How To Make A Basket Liner
I love baskets. They look great, and are a wonderful way to keep odds and ends organized. I’m using several baskets on the new shelves in the upcycled TV cabinet in our kitchen. The baskets are great by themselves, but I decided they needed a little splash of color. So, I made a liner for each of them, and that’s what today’s sewing tutorial is about – how to make a basket liner.
Be sure to check out our popular Sewing Tutorials page for over 50 step-by-step sewing tutorials – many include detailed videos!
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
This is a quick and easy sewing project, and it’s a great way to personalize a basket. You can add the fabric of your choice to coordinate with your room.
The green fabric that I used for these our basket liners is an outdoor fabric from Joann.com. It’s washable and very durable. The green color goes great with the other fabrics and accessories in our kitchen.
We’re using the baskets for our grand kid’s coloring and craft supplies, paper towels and plates for the microwave and our electronic gadgets and all of the chargers that go with them.
There are all kinds of different sizes and styles of baskets to choose from. We have 2 different sizes of baskets for our cabinet. Two of them are tall narrow strap baskets . (Shown in the first picture.) This tutorial is using the figures from those baskets. You can measure your baskets and use those figures to make your liners.
I also have several of these shallow strap baskets in the cabinet, and used the same methods to make the liners for them.
How To Make A Basket Liner
MATERIALS NEEDED TO MAKE A BASKET LINER
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission. The great thing is, it won’t cost you a penny more! Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
- Basket – I like these black strap baskets. They’re very sturdy, and easy to work with.
- Fabric – The yardage needed depends on the size of your basket. I needed about 3/4 of a yard to make one liner for my basket.
- Dual Duty thread – in a color that matches fabric.
- Fiskars Soft Touch scissors
- Glass head pins
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Measure the inside dimensions of the basket. My basket is a rectangular shaped basket and measured at 7 1/8″ x 11 5/8″ on the inside bottom, and 8 5/8″ x 13″ on the inside top. (My basket sides angled out at the top) The inside height measurement is 6 1/4″.
2. Cut 2 pieces of fabric for the small sides. I added 1″ to my inside bottom measurements, 1 5/8″ to my inside top measurements (needed a little extra to allow the cuff to fold over the outside of the basket, and 3″ to my height measurement (for hem and fold over cuff on the outside of the basket). If you have a square basket – cut 4 pieces of fabric all the same measurement.
3. Cut 2 pieces of fabric for the long sides. I added the same to my baskets measurements as I did in step #2.
4. Cut one piece for the bottom. I added 1″ to my bottom inside measurements for the 1/2″ seam allowances.
5. Using a 1/2″ seam allowance, sew all four side pieces right sides together. Making sure to alternate the long and short pieces if you have a rectangular basket. I used a serger to sew the sides seams, but you could use a regular straight stitch. Zig-zag or use pinking shears on the edges of seams so that they are finished and don’t fray.
6. Place a pin in the center of each of the four sides on the bottom edges. Also, pin the center of each side of the bottom piece.
7. Pin (right sides together) the bottom piece of fabric to the bottom edges of the sides, matching up the seams of the sides to the corners, and matching the pins in the center of the sides and bottom piece.
8. Using a 1/2″ seam allowance, sew the bottom to the sides. Clipping the fabric at the corners. (I used my straight stitch machine to sew the pieced together.)
9. Serge the edges of the bottom seams to keep them from fraying.
10. Turn under 1″the top edge of the liner 1″ to form a hem. Ironing in place.
11. Turn under the fabric again to form hem, and iron.
12. Top stitch hem.
13. Place the liner in the basket and enjoy!
Do you like to organize with baskets too? I hope you enjoyed my basket liner tutorial today!
If you loved this sewing tutorial, you’ll love these sewing tutorials too:
How To Hand-Sew A Pillow Closed
How To Make A Pillow With Cording
I’m joining these parties!
Great tutorial, and it comes at the perfect time. I am reorganizing my homeschool materials and this way I can make liners for different categories.
Thanks! What a great idea to use different fabrics to organize your homeschooling materials!
I do not sew, but this seems very easy. I have baskets that could benefit from liners, especially in a fabric that like you described.
Dedra
Give it a try Dedra! They really aren’t that hard to make.
This is a great tutorial! I need to make these for my bathroom shelves. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! They would be great for baskets in the bathroom.
These are great, love how they add that extra splash of color. I don’t care much for sewing but they look pretty easy. Thanks for sharing your tutorial! Pinning!
Thanks Linda! They really aren’t too hard to make.
Wonderful. Great tutorial. I sew and could easily make these with your good directions. I really like the way your whole setup looks as well. Very nice 🙂
Thanks Sheila!
As usual, great tutorial Jann! Pinning for future reference. Have been meaning to tell you how good your new blog template looks! Really clean looking and easy to navigate!
Thanks Caroline! I’m loving the new blog re-design too. The old one was driving me crazy. Too busy.
Great tutorial! I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for later this morning that links to your tutorial: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/?p=82416 –Anne
Thanks Anne! I’m honored!
I just came across your tutorial and I love the look of these liners, but I am having trouble sewing the bottom to the sides at the corners. Could you provide a little more explanation of how you clip the corners and join the corners?
Thanks!
I’m not sure how else to explain, especially since I am not sure what problems you’re having.. Pinning the bottom to the 4 side will help to keep things in place. When you get to the corner, clip as shown, but making sure not to clip to far into where the seam will be. sew up to the corner and then turn the corner and go up the next side. After the bottom is sewn to the sides, I did also put some fray check where I clipped the corners, and serged the seams so that there would not be any fraying. Hope that helps!