Super-Deluxe Custom Bike Basket for Under $5.00, (Using Cardboard, Wire & Duct Tape)

My ten year old daughter has been wanting a small basket for her bike for quite some time.  We looked high and low at stores and the internet, but nothing appealed to my fickle little cyclist.  Suddenly, she asked, "Can't we just make one, Dad?"

We started brainstorming, and eventually came up with a cardboard, wire mesh and duct tape design that we liked.

This is my second instructable, but my FIRST father/daughter instructable.  Thanks for checking it out.  I appreciate any comments, and will do my best to answer any questions.

BTW, my daughter made my avatar :)

Step 1: Gather Tools & Materials

Tools:
Scissors
Wire Cutters
Mallet or Hammer

Materials:
Cardboard Box
Regular Duct Tape
Decorative Duct Tape
Wire Mesh
Zip Ties

Step 2: Shape the Box & Apply 1st Layer of Tape

Choose your cardboard box.  We reused a juice box because it was the right size and had fairly thick cardboard.  It measures approximately: 12" x 9" x 5"

Cut off any excess cardboard. We left a portion of the lid on so we'd have a way to attach to the bike handle bars.

Wrap the entire box with regular duct tape.  It won't be weather proof, but it should be pretty weather-resistant.

Step 3: Measure & Cut the Wire Mesh

Measure your box for the wire mesh.  Cut a single piece of mesh (the width of the box) that covers the back, bottom and front.  Don't worry about being exact, you can always trim off any excess later.

Bend the mesh to wrap around the exterior of the box.  Using a mallet and the straight edge of any hard work surface, you'll need to make two bends.

Step 4: Tape the Wire Mesh to the Box

Tape the mesh to the back, bottom and front of the box.  You are reinforcing the cardboard box with a duct tape / mesh / duct tape sandwich.  Keep the duct tape nice and smooth by rubbing out wrinkles and any air bubbles along the way.

Step 5: Apply Your Decorative Tape

Apply your decorative layer next.  We concentrated on applying tape to only the visible portions of the box.  One roll of 10 yd tape was plenty for our small project.  My daughter did the majority of this work.

The finished BASKET is very sturdy, but very light.

Step 6: Attach the Finished Basket

Attach the basket to the handlebars with a few zip ties.  She won't be carrying anything too heavy, so those should hold up fine.

Relocate the front reflector to the front of the new basket.  (I used a hot glue gun, but the reflector fell off.  I will need to buy a replacement reflector and install mechanically with a small zip tie.) 

The whole project took about 30 minutes to make and cost less than five bucks!

This is my second instructable, but my FIRST father/daughter instructable.  Thanks for checking it out.  I appreciate any comments, and will do my best to answer any questions.