A Wonderful Ribbon and Plastic Basket

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

Step 1:

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.

Step 2:

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

Step 3:

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

Step 4:

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

Step 5:

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

Step 6:

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.

Step 7:

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,

Step 8:

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

Step 9:

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,

Step 10:

down, under and up.

Step 11:

Pull tight.

Step 12:

Then make a loop in the left ribbon,

Step 13:

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

Step 14:

down, under and up forming the second loop.

Step 15:

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

Step 16:

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

Step 17:

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!