Bluesky at Home » DIY Projects » Make an Anthropologie-Inspired DIY Woven Basket

Make an Anthropologie-Inspired DIY Woven Basket

By now, you know I love a good DIY project. I love a good hack, too, such as this Anthropologie~inspired DIY woven basket.

Whether it’s a home decor accessory, a paint project, a party decoration, a tablescape enhancement or a gift idea, count me in. I love the opportunity to find new ideas to transform old or unused objects into more decorative and practical uses. This Anthropologie~inspired DIY woven basket was easier than I thought.

I love a simple project. This project fits the bill.

This Anthropologie~inspired woven basket project is such a great item to have in our homes that I hope you will want to make one too.

EasyAnthropologie~Inspired DIY Woven Basket

This post contains links to products used in this project. If you should purchase any item from this website, I may receive compensation, but you don’t pay a penny more.

I needed a new waste paper basket for a desk area with a small opening below in our kitchen. I needed some inspiration so I went shopping online.

I found this basket on the Anthropologie website. It was $108.00.

woven basket in tan and white on floor

I also found these two baskets. The one on the left is $198 and the one on the right is $88.

Anthropologie woven baskets

I like all of those options, but the prices were way more than I wanted to spend. How could I get the same good looks for a fraction of the cost? Make one myself!

My DIY Woven Basket Preparation

Since I did not take underwater basket weaving in college, I thought I would use a basket with some sort as a frame to make a woven basket.

After a search on Amazon, I found this simple, white mesh basket. It was the right size (11.75 wide x 14-inches tall), shape, and price.

I would also need some kind of thick cording to create a woven look. I already had 1 package of this jute cord but not knowing how much I would need, I ordered another one. So I had 2 packages, each 135 feet long.

Plan for the  Woven Basket

My plan for making the woven basket was to use good old Elmer’s glue and brush it on the wire mesh basket. I poured the glue into a plastic container.

glue and brush

Next, I brushed the glue on the mesh basket, starting at the bottom. I attached the jute cord in small sections.

attaching jute cord
attaching jute cord

Guess what? This plan was not working. The jute was not sticking to the mesh basket and the glue was running down the sides. I needed to go to plan B.

glue gun

The Plan B that Worked

When regular glue didn’t work, I switched to the trusty glue gun. This method worked like a charm.

Once again, I started at the bottom of the basket, running a bead of glue for 6 ~ 8 inches. I held the jute cord to the bead of glue and pressed it down, slighting pulling it around the side of the basket.

You can see where the Elmer’s glue ran down the side of the basket. It didn’t show once I covered the basket with jute.

attaching jute cord

As I continued gluing the jute around the basket, I found it easier to turn the basket on its side. As I glued, I slightly pressed each new row of jute to the previous one, pulling the jute a bit around the basket. This method worked perfectly and I was on a roll.

As you can see here, I started the jute above the bottom of the basket where the mesh began. I did this for aesthetic reasons and so the jute wouldn’t be on the floor.

wrapping jute cord on mesh basket
wrapping jute cord on mesh basket

Making Handles for the Woven Basket

After I wrapped 4 inches of jute at the bottom of the basket, I stopped.  For decorative purposes, I wanted to add handles.

I cut 2 pieces of jute 10 inches long and wrapped 1 around the other. I glued 1 end to the top of the basket and bent the jute to form a handle and glued it.

making handles with jute cord

Then, I started gluing the jute to the top of the basket in exactly the same way I did the bottom, pressing and pulling as I went.

making handles with jute cord

Once I covered the ends of my handles, it was smooth sailing. Where there were little gaps between rows, I filled in with glue.

Also, I was liking the look of the white mesh with the rustic look of the jute. I made a 2~inch band of jute at the top, cut off the jute, and glued the end to the mesh basket.

Since I had a 2~inch band at the top of the basket and a 4~inch band at the bottom, I did a little math and determined that I could have a middle band of 3 inches with 1.75 inches between bands.

Using a small ruler, I measured down 1.75 inches from the bottom of the top band and made a pencil mark.

wrapping jute cord on mesh basket

Once I had a mark to go by, I started wrapping my middle band around the basket. The lines may not be perfect, but the end result was fine.

wrapping jute cord on mesh basket
wrapping jute cord on mesh basket

Once I wrapped 3~inch band of jute around the basket, I was done with my woven basket.

I really love the mix of mesh and jute, modern and rustic, metal and organic.  The handles seem to be sturdy and secure.

This project was a different type for me, but it was also super easy, once I started using the glue gun.

It does get a little boring after a while. This is the perfect project to do while watching a movie or your favorite TV show. I didn’t keep track of the exact time it took to complete this DIY woven basket project ~ I stopped for lunch and a few bathroom breaks. I’m guessing around 4 hours total of work time.

As it turned out, I didn’t use all my original bag of glue sticks and I had some jute from 1 package left over.

Here’s another easy hack ~ using jute twine to decorate glass vases.

An Estate Sale Woven Basket

Ironically, at a recent estate sale where I rescued the teak table (I showed the restored view in the backyard update post.), I also found this awesome woven basket for $7.50. It even has a cute chalk sign to write on.

I’ve been using it to hold some of our throws in the living room.

So, how am I going to use the Anthropologie~inspired woven basket?

For now, I placed it under the counter in our kitchen which was my original desk space. It would also make a planter for a faux plant. What would you do with it? I’d love suggestions.

I love updating baskets. It was so much easier than I thought it would be. I hope that you will PIN it, too. If you like baskets also, I have 2 more basket update projects for you.

pin for later graphic in blue

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

23 Comments

  1. Your projects looks great. Thanks for the inspiration. I recently purchased a metal basket to attach to the front of a bicycle but need to add more change to the basket. This type of project is the perfect solution. Thanks for sharing this week at #HomeMattersParty

  2. Great job on the basket! I love your unique approach to creating this look. It turned out great!

  3. I love your version of this DIY basket! Also love that you shared what didn’t work and then what did! Great tutorial and beautiful basket!

    1. Teresa, I thought making a woven basket would be hard to figure out, but this one actually was super easy and turned out better than I thought it would. Thank you for the feedback.

  4. At first I was like, “No…not a waste basket! It’s too cute.” But then I started to envision it in my bathroom or den and thought, “Heck yeah, perfect idea!” I actually need one in my craft room so you have inspired me to look for a mesh basket and get busy with some leftover rope.

    1. Kelli, if I can inspire you to make something pretty and practical for you home, you have made my day. It was so easy so I hope you make one too.

  5. It turned out great. I think a plant would look awesome in it. I am a plant lover I have to admit and I’m always on the lookout for a basket to put them in. I think the green of the plant and the jute would look fabulous together. Now I’m inspired to make my own basket. Thank, have a great day. Tammy

  6. It would make for a darling waste basket. I think taking it outside it will rust eventually, I would hate that after all the hard work you did with it. It turned out really cute. Good job.

  7. Your basket turned out wonderful and would be a cute waste basket. It could be used inside or out since it was made out of waterproof material. Love your basket and how simple you made the tutorial to follow. I love it!

  8. Carol, I love your basket! What a great idea to use the mesh and add the jute rope. It gives it great depth and contrast! I should have done something like this and saved myself some heartache and burns…LOL Have a great one! Hugs!

  9. Hi Carol, I love a great knockoff! Thanks for sharing the details. The metal basket is genius to sustain the weight! Love a challenge post! xo laura in CO