Items Needed:
1. Basket
2. Thick cardboard
3. Tacky Glue
4. Glue Gun
5. Staple Gun
6. Stitched Piece
7. Complementing Material to your stitched piece
8. Sewing Machine
9. Ribbon
10. Twisted Cording
11. Stain (optional)
12. Quilt Batting
STEP ONE - finding a suitable basket
**This is what the basket I finished started out as. I highly recommend looking at various craft stores to find deeply discounted baskets around holiday(s). No matter what they start out as you can change them with stain, paint and liners. In this example I:
1. Took out the green holiday liner, cut it up at the seams and made a "pattern" to make my own liner for the basket
2. I stained the basket a dark rich oak color using wood stain
STEP TWO - preparing the cardboard lid
1. Using a tape measure, get the "rough" dimensions of the basket top opening - where the lid will go.
2. Transfer these dimensions onto a piece of paper and cut out to use as a template; try the template out by laying it on the basket opening (does it fit? Holding one edge down - try "opening" it - will it open without hitting the handles?) Try your template "lid" out and make adjustments as necessary.
3. Lay the template on a thick piece of card board cut three different piece of card board to the same size.
4. Check to ensure the cardboard pieces are fitted correctly to the lid.
5. Glue 2 of the pieces together; set aside to dry.
6. Glue a piece of quilt batting to the top of the third piece; set aside to dry.
STEP THREE - making the lid straps
1. Using complementing material. cut 2 strips of material about 3 inces wide and 18 inches long (this does not have to be precise)
2. lay the fabric strips out face side down on a hard surface.
3. Run a line of Tacky Glue down the edge of the fabric from top to bottom; spread out with finger; fold 1 inch of the fabric over; smooth to make sure there is no wrinkling.
4. Run a line of glue down the folded piece; spread out with your finger; fold the other side of fabric over and smooth; this is now a "no sew strap" for the basket lid.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 with the second strip of fabric. When done there are 2 completed straps; set aside and allow to dry.
STEP FOUR - attaching the lid
1. Taking the two glued together cardboard pieces, lay it on the material and cut around it with 1 1/2 inches of extra fabric on all sides.
2. Smear one side of the double cardboard piece with Tacky Glue; lay material down on the glue side and smooth; flip over.
3. Smear Tacky Glue around the perimeter of the top of the double cardboard piece and stretch fabric up and glue down to secure; set aside to dry.
3. Take the basket and 2 strap strips; lay basket on the side that you want the lid to "attach" to; lay the fabric strips on the outside "rim" of the basket and using a staple gun - staple the straps with the length of the straps lying towards the bottom of the baskets as shown in picture below:
4. Put the liner in the basket and fit the liner over the stapled straps; once this has been done staple the liner edge to the straps toward the bottom hem of the liner to "cover" the staples from the previous step and to make sure the straps won't put up the liner; then fold the straps back up towards the lid over the stapled liner and glue down the straps where it touches the liner as seen in picture below:
5. Lay the "lid" on the basket and attach the straps to the lid using a copious amount of Tacky Glue to insure securing the lid, as seen in the picture below:
6. Set aside to dry...once dry the "lid" will now open and close as seen in the picture below:
STEP FIVE - mounting needlework to lid
1. Take stitched piece and using the batting glued cardboard piece; center the stitched piece and flip the cardboard over carefully without moving the centered stitched piece.
2. Smear Tacky Glue all around the perimeter of the cardboard and pull up the linen to the back securing the linen to the back of the cardboard; set aside to dry.
3. Once dry using either Tacky Glue or a Glue Gun attach the needlework mounted cardboard to the top of the basket lid.
4. Embellish with twisted cording as desired to hide the space between the lid and the needlework piece.
*Viola - you have a beautifully handcrafted basket with a lid to store all of your treasures! *
