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Mini Fabric Basket Tutorial

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Inside: Mini Fabric Basket Tutorial

This Mini Fabric Basket Tutorial will help you kick sewing room clutter to the curb. These baskets are the perfect way to tidy up your sewing space.

Anyone who sews knows that there are always small pieces of fabric and thread that clutter up a sewing space. This mini fabric basket it ideal for keeping this clutter to a minimum.

Personally, I keep one of these mini baskets on my cutting table, and all those little scraps that come off when I’m trimming fabric and FPP projects get tossed in the basket.

I also keep one next to my sewing machine. When I’m stitching something that has been Wonder Clipped, I toss the clips in the basket as I stitch. My best friend uses a Mini Basket to organize cords and cables. They are perfect storage bins in drawers and cabinets for storing small things like hair accessories..

It’s truly a can’t-live-without-it tool in the sewing room.

finished mini basket

>>> Want an ad-free, printable copy of this tutorial? Scroll to the bottom of this post for more details!


How to make a Mini Fabric Basket

This Mini Fabric Basket Tutorial will help you kick sewing room clutter to the curb. These baskets are the perfect way to tidy up your sewing space. But don’t limit them to the sewing room. Fold down the top edge and these baskets are also great for drawer organizing.

This simple project is easy to make and perfect for using up some of those orphan fat quarters. It doesn’t require any special equipment and makes a great beginner project. Best of all, you can whip these up in no time at all. Now, imagine the possiblities!

Below are a couple of details:

  • Finished size: 3″ W x 4″ D x 5″ H (Note: Size is approximate and can vary from sewist to sewist.)
  • All seam allowances are 3/8″ unless otherwise noted.

Materials and Supplies:

I used a product called Fusible Fleece for the interfacing because it helps the basket stand upright best. It also allows you to a little quilting if desired. However, most interfacings will work on this project, including flexible foam.

fabric supplies

Step 1: Cutting out the pieces

  • Cut (2) 7.5″ x 6.75″ piece of printed fabric (Outer Fabric)
  • Cut (2) 7.5″ x 6.75″ piece of coordinating fabric (Lining Fabric)
  • Cut (2) 7.25″ x 6.5″ piece of fusible fleece
Mini Fabric Basket Tutorial Supplies

Step 2: Fuse the Fleece

  • Place the fusible side (the shiny side!) of the fusible fleece on the wrong side of the printed fabric. It will be slightly smaller so make sure it’s evenly placed on the fabric.
  • Fuse to the fabric with a dry iron. Do not iron back and forth because this stretches the fabric. Instead, press the iron up and down. This also will help avoid any of the fabric and fleece shifting.
iron fusing fleece

Step 3: Sewing Pieces Together

  • Place the (2) Exterior fabric pieces right sides together and pin along both side seams and across bottom edge. Leave open at the top. Note: If the Outer Fabric has a directional design, make sure you mark the top and bottom.
  • Using a 3/8″ seam allowance, stitch down the shorter side, pivot, stitch across the bottom edge, pivot, and stitch up the other side. Do not sew across the top edge.
stitch side seams

Note: The seam allowance should barely include the fusible fleece. If more is caught in the seam, be sure to trim down.

  • When finished stitching, clip the two bottom corners.
  • Press the seams open. Note: A mini iron is perfect for pressing this project.
clip corners

Step 4: Making the Boxed Corners

In order for the Mini Fabric Basket to have a flat bottom you will need to create a pleat in the bottom corners.

  • On both bottom corners fold to create a triangle in the corner, matching up the side seam with the bottom seam. This will line up perfectly and feel like a nested seam. Turn inside out to make sure seam is lined up.
  • Press if desired.
  • Pin where the two seams meet.

Note: Lining this up will affect the appearance of your basket. You want to make sure this seam point is precise.

line up seam allowance
press corners

  • Make sure the Exterior seams line up on both sides and pin in the corner;.
  • With your water erasable pen, measure 1.5″ in from the corner point and with your water erasable pen, draw a stitching line across the seam. Repeat on opposite side.
  • Stitch across marked line on both sides of basket to create two pleats.
sewing pleat
  • Trim away the fabric triangle, leaving a 1/4” seam allowance. Be sure to remove the markings if using a light colored fabric.
clip the triangle
  • Turn basket right side out and make sure all of the seams line up. Push points out with something like a chopstick.
turn right side out
matching seams

Step 5: Make the Lining

Note: The lining fabric does not need interfacing.

  • Repeat Steps 3-4 to make the lining.
pin lining
sew lining

Step 6: Assembling the Mini Basket

Note: Exterior should be wrong side out and Lining should be right side out.

  • With right sides together, place the Lining inside the Exterior basket Be sure to line up the two side seams.
line up seams
  • Pin around the raw edge at the top. Leave a 2.5″- 3″ opening in the center, between the seams.

Pro Tip: Use double pins to mark the two sides of the opening.

pin top edge
  • Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, begin stitching on one side of the opening, along the top edge. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end.

Pro Tip: Use the free arm on the sewing machine here.

stitch top edge
  • Carefully pull the Basket Exterior through the opening. Use something like a chopstick to push the points out on the Mini Basket Exterior and Interior.
  • Press corners flat.
pull out lining

Step 7: Finishing the Mini Basket

  • When all of the lining has been pulled through, push it into the basket, matching up the bottom edges.
  • Press along the top edge making sure to fold in the seam allowance along the opening. Pin in place.
pressing top edge
  • Using a 1/8″ seam allowance, topstitch along the top edge of the Mini Fabric Basket. This will also close the opening. Pro Tip: Use a Topstitch or Edge Stitch Foot for perfect topstitching.
topstitching 1/8"
  • If desired, topstitch 1/2″ – 5/8″ down from the top edge. This can be either decorative or used as a fold line.

That’s all there is to it. Now grab a few of those orphan fat quarters and make several more mini baskets.

I’ve created a printable version of this pattern which also includes measurements for making two additional sizes. Click the pink button below to learn more.

Mini Fabric Basket with supplies

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