3 Different DIY Rope Baskets

No-Sew Rope Basket

Wrap a metal pail with parchment paper or freezer paper to serve as the mold for your basket, then set it aside. You can use a pail with tapering sides, but make sure that the widest part is at the rim. If your pail is wider at the bottom, you won't be able to pull it out when you are done. Secure the paper to the pail with tape to keep it steady, if necessary.

Fold over one end of your rope and glue it in place. Draw a ½ to 1-inch (1.27 to 2.54-centimeter) long line of hot glue along the end of your rope. Immediately fold the end over onto the rest of the rope. This ½ to 1-inch (1.27 to 2.54-centimeter) stub will serve as the foundation for your basket. Use some ⅜-inch (0.95-centimeter) thick cotton piping cord. You will need about 10 to 15 yards (9.14 to 13.72 meters) to make one basket. It is always better to have too much cording than too little; joining cording on baskets is difficult.

Start wrapping the rope around itself to create a flat disk, gluing it all around. Apply 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) of hot glue, then press the rope into it. Don't squeeze out too much hot glue at once, or it will set before you can press the rope into it, and the bond won't be as strong.

Keep wrapping the rope until the disk is one coil larger than the base of your pail. From time to time, place the rope disk against the bottom of your pail to measure it. Once the disk is the same width as the base, glue down another coil of rope, then stop. You are now ready to build up the walls of your basket.

Place the pail on top of the rope disk, then start building the walls of your basket. Draw a 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) line of hot glue on your rope. Instead of pressing it down onto the side edge of the disk, press it down onto the top edge. Keep gluing the rope down, inch by inch (2.54 centimeters) until you have completed your first row.

Continue building the walls of your basket until it is as tall as you'd like it to be. You can make your basket the same height as your pail or a little bit shorter. Be sure to wrap the rope tightly around the pail.

Finish the end. When your basket is the height you want, cut your rope down until it is 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) long. Fold the last inch (2.54 centimeters) under itself, and glue it in place. Next, hot glue the remaining 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) to the body of the basket.

Consider adding some leather handles. Cut two 10-inch (25.4-centimeter) long strips of leather. They can be as wide as you'd like them to be, but something around 1-inch (2.54-centimeters) would be ideal. You can hot glue the handles to the sides of the basket, or stitch them on using jute cord for a rustic touch. You can also attach them with rivets by doing the following: Use a leather punch to punch a hole into the end of each handle. Place a rivet into each hole. Position the rivets against the sides of the basket. Make sure that the rivets go through the cording. Hammer the rivets in place from inside the basket. Secure the handles with more hot glue if needed.

Machine-Sewn Basket

Twist the end of the rope to form a coin-sized disk. Fold the end of the rope under itself, then roll it in a spiral to form a small disk that is about 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) across. This will create the foundation of your basket. Use some 7/32-inch (0.56-centimeter) thick 100% cotton clothesline. It is usually found in spools online. A 200-foot (60.96-meter) spool will give your three medium-sized baskets.

Stitch across the top of the disk using your sewing machine to form an X. Choose the largest stitch length possible on your sewing machine, then set the stitch to a zigzag. Sew straight across the disk, rotate it 90 degrees, then sew back across it, forming an X.

Orient your work properly. Turn the disk so that the rest of the rope is in front of the sewing machine. Hold the rope against the side of the disk, then slide the disk under the presser foot. Make sure that the center of the foot is in the groove between the two coils. You can use a thread color that matches your rope, or you can use a contrasting color to make it look more interesting.

Start sewing, turning the disk counterclockwise as you feed the rope towards the presser foot. The needle should be going back and forth across the groove, catching onto both coils of rope. This is what will hold the basket together. Keep going until the basket is the width you want it to be. Avoid making your basket too wide using this method. The wider it is, the more difficult it will be to sew. Something around 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) across would be ideal.

Turn the disk so that it is perpendicular to the sewing machine, and start building up the sides of the basket. Grab hold of the disk, and turn it so that it is resting vertically against the side of the sewing machine. Continue sewing your way across the coils, using the same zigzag stitch as before, until your basket it the height you want it to be. Consider changing the color of your thread every couple of rows for an interesting, banded effect. At this point, your basket is just about complete. You can click here to learn how to finish your basket, or you can keep reading to learn how to add handles.

Start shaping the first handle. When your basket is the height you want it to be, stop sewing, and backstitch back and forth a few times. Cut the thread and tie it off. Tug the rope up to loosen it and create a loop. Move forward a few inches/centimeters, and start sewing again; remember to backstitch a few times before you continue sewing around the basket. Make sure that the loop you make is big enough for you to slip your hand through.

Add the second handle. Keep sewing your basket as you did previously until you are directly across from the first handle. Backstitch a few times, then cut and tie the thread. Pull the rope up, move forward a few inches, and start sewing again. Once again, backstitch a few times at your new starting point. When you get to the start of the first handle, you can choose to finish your basket. You can also keep sewing across the handles for 1 to 2 more rows to make them thicker and stronger.

Finish the basket. Cut the rope down to 1 inch (2.54 centimeters). Tuck it into the basket, and backstitch across it a few times. Cut the thread off, and tie it into a tight knot.

Hand-Sewn Rope Basket

Choose your rope. The type of rope you work with does not matter, but since you will be handling it a lot, it might be a good idea to work with something soft so that your fingers don't feel sore by the end. Macramé or 100% rope would work best, however.

Thread some embroidery floss onto a sharp tapestry needle and tie a knot in the end. You will be changing your floss often, so it does not matter how long it is. You can make it as long or as short as you want, so long as you can work without it getting tangled. Something around 24 inches (60.96) would be ideal, however. You can use the same color of embroidery floss throughout the project, or you can use different colors to create a more interesting looking basket.

Roll the rope into a small, coin-sized disk. Take your rope, and fold the end under itself. Twist the rope into a spiral until you have a 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) wide disk. This will be the foundation for your basket.

Pass the needle and thread through the center of the disk to form an X. Push the needle through the side of your coiled disk, and pull it out the other side. Tug at the thread until the knot bumps up against the disk. Turn the disk 90 degrees, and push the needle back through the disk, forming an X. This will hold the foundation of your basket together.

Make your first stitch starting at the top of your disk. Bring your needle across two coils, then push it down through the space between them. Pull the needle out through the back of your work, and bring it back up to the top of your disk.

Make your second stitch. Bring your needle across one coil. Bring it just past the gap between the two coils, and push it through the edge of the second coil. Pull the needle out through the back of your disk, and bring it back to the top of your work.

Keep repeating your first and second stitches until your basket is the width you want it to be. Work in a spiral around the disk. The stitches can be as close together or as far apart as you want them to be. Something around ¼ to ½-inch (0.64 to 1.27-centimeter) would be ideal, however. When you run out of floss, push the needle under the stitch, through a coil, and knot the floss to the previous stitch. Pass the needle and floss through a few stitches, then cut the floss. To start a new thread: thread your needle and tie a knot at the end of the floss. Pass it through the same stitches, but going forward this time. When you are back where you left off, continue sewing, the same as before.

Start building up the sides. Previously, you held the rope against the side edge of the disk. Now, move the rope so that it is on the top edge of the disk. Wrap the thread around both coils: the top one that you are feeding onto your basket, and the one attached to the disk. Do this for one row. Add an element of design to your basket by wrapping the floss around the rope a few times to create a colored band. These bands can be as thick as you want them to be. Be sure to go back and sew the coils together as you normally would, however.

Continue building the sides of your basket using the two stitches from before. Wrap your thread over two coils, then over one coil and through the coil just beneath it. If you need to, place a large bowl inside the basket while you build up the walls. This will help you shape the basket.

Cut and bind off your rope. Find the spot where you first started building up the wall of your basket. Continue sewing your basket until you reach that spot, then cut the rope. Wrap the embroidery thread around the end of the rope tightly until you have a colored band that is about ½ to 1 inch (1.27 to 2.54 centimeters) thick. This will not only add an element of design to your basket, but it will also keep the rope from fraying.

Finish the basket. Sew the end of the rope to the basket using the same technique as you did for the body of the basket. Wrap your floss around the top of your rope, and then push the needle under the coil just beneath it. Go back over the top of your rope, then through the coil below it. Tie the floss to the stitch next to it, then push the needle between two coils of rope, hiding the floss between them. Cut the floss, and tuck the end into the ropes.