Learn how to make your own wire basket from regular contributor, Michelle James.

DIY Custom Wire Basket

Have you ever been searching and searching for a basket to fit a particular space in your home, or organizing and you just cannot find the right size? It happens to me all of the time. So, I decided to learn how to make my own custom wire baskets.

DIY Custom Wire Basket:

If you would like to make your own wire baskets, here is what you will need.

Supplies needed:

Hardware Cloth – you could use chicken wire too
Tin Snips
Needle nose pliers
Gloves
Sharpie Marker
Straight Edge – I used a piece of wood

First, decide the length and the width of your basket. Mine needed to be 17 inches X 15 inches. Then, decide how tall it will be. I could only go 3.5 inches because the hardware cloth we purchased (for a different project) was only 24 inches wide. The 17 inches plus 7 inches equals the 24 inches. So, that was how tall I would make it.

Use the tin snips, and cut out a piece that is big enough for the sides and the bottom of the basket. My piece was 24 x 22 inches. This was the 17 x 15 bottom and the 3.5 inches on each side. (total of 7 inches for the sides)

I know…I don’t like math either but this is how we use it in real life. Good thing it isn’t any harder than that.

Then, you need to cut out the corners of this piece to form the sides that will be bent up to a vertical position.

Start by using a sharpie and marking the corner point. My sides will be 3.5 inches; so, I measured 3.5 inches from the sides to find the corner point.

It is important to cut one side of each corner close to the cross wire and the other side away from the cross wire, so the little wires are hanging out. You will be using these little wires to wrap and attach the side corners together.

Bend up the sides using a straight edge of some sort to help keep it folding in a straight line.

Now, get the needle nose pliers to wrap the small wires onto the cross wire of the opposite side. You will end up with this.

Nice, right?

Mind ended up with a twist in it.

I tried and tried to get it to straighten out. I think a lot had to do with the size of the basket. A smaller one may not be so bad. I was able to fix it most of the way, but I knew it would be holding either fabric scraps or magazines. So, I knew it would not show when it was on the shelf. And, it doesn’t. Here is the final result in the organizer cabinet I made from the old 70’s cassette, cd and vhs holders. I love these and look for them now.