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How to Easily Upcycle Broken Plastic Baskets With Fabric

ByJane & Sonja

This plastic basket upcycle is a quick and easy home organization idea. Update broken, cheap or old plastic baskets by wrapping them in fabric.

This plastic basket upcycle is a quick and easy home organization idea. Learn how you can update your broken, cheap or old plastic baskets by wrapping them in fabric.

Books and art supplies placed inside fabric wrapped plastic baskets and then placed in front of a globe.

It is my favorite time of the month when I get together with my besties! Yes it is the International Bloggers Club Challenge. For those of you who are here for the first time, this is a monthly challenge that I participate in with my blogger friends who live all over the world.  We meet up each month to compare notes and see how we do things in our corner of the world.

This month we’re doing crafts with baskets. Now I have done lots of basket upcycles in fact I did one the other day. I simply painted it with chalk paint. Easy Peasy. But this time around I am not doing plain plastic baskets. I am going to show you how to easily upcycle a broken plastic basket.

Two broken plastic baskets.

You see I have these plastic baskets that needed a makeover and I really wanted to use those in the challenge.  I hope you don’t mind.  I like them but they are broken and missing their edges.  But they are very practical since you can put stuff in them for storage or to carry around. You can see how in the inner corners there is no edge and the blue basket has both edges missing in the front. 
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Materials Needed To Upcycle a Plastic Basket

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I needed to find a way to hide the non-existent edges and so I found this fabric which was left over from an old curtain I had. Originally I had wanted to use denim but it proved really hard to work with.  Maybe next time I can try it with softer, worn out denim.

Blue striped piece of fabric.

How To Upcycle Plastic Baskets

The first step was to make sure that the fabric was large enough so that when I folded it over into the basket it would fit and cover the whole basket.

Placing the fabric under the green plastic basket.

I folded it over one end and tried to sew the fabric through the holes of the plastic but it was so hard.

Folding the fabric over the plastic basket.

After pricking my finger a few times I gave up and used glue instead. In my defense the fabric was really hard to pass a needle through.  It was one of those chintz fabrics that has a bit of a glossy finish but it had faded.

Folding the fabric on the other side over the basket.

Then I flipped up the sides and folded them over like you would when wrapping a gift with paper.

Folding the ends of the fabric.

They were pulled inwards and then glued onto the side and bottom of the plastic basket.

Gluing the fabric on the inside of the plastic basket.

I had two different sized pieces of fabric to use for the two plastic baskets and so I ended up wrapping them with the stripes going in different directions. But that’s alright, I think they look much more interesting that way.

2 fabric covered plastic baskets.

Can you tell that there is no edge there? If you can’t then I have done my job!

The edge of the fabric covered basket.
Baskets full of school supplies and books, placed next to a globe.

This has to be one of the easiest projects I’ve ever done. And it is a great way to hide the defects of the baskets. Plus with the right fabric these baskets look way better than they did bare.

Close up of the school supplies inside the basket.

I am using the baskets to store school things.  It’s an easy way to be able to grab things and take them with you. 
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Books and art supplies placed inside fabric wrapped plastic baskets and then placed in front of a globe.

They come in handy for storage as well. I’ll be putting them on my Hejne shelving unit and placing towels inside.

Close up of the school supplies inside the basket.

While I was choosing fabrics for amazon I was reminded of all the pretty patterns and styles out there.  Did I ever mention that before I had kids I used to work for a textile company? I worked for the designer of the company. It was so much fun to watch the creative process of how a fabric pattern is developed.

Baskets full of school supplies and books, placed next to a globe.

And that is how to upcycle broken plastic baskets with fabric. An easy peasy project. Because really, would you have had the heart to throw these out, while they were still usable?

Using fabric to cover up defects in a broken plastic basket, #upcycle #fabricupcycle #plasticbins #storagesolutions #easystorage #easyrepair #DIYproject How to Easily Upcycle Broken Plastic Baskets with Fabric www.theboondocksblog.com

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74 Comments

  2. Hi Mary, it wasn’t so long a go I got rid of some basket just like these, I did put them in recycling though, do I don’t feel so bad. This is a clever idea, you’d never know it was a broken basket forming the basic shape and who doesn’t need a basket or two?
    I can imagine you were in you element when you worked for a fabric designer!
    I can almost feel a chill in the air this morning!
    xx

    1. I loved working for the fabric company Debbie and I was also able to get lots of fabric at a discount. Ever since then, which was a lifetime ago I have really come to love all the work that goes into creating a beautiful pattern.
      It is downright fall weather here and about time too. I hope it lasts for a few days at least.

  3. Mary I adore those baskets! They can be what ever you want, I can even see some bread slices in them on a breakfast table setting. The fabric is so pretty too and I can´t believe how easy it was to whip these up and hide that they´re actually broken. Very cool!

    1. See Katrin, I’m learning from you. Why kill myself with the needle and thread when I can just as easily do it with some glue. I also think this fabric is pretty neutral to go in the new apartment.

  5. Darn it, I could kick myself. We had some plastic baskets similar to yours Mary and they were all wonky and cracked. I should have kept them a while longer instead of donating them to the thrift store. Maybe they’re still there 😉 I love your idea of covering them with fabric to hide the broken bits. It’s a great way to recycle them because they are super functional

    1. Exactly they are really functional. I’ve had mine for 15 years since the kids were small and they of course helped to the distressing of the baskets. But they are large and hold a lot of stuff so I didn’t want to get rid of them.

    1. The possibilities are endless. I like that they are quite big like those bins that you have for files.

  7. You know how much I love stripes so I find those baskets adorable. What a wonderful way to upcycle them instead of just getting rid of them because they are broken.
    I had no idea that you worked for a textile company, you are full of surprises!

    1. Pili I worked there for 4 years till I had my first child. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed watching the designers come up with different patterns and colors.

    1. Don’t ruin it. Just over it up like you would put a pillowcase on a pillow to change the look. 😉

  9. Hi Mary,
    I’m back from traveling (Quebec) and this is a timely post for me to see! I’ve been purging a bit and found several of those hideous baskets. I was contemplating the Goodwill pile but I have some cute fabric and I might just take you up on that. I like that you can glue it. My experience and skill with the needle is marginal at best! The finished product is really cute!

    1. Jeanie, I hope you had a nice time up in Quebec. I originally started to do with with a needle and thread but after pricking myself I gave up and took the easy route.

  10. Wow Mary! What a clever idea to save those plastic baskets! I like very much this stripped fabric and I did not know you were in the fabric industry. So interesting!!! Wish you a wonderful week 🙂

  11. These baskets turned out cool! Love the stripes ~ perfect for summertime and especially for your beach look! Wonderful idea!!! Will be back later to connect a post, if possible. 💕
    Barb 😊

    1. Barbara I could not in good conscience throw them out. They may have been broken but still kept their shape.

  12. Your baskets turned out beautiful Mary I like the fabric it suits the baskets and they have many uses now great thinking

    1. Exactly Mary. I wanted to be able to use them for carrying things and for storage. They certainly are large enough.

  15. I sure can’t tell the edges are broken now that you have fixed it up. I like the look because it really makes the basket more functional and good looking to boot.

  17. Mary, I love the IBC, it’s so fun to see what you decide to do for the month and how each of you accomplishes it in their own way.
    These baskets turned out so cool. I was recently looking at baskets that were either woven or covered in fabric, for storage, and they are so expensive. Yours looks just like the ones I was looking at and I can get the base of it at the Dollar Store! Before I saw yours I never would have guessed that they would look so similar for so much less. Thanks!

    1. And I know you have a ton of fabric in your home. So this would be an easy upcycle for your baskets. The possibilities are endless with all those fabric choices.

  18. Interesting about your former job Mary! I didn’t know that either. And the baskets look fantastic. Love that fabric you chose. Yes it would be very tedious to sew those on & I know they will look good on your bookcases. I usually throw them away too, when they get cracked, but glad you saved them from the landfill.

    1. I am too Florence. They may have been cracked but they are still very sturdy. It was the tough plastic that made me keep them.

  19. Well, next time I won’t be throwing away my old, broken baskets, that’s for sure. What a great way to add a little style to them, Mary…even new ones, for that fact. Thanks for the tip…and how cool was your job? I love fabrics and to be there during the creation process sounds dreamy to me.

    1. It was a lot of fun and quite a lot of learning too. I was the administrative assistant to the designer but I just soaked in their creativity. And yes you can totally do this with new baskets too.

  20. Mary, Great job using what you had to totally transform the broken baskets! You did your job well because you can’t tell some of the side pieces were broken off. They look great, and they will look wonderful on your shelf with folded towels in them.

    1. Laurie they may have had those chipped edges but the rest of the plastic was very solid. No need to get rid of them just yet.

  21. I’m sure I have some broken baskets somewhere around here that would benefit from this treatment. Great way to save these Mary and thanks for sharing at Celebrate Your Story.

    1. I like to think of myself as practical Wendi. Thanks for your sweet comment but I’m not that creative. 🙂

  25. Mary, ok now that is awesome sauce!! These baskets look sooo good with the fabric. I would have glued it too, forget those pricked fingers. 😉 I’m sure the baskets will look great on your shelf with towels. Wonderful job!!

    1. Thanks Keri, nothing wrong with just a little break here and there, especially when you can cover it.

  26. Now I like upcycling but even I would probably have thrown these broken baskets away. You have taught me that I am hasty and almost everything can be saved! These look great. Well done!

  27. These look summery to me because of the lovely striped blue fabric. They certainly don’t look dollar store anymore or even broken. Great way to keep using what you already have. I see a them serving pita bread.

    1. Thanks Roseann. The form was still usable all it needed was a little camouflage!

  36. What a wonderful, sustainable craft, Mary! Your upcycled baskets look fantastic, you would have no idea they were broken! Thank you for sharing, and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. I hope you are having a lovely week!

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