How to Turn a Basket into a Bag

While basket bags have been popular for some time, a trend I’m noticing is that they’re starting to resemble a ‘basket’ more than a ‘bag’ a whole lot more! What I love about this trend is that it’s easy to recreate yourself, using any kind of firm basket that can be picked up in a homewares or discount store.

In this post I’m showing you how I turned a basket into a bag using new and and some second-hand materials. If you have a basket lying around, feel free to repurpose it for this DIY!

How to Turn a Basket into a Bag

You will need:

A firm basket (the one I used)
An old belt
Thin wire
Scrap material (I used calico)
Cotton rope

With this bag, we’ll create the handle and also the lining. If you want a simpler option than sewing the lining, you can use a scarf instead. Simply insert the scarf into the bag and tie it up! I love this look too, especially when there’s a little extra length of scarf to fall over the side of the basket.

Firstly, take your belt and wrap it around the base of your basket and upwards. You can adjust the strap length with the buckle. Use sections of wire to tie the belt onto each side of the basket, turning the wire on the inside and pressing it flat against the basket. You shouldn’t need to make any holes in your basket to do this, just thread the wire through the gaps.

Once the belt is attached, it’s time to make the lining for your basket bag. This is a pretty similar procedure to the drawstring bag I made, so if you need any extra details, refer to that post. The only difference is that we’ll be creating a circular base and not tying the drawstring to the bottom of the bag.

Trace the base of your basket onto your material and cut out the circle. Measure the circumference of your basket, as well as the height, adding 3-4 inches to the height to allow for the drawstring tube. Cut out a rectangle that is the circumference x height of the basket.

Pin this rectangular piece around the edge of the circle, and pin up the side. Sew together. Fold down the top of the bag and sew to create a tube that the rope will feed through.

Use a safety pin to help feed the rope through the tube. Tie off the ends and insert your lining bag into the basket. Your new basket bag is complete!

Do you prefer the calico lining or the scarf? I love the colour that the scarf gives but have always been a fan of neutrals too. The beauty of this basket bag is that you could interchange them as you feel!