A Wonderful Ribbon and Plastic Basket

When I first saw this basket at my local craft store,

it looked like this. They were just setting them out.  It brought back memories of my Mom.  When I was a child, back in the 50’s and 60’s, my Mom had a plastic basket like this! It was brown, and the holes were larger (around 1 inch) and I watched her weave fabric in and out of the holes to make it a solid bag to hold her yarn in for crocheting and knitting etc. I realize that what I remembered was my Mom crafting, and I wanted it.  I thought I could wait.  I lasted 24 hours.  (Maybe I’ll make one for my Mom.) This is how I made a good basket, wonderful!  Here we go.

Supplies:
A plastic basket ($3 @ HL, in three colors)
30 feet of 3/8” or 7/16” ribbon (choose colors that go with your basket- I used 3 colors and so I had three bolts - it took +/- 3 feet for each round)
White glue
Paper clips
Scissors

I chose to weave the ribbon through the holes directly off the bolt of ribbon, starting at the bottom row.  I chose some white ribbon I already had, and the peach I already had and bought the brown when I realized I wouldn’t have enough peach.  I started on one of the basket ends weaving in and out

until I reached the beginning.  I cut an overlap of about ½ - 1 inch.  I put a large drop of glue on the ribbon

and then used a paper clip to hold the two glued pieces together until they are dry.

For the next row up, I started at the opposite end because I didn’t want to crowd the paper clips.  I choose the peach ribbon for this row.  I made sure to offset it so it would look like weaving.  Again I went all the way around, over lapped, glued and paper clipped it.

I kept going, alternating colors as I choose, until I reached the top row.  This row, I took what was left of the peach ribbon and started in the middle back of the basket with the middle of the ribbon,

and worked around both ends until I reached the middle front.  Then I tied a bow.

You know how to tie a straight bow, don’t you?  You tie like you do for a square knot. Tie the base part with the “left” ribbon over “right” ribbon,

down, under and up.

Pull tight.

Then make a loop in the left ribbon,

and take the right ribbon and take it over the left loop,

down, under and up forming the second loop.

Pull tight.  So all you have to remember is “left over right, right over left”.
I’m glad you already knew that.

Once all the glue is dry, remove the paper clips and tuck in any ends.

I have a major yarn project for this year and this basket will be the home base for my yarn.  It makes me smile, almost as much as Instructables does.  Enjoy!