DIY A Stylish Side Table Using Dollar Tree Laundry Baskets

A stunning custom side table that can instantly elevate a room starts with a couple of $1.25 plastic laundry baskets. This dollar store flip is easy to complete and a stellar way to decorate your home on a budget. Better yet, the design can be personalized to fit your aesthetic. This DIY side table can also be used as a nightstand, entryway console, or end table. All you need are two Stacking Plastic Laundry Baskets in any color from Dollar Tree, some raffia cord, a glue gun, and a Round Plastic Serving Tray in any color, also from Dollar Tree.

The featured supplies make for a boho-style side table, but feel free to tweak things to match your home's aesthetic. For instance, instead of raffia, you can use chunky yarn for a soft fairycore look, rope for something nautical, or twine for a rustic vibe. You can also upgrade the plastic tabletop to a simple round placemat or an acrylic tabletop, like this $19 Round Plexiglass Sheet from Amazon, for a more refined finish. However, keep in mind that these laundry baskets are made out of thin plastic, so the tabletop can't be too heavy. With a little creativity and craft supplies, this repurposed laundry hamper hack becomes a stylish piece of furniture all in one afternoon.

First, determine if you want to stack the baskets bottom to bottom or top to top for your table base. The former will create an hourglass shape where the table stand is wider on the ends than in the middle. For this look, you'll need to remove the basket handles with a utility knife so the hamper sits leveled. Stacking the containers top to top forms a barrel silhouette where the middle is wider than either end. If stacking top to top, it's best to add a board between the baskets for support.

Next, decorate the baskets and platter. Glue a piece of raffia cord, or your substitute, to the bottom of the basket and wrap the entire piece, weaving the string between the basket's grids. Once it's wrapped, glue the end piece of the cord to the inside of the basket. Now, stack the two containers. Use glue to secure them bottom to bottom, or if stacking top to top, use more raffia to sew the rims together. For the tabletop, wrap the platter in raffia cord, starting from the center and making your way out. Finally, attach your top to the basket base.

Once everything is secured, decorate your side table with different trinkets like books, candles, and picture frames to complete the look. Since the table base is made from lightweight baskets, it won't be able to hold a lot of weight, so be mindful of what you rest on top.