Dress up your plain baskets with this simple DIY Basket Embroidery technique. All you’ll need is a basket, yarn, straight pins, and a large embroidery needle. As a result, you’ll turn your functional basket decor into a statement piece for your shelves. Keep in mind, you need no prior embroidery experience, only the desire to do something different with your decor.
As for the basket, pick one with a looser weave like a hyacinth basket (used here). The hyacinth baskets were easy to push the needle through and the natural color provided a nice contrast with the white yarn. While hyacinth baskets are readily available at many stores, discount stores like Homegoods or T.J. Maxx usually have the best prices.
Materials
- Basket (I used a hyacinth basket)
- Yarn (pick something that will stand out, I used white)
- Straight pins
- Large embroidery needle
Instructions
Start by threading your embroidery needle with a double strand of yarn. To do this, cut a single strand of yarn that is twice the size of the working length. Thread your needle and make the ends meet. Tie a knot. Now you’re ready to begin the embroidery.
Next, embroider your basket. It starts with creating a long main “stem” and then create offshoots and your “flowers” and “leaves.” For the stems: use one double strand of yarn. For the flowers/leaves: use three to four layered stitches. Use your straight pins to help determine where to push through when on the interior of the basket. Use my finished basket as inspiration for your pattern or make up your own. Have fun with it.
The unexpected embroidery detail on the baskets adds extra personality to these built-in shelves. I created a pair of matching baskets by doing the same design but a mirror image. This allows for the baskets to match without being exactly the same. Visually it also allows for both embroidered branches to point inwards, keeping your eye moving within the shelves.
So what do you think? Do you like the detail the embroidery adds to the baskets? Will you try it? Let me know in the comments. Also, check in with me on Instagram. On Instagram, I post tutorial videos, including one for these baskets.
