Rustic crochet jute basket

Basic Rustic Jute Basket

A great, basic basket for beginners!

It seems like we can never have enough containers for all the toys and art supplies around here, but utilitarian plastic bins, however useful, are not very aesthetically pleasing. What better solution than to attempt making my own baskets to keep all the kids’ stuff in rein?

This was my first attempt at crocheting with jute twine, and I was pretty pleased with the result. Furthermore, it was just about the cheapest item in our local craft store! I spent about a dollar and a half on the materials for making this little basket, and that’s with picking a smallish package, which was relatively pricier.

I followed an important tip for baskets: to achieve a sturdy, firm shape (rather than a floppy bowl), crochet a flat circle for the bottom, and then work the next round in slip stitch in the back loops only.

Proceed to work in single crochet in the front loops of the same row. Then work your way up as you normally would. This creates a sort of angle that really helps the basket stand on its own.

I worked the final row with acrylic yarn for a nice color contrast, and I also made the tension a little tighter to pull the top a bit more closely together, which makes the basket even sturdier.