to sew. You could substitute this with different weight interfacing, fleece or batting. It all depends on the look you are after and what you are used to sewing with.

Instructions:

All seams are 3/8″ (1 cm), unless otherwise indicated.

Use a NON steam setting for pressing.

Back-stitch at the beginning and ending of seams. Arrange fabric strips:

  1. Lay 10 fabric strips side by side for the front and the same for the back.
  2. Play with the strips until you are happy with the arrangement.

 

Sew fabric strips together:

Sew the fabric strips together, at random angles, making sure the seams are straight as you sew. The long edges of the fabric will not be level.

  1. Lay the 2nd strip on the 1st strip, right sides together and at an angle, beginning in the left corner. Line up your presser foot with the top fabric and sew.
    Step 1: place top fabric at an angle
  2. Trim excess fabric, before sewing the next seam.
    Step 2: trim excess fabric from seam
  3. Lay the 3rd strip on the 2nd strip, right sides together and at an angle, beginning in the right corner.
    Step 3: place next fabric at a different angle
  4. Continue sewing the strips, alternating the direction of the angles and varying the degree, until all the strips are sewn. You may find you only need 9 strips per side. It all depends on how you have placed the fabrics.
 
Press seams open:
  1. When all strips are sewn for both front and back, press the seams open.
  2. Trim the sewn strips into a square, 9 inches x 9 inches (23 cm x 23 cm)
    Step 2: trim into a square
  3. Sew down each side of both squares, 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the edge of the fabric. This will secure the seams you have just cut.
Step 3: secure seams by sewing along the sides
Top-stitch:
  1. Set stitch length to slightly longer than normal. I set mine to 2.8.
  2. Top-stitch on either side of each seam, sewing 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the seam.
Attach interfacing:
  1. Follow manufacturer’s directions to fuse the iron-on interfacing to the wrong side of each square. I always cut iron-on interfacing a fraction smaller than the fabric and I place a cloth under the iron. This prevents any glue getting on the iron.
    Step 1: iron-on interfacing
  2. Attach the woven, sew-in interfacing, to the wrong side of each square, by sewing around all 4 edges, 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the edges. Sew with the interfacing uppermost.
Step 2: sew-in interfacing



Exterior of basket – sew front to back:

  1. With right sides together, sew down one side, stopping with the needle in the down position 3/8″ (1 cm) from the bottom edge.
  2. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90º.
  3. Lower the presser foot and sew across the bottom, stopping with the needle in the down position 3/8″ (1 cm) from the side edge.
  4. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90º.
  5. Lower the presser foot and sew the 2nd side.
  6. Neaten the edges by zig-zagging. Do NOT zig-zag the seams together. Sew them separately.
  7. Press seams open.
Making the box corner:
  1. Measure 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom corner seam in both directions. (Measure from the seam. Don’t measure from the edge of the fabric.)
  2. Put a mark to show where 2 inches (5 cm) is. You will have four marks, all 2 inches (5 cm) from the bottom corners.
    Steps 1 & 2: measure 2″ from corner
  3. Pull out the sides of your basket.
  4. Place one seam on top of the other seam.
  5. Put a pin through the top mark. If the pin comes out through the mark on the other side, your boxed corner will line up.
    Step 5: check that the marks are lined up
  6. If the pin is not coming out through the mark on the other side, reposition the fabric until it does.
  7. Make sure the seams are open.
  8. Holding the fabric in place, take the pin out and re-pin away from the marks.
  9. With a ruler, draw a line across the fabric, at right angles to the seam and through the mark you made.
    Steps 8 & 9: rule a line to sew along
  10. Remove the pin. If you would like, hand sew to hold in place.
    Steps 10 & 11: remove pin and sew
  11. Sew across the line. I sew a couple of times for reinforcement.
  12. Cut the fabric and neaten.
    Step 12: cut fabric and neaten
  13. Repeat for the other side.
  14. Turn the exterior right side out and press.
Sewing the lining:
The two lining pieces are joined in the same way as the exterior fabric, except that a 3 inch (8 cm) gap is left in the bottom seam, to allow turning later on.
  1. With right sides together, sew down one side, stopping with the needle in the down position 3/8″ (1cm) from the bottom edge.
  2. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90º.
  3. Lower the presser foot and sew 2.5 inches (7 cm) across the bottom. Stop and back-stitch.
  4. Leave a gap and begin sewing  2.5 inches (7 cm) from the 2nd corner. Back-stitch as you start sewing. Stop with the needle in the down position 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the side edge.
  5. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90º.
  6. Lower the presser foot and sew the 2nd side.
  7. Neaten the edges by zig-zagging. Do NOT zig-zag the seams together. Sew them separately.
  8. Press seams open.
  9. Make boxed corners as per the exterior of the basket.
  10. Leave the lining wrong side out.
Attach the lining to the outside of the basket:
  1. Place the exterior inside the lining. IE: the right side of the exterior is next to the right side of the lining.
    Step 1: place exterior inside lining and line up top edges
  2. Line up the top edges of the lining and the exterior.
  3. Match the seams on either side, making sure the seams are open.
  4. Baste (hand sew) the top edges of the lining and the exterior to hold in place.
  5. Sew a 3/8 inch (1cm) seam to join the top edges of the lining and the exterior.
  6. Neaten the seam.
Steps 5 & 6: sew seam and neaten
Turn the exterior right side out:
  1. Put your fingers through the hole in the bottom of the lining.
  2. Gently pull the exterior out through the lining.
  3. Close the gap in the lining by sewing a row of stitching near to the edge.
Finishing off:
  1. Push the lining back into the basket.
  2. Press the top edge of the basket.
  3. Top-stitch 1/8inch (3 mm) from the edge, around the top of the basket.
You have finished your fabric basket. These little baskets don’t take long to whip up. You could easily make one in an evening. The most time consuming part is top-stitching the strips.
I made four baskets, each with a particular person in mind, although I’m tempted to keep just one. I think my favorite is the red… love the combination of checks and polka dots, teamed with Alexander Henry’s Willow Berries.
Then again, the yellow/blue combo of stripes and geometric shapes, Oh Boy! by David Walker, is rather striking.
Although the lining on the floral, blue basket appears to be pieced, it’s actually not. However, I deliberately chose it because it looked like patchwork. In fact, the lining could be two coordinating prints as I’ve done in the pink/maroon basket, although, it’s a little hard to see. I just didn’t have enough of any one fabric, which doesn’t matter, as it works well.

Now all you have to do is decide what to put into your basket.

 

Enjoy the rest of National Sewing Month. See you over at Threading My Way.

… Pam

 

 

What would you put in this Scrappy Fabric Basket?

 

 

Summer Sewing Trends: The Projects We Know You Love & More

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Every season brings a new round of sewing trends. This summer, we’re seeing tons of fabric baskets and fabric flowers popping up. We can’t blame you for loving these simple ideas. Not only are they easy and fun to make, they’re totally useful. We can all use the extra storage and organization these handy fabric baskets and boxes offer. And who doesn’t love easy fabric flower patterns? Embellish any of your otherwise ordinary clothing items with them or even attach them to head pieces to create a stylish hair accessory.

All of the ideas found on AllFreeSewing are chosen with the readers in mind. We’ve already featured some of these projects in our newsletter, Sewing It Up and since we’ve seen such a positive response, we know you’ll enjoy other similar ideas.

 

Fabric Baskets and Boxes

Denim Fabric Basket Tutorial: Use all those outgrown jeans to create these handy supply basket. You’ll learn how to make a fabric basket which you can use to organize almost anything! It’s a great refashioning project that’s really useful.


French Desk Set Basket Liner: Instead of letting magazines and table books clutter your home, make this lovely fabric basket and neatly organize your reading materials and other belongings. Once you know how to make a basket lining you can redecorate all of your baskets.

If you like these basket ideas, you’re going to love:

 

Easy Fabric Flower Patterns

Fabric Flower Tutorial: Use this tutorial to create lovely Daffodils that will brighten up your living space. Learn how to make fabric flowers with this step by step project. They’re cute and cheerful!

 

How to Make a Gathered Fabric Flower: It’s easier than ever to make your own fabric flowers with this tutorial. Make fabric flowers for your hair, your clothes, or just to have around the house.

 

For even more free fabric flower patterns, check out these other ideas:

 

 

What’s your favorite sewing trend this summer?

 

 

 

Tie-Dye Basket Weaving

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Dear FaveCraft Friends,

I’m so happy to say that I will be blogging over here monthly and sharing information with you regarding the wonderful craft of basket weaving.  Today I want to share with you how I, as a basket weaver, used the Tulip Tie-Dye kit.

Tie-Dye Kit

I used the kit to dye my reed!

tie-dye-reed

The kit comes with 12 delicious colors. That’s great, because my box of mason jars comes 12 to a box as well. That means one color per jar and I won’t have to wash out and re-use the jars for additional colors.

I mixed up the first color according to the directions, color plus 4 oz of water (1/2 cup). I dipped the end of some reed in it and it took the color instantly. The directions said that the color could be lightened by adding more water. I decided to go to one cup of water. The reed still took the color almost instantly and with the same intensity as the first dip test. I decided to stick with one cup of water for each package of color.
Into each jar I put the dye, 1 cup water and 1 1/2 oz to 2 oz of reed. (I weighed it just to be sure.) Then I shook up each jar and placed it on its side to help the reed get maximum coverage in the dye bath. I let the reed stay in the dye bath about 1 hour and would turn and shake the jars about every 10 minutes.

reed2

Did I tell you I did all this outside on my back patio wearing old clothes? Nancy’s Tip: Even under optimum conditions NEVER, I repeat NEVER dye read in the house, or while wearing nice clothing on. The kit comes with rubber gloves as well as a plastic tarp. I used those too while working outside. I do think dying fabric could be less messy because it wouldn’t flip and fling little droplets of dye the way reed can.

When the kit came, the colors on the package just shouted, “It’s party time!” to me. That said, I decided to design and weave little party baskets to hold candy or small favors.

party-baskets

For those of you who have been too timid to try dying your own reed, this is a good way to try dying just a small bit at a time. It really was just one-step.
This month at FaveCrafts, I have posted the pattern for this fun little Party Favor Basket.

If you are in need of additional basket weaving information, be sure to visit my blog at www.basketmasterweavings.blogspot.com for more tips and techniques.

Happy Weaving,

Nancy

Spruce up your Bathroom

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Winter has been over for some time now, but why am I still feeling blah? It must be because it’s constantly raining and the sun hasn’t been shining to put that smile on my face. I have to sit at home and stair at the same walls, look at all the rooms and clean the same bathrooms. I think it’s time for a change. If you want to re-do your bathrooms to spruce it up then do it! It’s a perfect time to do so, with the rain coming down there isn’t much to do outdoors. A cute way to start your new bathroom is to create a mosaic daisy hook. It’ll definitely brighten the room and add a little fun to it. If your kids have their own bathroom this is the perfect craft for them.

bathroom-basket-decor

Another cute item you can put in your bathroom is a basket decor. It’s just a little basket that holds whatever belongings you might want to put in there. It’ll help keep you a bit more organized and it can add a little something. So if you’re still stuck in that blah mood from the rainy season we’ve been having then change something around you. Add some color, add some style. Make that bathroom a room you’ll love going in!

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