Sew a Cute Organizing Basket - free sewing tutorial

by admin September 6, 2020

Organize your spaces by sewing cute baskets to hold all the things! This easy fabric basket pattern can be sewn with almost any kind of fabric - and it’s fat quarter friendly. There is a small loop at the back so you can hang your basket too.

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I love using these small fabric bins on my sewing room pegboard. I use these plastic hooks for hanging my baskets (and other items like rulers and embroidery hoops).

My pegboard is a large piece of pegboard paneling that we bought at Lowes. We installed 1’’ pine strips first and then attached the peg board on top. It is finished with 1/4’’ round trim, painted white.

If you want a simpler solution, I found these pre-made plastic pegboards on Amazon that look easy to hang.

Each basket is approximately 5’’ tall and 4’’ wide.

One of my favorite things about this sewing project is that you can use just about any kind of medium weight fabric that you have on hand.

Tips for choosing fabric for your DIY fabric baskets:

If you choose cotton fabric (like quilting cotton) you’ll need to apply a a fusible stabilizer to the basket exterior fabric. Fusible fleece is the easiest choice (in my opinion), but you could also use Pellon 809 Decor-Bond, fusible foam stabilizer, or Pellon SF101 woven stabilizer (SF101 with cotton would make a very soft basket - not very sturdy).

If you want to use heavier weight fabric - like canvas or home decor weight, it would still be best to one of the a stabilizers mentioned above. Pellon SF101 is a good choice together with home decor weight fabric.

Cork fabric is awesome! I made my cork fabric basket with no fusible stabilizer at all and it is just as sturdy as the other two baskets above.

If you want to use burlap, I suggest cutting a piece of fusible interfacing 8’’ x 16’’ and fusing it completely to the back of the burlap. Then you can cut out your 8’’ x 16’’ piece of burlap without it fraying all over the place. In the photo above I used Pellon SF101 and it worked very well.

No matter what fabric you choose for the exterior, I suggest a medium weight woven fabric (such as quilting cotton) for the basket lining.

So let’s get started!

To make one Cute Organizing Basket, you will need:

less than 1/4 yard of fabric for the exterior

less than 1/4 yard of fabric for the lining

1/4 yd of fusible interfacing (see tips and suggestions above)

a scrap of fabric or ribbon to make a ‘label’ (optional)

Tip: You can make an entire basket with 1 fat quarter of fabric, or use 2 fat quarters and sew two coordinating baskets!

Cutting:

From your basket exterior fabric, cut 1 rectangle 8’’ x 16’’

From your basket lining fabric, cut 1 rectangle 8’’ x 16’’

From your fusible interfacing, cut 1 rectangle 7 1/2’’ x 16’’*

If you want a ‘label’ cut a scrap of fabric or ribbon 1’’ x 2’’ (or desired size)

* If you are using burlap fabric, I suggest cutting the fusible interfacing 8’’ x 16’’ instead of 7 1/2’’ x 16’’ - see the tip for using burlap above.

Make the Basket Body Pieces:

1. Press to fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the basket exterior fabric, with the bottom edges aligned. Leave 1/2’’ along the top edge without interfacing.

2. Fold the top edge of the exterior piece and the lining piece over to the wrong side by 1/2’’ and press.

Optional - If you would like to add a fabric or ribbon ‘label,’ pin it to the right side of the basket exterior piece - centered and 1’’ below the folded top edge.

Stitch around the label 1/8’’ from the edges.

3. Fold the exterior piece in half with the 8’’ edges together, right sides facing. Open up the fold and stitch with a 1/4’’ seam allowance.

Repeat with the lining fabric piece.

Press the seams open and re-fold the top edge and press.

Arrange each piece wrong side out with the seam centered down the middle.

4. Pin the exterior piece to hold it in place. Cut from each lower corner an almost-square that is 2 1/4’’ tall and 2’’ wide. It will open up to a 2 1/4’’ x 4’’ strip.

If you don’t have a rotary cutter, you can measure and mark the almost-square and then cut it out with scissors.

Repeat with the lining piece.

5. Before you remove the pins, sew across the bottom of each piece with a 1/4’’ seam allowance.

Press the seam open.

6. To box the corners, flatten the bottom of the basket against the side, making a straight line with the bottom seam in the middle. Pin.

Stitch with a 1/4’’ seam allowance.

Repeat to box and sew the remaining corner.

Make the Hanging Loop:

1. Pick one of the 4 strips of fabric cut out from the exterior or lining corners - this will make your hanging loop!

Trim the strip to 2’’ x 4’’.

Tip: if you want to use one of the exterior fabric strips - carefully peel off the fusible stabilizer. It will make the loop too thick and difficult to turn.

2. Fold the strip in half lengthwise (right sides facing) and stitch the long edges together with 1/4’’ seam allowance.

Attach the safety pin to one end of the loop. Push the pin down through the middle to turn it right side out.

Press the loop flat with the seam running down the middle.

3. With the basket exterior inside out, place it over the free arm of your sewing machine with the seam facing up. Fold the loop in half and sew the ends to the basket - with one end on either side of the seam.

Sew the Exterior and Lining Together:

You don’t like your basket linings creeping up, do you? This next step will prevent that.

1. With both pieces inside out, place the exterior bottom against the lining bottom. The bottom seams should be lined up and touching. The center seams should be on the same side.

Clip one the corner seams together on one side.

2. At the middle of the corner seam, tack the two pieces together for just about 1/2’’. It’s enough to just sew back and forth a few stitches.

Repeat with the corner seams on the other side of the basket so that the basket is attached to the lining at both corners.

Finish the Basket:

1. Turn the basket exterior right side out around the lining.

Pin or clip the lining to the exterior all the way around the top.

2. Carefully stitch around the top, 1/8’’ from the edge.

And you are done. These cute baskets are so easy, fast, and fun to make - you are going to make lots more and organize all your stuff!

As always, I love to see what you make with my tutorials. Please post a picture to Instagram and tag me @sewcanshe or #sewcanshe so I can see!

You’ll also love my roundup of 9 Must Make DIY Fabric Basket Patterns.

Happy sewing,