I probably shouldn’t admit this, but in the three years we’ve lived in this apartment, I’ve never had a trash can in my craft room. Usually there’s a stray Joann’s bag I can throw extra bits of string or scraps of fabric into, but sometimes I just have a Designated Trash Spot– an area I loosely aim for when tossing clipped threads on the ground. It’s a problem I decided to remedy today by making a cord basket.
Unlike other baskets I’ve made, this one is not woven. Coils and coils of cotton cord are held together with a simple zig-zag stitch, creating a sturdy yet bendable vessel. This idea’s been popping up seemingly everywhere I look, and I finally grabbed some cotton sash and sat down at my sewing machine for a couple hours.
It’s not quite as polished as it could be, but I’m pretty happy with the end result. As far as trash cans go, it’s quite a looker. I’m excited to have a new container-making-method at my disposal, and I’m also excited to finally have a place for trash.
Wow! This is absolutely brilliant and I can’t wait to try it (you can never have to many buckets, you know!). I stopped over here from Craftgawker, and I’m really digging’ your site. Looking forward to seeing more posts from you!
thanks so much!
This is fantastic – I need to make a dozen of these, in all shapes and sizes. Beautiful work!
It looks great! Did you use a machine for the zig zag stitch? I worry my machine wouldn’t be able to deal with a cord that thick.
Kim- thanks!
Jessie- i used a singer confidence– just a regular home machine. the cord is pretty thick, but it’s also soft. i had no trouble at all with my machine.
nice basket! found this post after checking my webshop stats
I love the look of your basket! I have a coil of this rope waiting for me to do one of the fabric wrapped baskets but I never seem to get to it. Now I’m thinking I like your idea better… hmm..
This looks great! I’m tempted to make a huge one for some of my daughter’s toys, but I know better than to attempt that….right?
Doug- thanks! i had some really great inspiration!
Lori- thank you!
Amy- i say go for it!
Do you have a tutorial for this?
yep, i linked it in my post, but i’ll put it here, too:
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/33825/how-to-sew-a-fabric-bowl/page/all
I love this! I want this! Thank you so much for sharing. I found you via Craftgawker, and I’m so glad | did. This little piece of loveliness made my day.
oh, thank you! i’m so glad i could brighten your day!
What a great basket, think I’ll be busily making a couple for the kids this week – do you know if they hold-up well in a larger size?
So pretty! How much cord did you end up using?
This looks great! Did you do the fabric wrap, or just sew the cord together?
Jenn- i can’t say for sure since this is the first one i’ve made, but it definitely seems sturdy enough to go quite a bit bigger.
Ashley- thanks! i used a little over 100 feet of cord on this one.
Caroline- why, thanks! i just went with plain old cord and thread.
ummm, this is amazing. i love this idea.
Just found your blog and love it. Did you line your basket?
also what type of cord did you use?
Kelli- thank you!
Victoria- thanks! my basket is unlined, but that’s a great idea for future baskets! I used #6 cotton sash– it’s commonly sold as clothesline and comes in 100 foot bundles.
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If worried about strength, you can use upholstery thread. This is such a lovely way to “store” waste. I have the same problem in my room, so this will be a great addition. You can even dye the cord before sewing with unsweetened Kool-Aid! Thanks for a great idea. Will keep poking my head in your blog.
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This is amazing! I’m SO going to try this. What are the approx. dimensions of your lovely bin?
thank you, erin! it’s about 7 1/2″ high and has a diameter of around 8 1/2″.
It’s really beautiful! Thank you for sharing and your photo is so nice!
Thank you!
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This looks great! I can’t wait to try it out. Did you just get the cord at a craft store like JoAnn Fabrics, or did you have to special order it online? Thanks!
esther– i ordered mine online, but most well-stocked grocery stores should carry it (it’s commonly used for clothesline).
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Hi, it’s me again. Any tips for how to shape the sides so that they’re more perpendicular to the bottom? Mine looks more like a fruit bowl, and I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.
thanks!
hi again! when i made mine, i was sure to hold the base perpendicular as i started sewing the coils that made up the sides. that seemed to do the trick. let me know if it works out!
Hi, yup, that helped! Guess I wasn’t tilting it enough the first time around…and I also was letting the rope out too loose, which is probably why the bowl ended up a bit lumpy. Thanks for the tip!
Hiya Jessica, I have been so obsessed with the project I even dreamed about it twice in the last week. I truly don’t want to annoy you with questions you’ve already answered but I genuinely don’t understand what “#6 cotton sash” is and where to get it. Is that number 6? Hash 6 really means nothing to me at all, being German and used to m, mm and cm and living in the UK (where I am sure people would also use the distance between their nostrils as official increments of measurement) – Also, as a guide, how much did you pay for the rope you used in this?
Thank you so much for your patience and the inspiration to make this!! Ellen
hi ellen– i’m so glad you like the project and am happy to answer your questions! the number six cotton sash is 3/16 of an inch thick (about half a cm). The number 6 seems to be an arbitrary label– the cord comes in several sizes and all are numbered (i have seen 6-12). the cord i used was 100% cotton, but it’s often sold with a reinforced nylon core. i haven’t been able to find where i originally bought it, unfortunately. it was kind of a shady website, but was on sale for under $4 a bundle. i found a similar product on amazon, here:
http://www.amazon.com/Solid-Braid-Cotton-Sash-71543/dp/B000H5W902/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1346258641&sr=8-6&keywords=cotton+sash+cord
i hope this helps!
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