The Impressive Storage Basket DIY That's Made Using A Repurposed Bath Mat

When you see pineapple decorations on homes in the South and elsewhere, they're a symbol that guests are welcome. But, a basket might be a more fitting sign of a warm welcome. They often display comfort-giving items ready to use or simply as stylish storage for a home well lived in. These containers are common enough, but one made from surprise materials is a novelty. The YouTuber behind DIY Home Decor created a curved-ended basket with handles from little more than a repurposed cardboard box, skewers, and — this is the clincher — a bath mat. To make this spa-worthy basket, you'll need a roll of non-slip matting with a woven texture like this Gorilla Grip powerGrip Drawer Shelf and Cabinet Liner, corrugated cardboard, bamboo cooking skewers, and some white waffle-weave dish towel fabric. Also, set aside a glue gun, scissors, a compass and pencil, a ruler, and a pair of snips to cut the skewers. If you want to add handles, purchase ½-inch jute cord, jute twine, and wooden beads.

With your compass, trace two circles with a 2-inch radius, one next to the other about an inch apart. Use the ruler to connect the two circles along the tops and the bottoms for an oval shape. Cut this out as well as a rectangle 6 inches wide and as long as the oval's circumference. Trace the rectangular piece onto the non-slip matting so that the weft (the thickest of the two perpendicular textural lines) follows the material's width. Cut it out and glue one edge all the way around the oval piece before gluing the vertical seam.

Now that you have the basic form of the basket with its base and sides, glue the matting around the basket's sides, carefully matching the cut edges. Mark the height of the sides on your skewers from their flat end. Trim away the excess, including the sharpened ends. Glue them vertically into the gaps between each weft, all the way around the basket.

Cut a piece of the white cloth that's 1 inch longer than the basket's circumference and wide enough to leave a 2-inch lip overhanging the edge. Line up the top edge of the fabric parallel to and 2 inches below the top of the basket, and adhere it with glue. Turn the fabric inside out, and set it inside the basket. To hide the seam, glue one cut edge flat to the basket, fold the other end over, and glue it so that the folded edge is visible. You can make the lining less complicated by attaching it before adding the bath mat. Snip the fabric to the same dimensions and glue the cut edges 2 inches over the box top. Cover the cut edges with the bath mat, and affix jute twice around the basket's rim for a finished look.

Trace the basket's base onto some cardboard and cut it out. Leaving a 1½ -inch margin around the edges, trace the piece onto the fabric and cut it out. Glue it around the cardboard with the cut edges concentrated on one side. Glue to the lining inside the basket, and place the fabric-covered cardboard piece inside.

If you'd like to add ornamental handles to your basket, cut two 30-inch lengths of jute cord. Fold them in half, and glue the two halves together from the fold to the cut ends. Bend the cords into a curve as you glue them together. Wrap the handles' ends in twine, and glue them to the sides of the basket.

The crisp white against a raffia-colored basket is a satisfying sight, but it won't stay that way too long. A darker colored fabric will be more forgiving; consider denim from repurposing old jeans, or a cozy cut of flannel for some longevity. If you're sold on white, you can make the fabric lining removable for easy washing. Instead of gluing the lining into the basket, add a cinch cord or elastic to the fabric at the lip. Rely on the liner insert for the base to hold the main liner in place. To make this washable, you can attach the fabric edges to the underside of the insert with Velcro dots.

You can forgo the fabric lining altogether by covering all of the box's surfaces with bath mat material. This method also eliminates the bamboo skewer detailing on the outside of the basket. Cut a strip of cardboard that's about half as wide as the box is tall, and the strip should be long enough to wrap around the box. Wrap it in twine widthwise, adding hot glue as you wrap. Glue the strip around the box, flush with the base. Attach the same handles you would for the original basket.