By Sew to Speak Staff
Choosing organizational solutions for your home can sometimes feel like an endless puzzle, especially when you’re trying to keep things functional without compromising style. That is exactly why we love making fabric baskets. This fat-quarter-friendly project is the perfect quick sew with unlimited uses around the house.
Whether you need a place to stash your sewing notions, a cute container for a baby shower gift, or a way to organize your bathroom counters, fabric baskets for storage offer the perfect blend of utility and charm. They stitch up incredibly fast, making them an ideal afternoon project or a last-minute handmade gift.
Grab a few of your favorite fat quarters, and let's get started on creating your new favorite storage solution!
Staying organized just got way more fun! Lean into your creative flair to make a fabric basket for storage that matches it.
Why We Love Fabric Baskets for Storage
If you have never sewn your own storage containers, you are in for a treat. Fabric baskets provide a soft, flexible, and washable alternative to hard plastic bins or woven wicker.
Here are just a few reasons to love them:
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Completely Customizable: You can choose fabrics that perfectly match your home decor. Mix and match fun prints for the exterior with solid, grounding colors for the interior lining.
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Washable and Durable: Accidents happen! If your basket gets dusty or a lotion bottle spills inside, simply toss it in the wash.
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Perfect for Gifting: A handmade basket serves as a gift in itself, but it also makes a wonderful reusable gift basket. Fill it with spa goodies, baby items, or tasty treats.
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Stash Busting: Because this pattern is fat-quarter friendly, it is a fantastic way to use up the lovely precuts you have been saving in your fabric stash.
Customizing Your Fabric Baskets
This pattern provides the perfect starting point, but you can easily adapt it to suit your specific needs.
Adjusting the Size
Feel free to adjust the starting dimensions to get a different size basket. If you want a taller basket, increase the 9-inch height measurement. If you need a wider base for larger items, increase the 15-inch width measurement and cut a slightly larger square for your boxed corners. This pattern is incredibly forgiving and great to customize to any size that works for your space.
Choose to make a 9-inch by 15-inch fabric storage basket, or adjust according to your desired height and width.
Choosing the Right Interfacing
Interfacing is the secret ingredient that gives your fabric baskets for storage their sturdy shape. For this tutorial, we recommend using Fusible Fleece on the exterior fabric to give it a soft, padded structure, and Pellon SF101 on the interior lining for crisp stability. However, you can adjust your interfacing based on the level of structure you like best.
If you want a rigid, stand-up-on-its-own basket, consider using a stiffer interfacing like Pellon Peltex or ByAnnie’s Soft and Stable.
Supplies and Tools You Will Need
Before you start sewing, gather your materials. You will need a ½-inch seam allowance for this project unless otherwise noted.
Supplies
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2 Fat Quarters (1 for the exterior, 1 for the interior lining)
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½ yard Pellon SF101 Interfacing (20” width of fabric)
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¼ yard Fusible Fleece
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Coordinating sewing thread
Tools
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Sewing machine
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Iron and ironing board
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Rotary cutter and cutting mat (or sharp fabric scissors)
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Gridded acrylic ruler
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Sewing pins or clips
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to sew your own stylish storage solution.
Step 1: Cut Your Fabric and Interfacing
Start by giving your fat quarters a good press with your iron. Use your rotary cutter and gridded ruler to cut your pieces according to the following measurements:
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Exterior Fabric: Cut two pieces at 15” W x 9” T
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Interior Fabric: Cut two pieces at 15” W x 9” T
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SF101 Interfacing: Cut two pieces at 15” W x 9” T
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Fusible Fleece: Cut two pieces at 15” W x 9” T
Step 2: Apply the Interfacing
Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of your fabric pieces following the manufacturer's instructions. Fuse the Fusible Fleece to the wrong side of your exterior pieces, and fuse the SF101 to the wrong side of your interior pieces.
Step 3: Cut the Corners
To create the flat bottom of the basket, cut a 2-inch square out of both bottom corners on all four of your fabric pieces (the two exterior pieces and the two interior pieces).
Cut a 2-inch square at each corner to create a flat bottom for your fabric basket.
Step 4: Sew the Exterior
Place your two exterior fabric pieces right sides together (RST). Pin or clip along the two sides and the bottom edge. Sew along the sides and the bottom edge using a ½-inch seam allowance. Be sure to backstitch well at the beginning and end of each seam. Do not sew into the cut-out corner squares.
Use a ½-inch seam allowance to sew the exterior pieces of your fabric basket.
Step 5: Sew the Interior Lining
Repeat Step 4 for your interior fabric pieces, but with one important change. Leave a 4-inch gap in the middle of the bottom seam. You will use this hole later to turn the basket right side out.
Step 6: Box the Corners
Now it is time to box your corners to give the basket depth. Take your sewn exterior fabric and open up one of the cut-out corners. Flatten the fabric so that the bottom seam and the side seam nest beautifully together (right sides together). Pin in place. Sew straight across this new edge, making sure to backstitch well at both ends. Repeat this process for the opposite exterior corner, and then do the exact same thing for both of the interior corners.
Step 7: Join the Layers Together
Turn your exterior fabric right side out. Keep your interior fabric inside out. Place the exterior basket inside the interior basket so the right sides of the fabrics are touching. Line up the side seams and pin all the way around the top raw edge. Sew around the entire top edge, remembering to backstitch at the beginning and end.
Step 8: Turn the Basket
Carefully pull the exterior basket through the 4-inch hole you left in the bottom of the interior lining. Turn the entire project right side out. Push the corners out neatly. Tuck the interior lining down inside the exterior basket and press the top edge very well with your iron so it lays nice and flat.
Step 9: Close the Lining Gap
Pull the interior lining back out just enough to access the hole in the bottom seam. Fold the raw edges of the opening inward and pin them closed. You can hand sew this closed using a slip stitch for an invisible finish, or simply edge stitch it closed on your sewing machine.
Step 10: Topstitch the Edge
Tuck the lining back into the basket. To give your basket a professional finish and keep the lining from rolling outward, edgestitch around the entire top edge of the basket using a ⅛-inch seam allowance.
Step 11: Style and Fill!
Your basket is finished! You can leave the basket standing tall as is, or fold the top edge over by an inch or two to show off a peek of your interior lining. Now, fill it with your favorite goodies!
Make every corner of your home uniquely yours while keeping it tidy by making your own fabric bags for storage
Get Started on Your Storage Journey
Making your own fabric baskets is a highly addictive and satisfying project. Once you see how quickly they come together, you will want to make one for every room in your house. They truly are the best way to create custom fabric baskets for storage that match your unique style.
Ready to pick out your fabrics? We have an incredible selection of fat quarters, quality interfacing, and all the sewing notions you need to complete this project. Stop by Sew to Speak or browse our online shop to gather your supplies. We cannot wait to see the beautiful baskets you create!
About the Author
At Sew to Speak, we are all about collaboration, and this blog post is no different! These words are a group effort with thoughtful input from our team.