Free Small Crochet Basket Patterns with Tutorial
Wool baskets are gorgeous and made even better when you can make them with a free small basket crochet pattern.
Although I have done various crochet projects over the years I was hesitant to make a crochet basket pattern and share a free pattern with you as I had to make certain the sturdy basket would stay stiff enough to hold the items inside. This is the very best crochet basket for stiffness I can design for two reasons. The free crochet basket pattern, some added tips and directions for adding crochet stiffeners at the end of the post.
The Best Yarn for Crochet Baskets
Even small crochet baskets work best with thicker yarn, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick, and Quick Wool because it is a super bulky yard. Using a super bulky weight yarn helps keep the basket upright, sturdy, and stiff. I don’t see any point in having one that won’t hold its shape the way I need it to.
The color choice for your wool is up to you, but if it’s going to be home decor, especially in the living room pick a color that matches. I also like to keep using neutral colors as they make crochet look more modern and contemporary.
Make the crochet stitches as tight as possible to make it as rigid as possible.
Crochet Tips for Stiffening Baskets
- Use heavy wool for strength
- Use single crochet wherever you can.
- Stay away from large baskets
- Give the basket a brim for extra strength.
- Use a fabric stiffener purchased or homemade.
If you are determined to crochet a large basket and aren’t worried about it flopping a bit go ahead and check out a large basket pattern. If you haven’t crocheted a wool basket before I recommend making a small round basket to get started, The round baskets are easy to make and you can whip one up before going to the effort of creating a large one.
Small Crochet Basket Pattern – in 2 sizes
A small crochet basket is an easy project to crochet and a great way to use leftover wool.
I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick wool and a size 6.5 mm crochet hook. If you have a hard time making your stitches tight, I suggest using a smaller hook size, and dropping your hook size down one.
Each of the small crochet baskets took two skeins of yarn.
This project uses basic stitches, the single crochet stitch, the slip stitch, and the half double crochet, and you need to learn the magic circle.
Step One – Crochet the Base of the Basket
This basket is crocheted in continuous rounds. You can use a stitch marker to mark each round, but I wrote the pattern with very specific stitch numbers making each round easier to recognize. We will begin with a single crochet base.
Start with a magic circle.
Round 1 – Complete 6 single crochet (sc) into the magic loop and pull tight.
Round 2 – Working directly into the first st of the previous round, begin with 2 sc in the first st, and then each stitch around (12 stitches).
Round 3 – Chain (ch) 1, 1 sc in the first sc, then 2 sc in the next sc. repeat this pattern around, (18 stitches) join with slip stitch.
Round 4 – Ch 1, 1 sc in first two stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, repeat this pattern around (24 stitches), join with slip stitch.
Round 5 – Ch 1, 1 sc in first three stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, repeat this pattern around (30 stitches, join with slip stitch.
Round 6 – Ch 1, 1 sc in first four stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, repeat this pattern around (36 stitches), join with slip stitch.
Round 7 – Ch 1, 1 sc in first five stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, repeat this pattern around (42 stitches), join with slip stitch
Round 8 – Ch 1, 1 sc in first six stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, repeat this pattern around (48 stitches), join with slip stitch.
Step Two -. Crochet the Sides of the Basket
Round 9 – Ch 1, 1 sc in the back loop of each stitch around (48 stitches) join with a slip stitch (sl st ).
Round 10 – Ch 2 half double crochet (hdc) in each stitch, join with slip stitch.
Round 11 – Ch 1, 1 sc in the back loop of each stitch around, join with slip stitch.
Repeat until the basket is the height you like.
Complete two more rows tie off with a slip knot and sew the end strands of yarn back into the basket.
Fold the top two rows over, and using a yarn needle sew the flap over to form a brim.
If you wish to add a bow, weave a double thickness of wool through the basket brim. Starting and finishing at the front of the basket.
How to Use Your Beautiful Basket
These crochet baskets are beautiful in the living room for a cozy winter home decor idea. You can use them to hold an assortment of small things like remotes, bits from an ongoing craft, or a place to corral clutter before you scoop it up and place it away. You can place anything lightweight inside of the basket because the bottom stitched in single crochet makes for a tight structure, I doubt
How to Make a Crochet Basket Stiff
Using Fabric Stiffener to Make a Crochet Basket Stiff
It would take a whole bottle of fabric stiffener to stiffen this basket. I use commercial fabric stiffener while making formed flowers and it stiffens very well. But, I want these baskets to be washable so I chose to stiffen them with a sugar starch instead.
Sugar Starch Recipe
In a small pot add 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup water. Cook over low medium heat stirring constantly until the sugar water is clear. Do Not Let It Boil. Set aside to cool a bit.
Dampen your basket in water, pat out the excess, pour the lukewarm sugar over the basket, and work the sugar through coating all fibers.
Place over a form and let dry. I used an inverted bowl with a cake pan.
My basket took more than a full day to dry. Check on your basket from time to time and rearrange parts of it if needed.
I think these baskets are perfect for winter decor. I am using these to store part of my wool stash but I think they would be nice snuggled around plant pots in the winter.
Here is another post from Knitters Pride with Other Ways to Make Crochet Stiff. I thought she had some good ideas.
Thinking about creating a basket? Save this post and pattern to have it. It helps my blog to grow.
Other Winter Craft Ideas
Winter decor is all about coziness, with some simple supplies you can convert any color candle holder into a cozy vignette.
Leanna, I don’t crochet or knit, but I love your baskets. Thanks for sharing with us at Share Your Style!
Oh Leanna, these are lovely!! I must admit that the crochet instructions were Greek to me, but I just love how they turned out!! Your creativity is endless 🙂 Thank you for sharing at TaDa Thursday!!
This is a beautiful basket! Thanks for sharing on the Pleasures of the NW’s DIY link up – You’ll be featured in tomorrow’s party!
Very pretty and unique! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Leanna, I agree these baskets are great for winter decor. The white band is perfect. Thanks for sharing. Sylvia D.
Very pretty, I like it. Now if I could only crochet I’d attempt it myself. Thanks Leanna from Grammy Dee, #WednesdayAIM #LinkUp #BlogParty, social media shared.
This is lovely. I love crocheting and wish I could get better at it. Thank you for sharing at Dishing it and Digging it link party.
Leanna, this turned out so well! I love it! They are beautiful for winter decor!
Leanna, I adore your wool basket! Wish I could say I was handy with a crochet hook, but alas, never got past the chain stitch! However, I have a daughter who is a natural with yarn and I know she can make me a few of these! Thanks for sharing. Pinned. I’ll be featuring your post on Saturday’s Snickerdoodle Party. Hope you can join us 🙂
I adore that photograph of the basket outside in the snow with the bunny, its a classic. The basket is adorable.
Maria
Leanna these are so eclectic and pretty. I wish I remembered how to crochet. My mom taught me when I was a kid but of course I’ve forgotten.
That’s a cute basket Leanna. Crochet is something I would like to learn how to do, but haven’t yet. I tried knitting & liked it, but found I just didn’t have time to devote to it. Now I’ve forgotten how again. Oh well. It’s great that you are using something you have made though. Makes it more special.
How pretty! Thank you for the pattern! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Oh how I wish I could crochet Leanna, there are so many beautiful things to make and your baskets are definitely one of those things. Does sugar starch hold up after washing, or are there special instructions? I’ve wanted to try it for years, but never got around to it.
Beautiful baskets. I wish I can crochet. #HomeMattersParty
What pretty baskets! I love these. My daughter would love one for her knitting stuffs. #HomeMattersParty
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Hi Lorelai: I thought the wool baskets went really well as a theme to hold wool. They work will for wool as long as you sugar starch them which really isn’t too hard to do.
Thank you for inviting me to co-host the #HomeMattersParty, I have enjoyed the experience very much.
Leanna
These baskets are awesome and so handy! Wish I knew how to crochet!
Hi Jen: Crochet is easy to learn actually. There are lots of how to videos and these baskets only took 2 stitches and some basic pattern reading. If you ever want to give it a try email me and I will do my best to help you with it.
They look really sweet
Hi Lucy: I enjoyed making these and I never have enough decor and storage stuff. Thank you for commenting Leanna
Well you got my number. This waste not, want not blogger loves this and is a basketaholic. {heart} #homemattersparty
Hi Deborah: The bags really cut down on food waste. I’d rather have the money to spend on craft supplies lol
Enjoy your week. Leanna
Very cute baskets and they look very cute in the snow with the bunny!
Hi Marjan: Everyone else seems to be getting a heavy cold winter all around us, but Edmonton has gotten off very lightly. I actually had to wait for a couple days to get fresh snowfall for the picture. It was worth the wait though I love how it turned out.
I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for commenting.
I’ve tried making baskets and found the same as you, if they are small and the crochet is really tight they they are ok but it is tough to make larger baskets stiffer. Your sugar idea is the same as I think my mother in law used to use for fancy fine crochets swans and the like years ago. I’l have to ask her. How clever to use it for such a modern crochet project. Thanks.
Thanks so much for stopping by at #HandmadeMonday, it was a lovely surprise to see your beautiful baskets there.
I like your link party, I found it a couple of weeks ago and will be by weekly.
Thank you for stopping by Twice. Enjoy your week. Leanna
Hi Julie: I remembered my grand mother always having a huge doily sugar starched and really pretty on her dining room table. The doily was solid, you had to be careful with it because hers was stiff enough it could break the crochet cotton. I eased my recipe up a bit from that. I bet your mother in law will love chatting with you about it.
Leanna, I have never seen these before and they are so charming and make a home feel cozy and loved. I told my mom last weekend that I was going to pass on your collar ( I can’t recall its name) because I would like to have one. She is the crocheter extraordinare in our family.
Debbie I love that your asking her to make my cowl. You will find it warm and cuddly and I am sure she can make you one in no time. I would love to hear what colour she makes it in.
Thanks for commenting and providing feedback. It really makes a difference to my day. Leanna
I love how your crocheted wool baskets turned out! They would look cute sitting anywhere in the house and are the perfect little catch-alls. Thanks for sharing your crochet craft at the #HomeMattersParty
Hi Nicole: As it is I am determined to use up a bunch of wool I found. So these little baskets serve two purposes. They put some wool to use and are a handy way to me to leave wool out as a prompt to use it up.
Thank you for commenting. Leanna
Makes me wish I knew how to crochet or at least take more time to learn something new. I think they would be great for Easter baskets. Thanks for sharing them at #HomeMattersParty.
Hi Donna: I never thought of them for Easter. You gave me an idea. You can make them out of any type of thick material. They would be so cute done in raffia. I will have to ponder that.
Thanks for the idea. Leanna
Those are really pretty and unique baskets! I love the Gray and White! Now I wish I could Crochet! Thanks for sharing! #HomeMattersParty
Jeannee
Hi Jeannee: Crochet relaxes me, I typically have one crochet project at hand for the end of the day.
The new bulk yarns are making crochet projects much faster to finish and easier to see for beginners.
I am enjoying co-hosting the Home Matters Party with you. Have a good week.
Too sweet Leanna! I love how you made one of them 2 toned! I have crocheted for years. Think it’s time to dust off the crochet hook and start crocheting again!! Thank you for the inspiration 🙂
These were really quick to do with the new large wool Sam. I crocheted it as tightly as I could and with the stiffener they actually stand up.
I look forward to seeing what you create
I appreciate you taking the time to stop by. Enjoy your week!
These are beautiful, I seriously need to try crocheting again. So many lovely projects like these that can be made.
Hi Tony: If you do decide to give it a try again. Watch a couple of stitch videos on Youtube. I think I have a couple of stitch tutorials on my crochet board in Pinterest. After one project I am sure you will be comfortable doing it again.
Thanks for commenting, I appreciate and enjoy every one. Leanna
I really really love these Leanna!!! And I would love to give crocheting a try, I did long long time ago and when I see lovely projects like yours, it makes me feel like crocheting again! I bought a crocheted basket at Ikea not too long ago and really love the look of it, although it is some kind of synthetic material, not real wool, which I’d love even more. So cute how you colour blocked it and that bunny pillow in the back of the adirondack chair is sooo cute as well!
Hi Katrin: I haven’t been to Ikea for a few months. I have to go check it out. I would recommend using the fabric stiffener. I have seen little crocheted baskets and they are soft, I think the fabric stiffening really improved their structure.
Our house came with a tiny yard, a deck and a patio. Those adirondack chairs are my favorite.
Enjoy your week. Leanna
These are so nice. I don’t know how to crochet but I can appreciate the skill to make these. I love the idea of using them for the plants in the winter to cozy them up and keep the roots toasty warm.
Hi Debra:
I have a mountain of wool to use up. I will be making more of these. Glad to hear you like them. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Thanks Lea
Leanna you are so talented! Each post is just amazing and heart felt. I love these baskets and I think a few on Etsy would go like hotcakes for Easter.
Hi Pam: Thank you for the kind comment. I am really proud of the picture I took outside. It felt really different hoping for snow because that never happens.
Thank you for commenting.
Very cute basket, Leanna. I might just try making one. With that chunky yarn they can’t take very long, which ups the chances I would finish it! Where do you get fabric stiffener?
The photo with the baskets in the snow-covered chair is so cute, but is that a real rabbit posing so cooperatively? I just can’t tell for sure from the photo. If it isn’t real, it sure fooled me!
Hi Naomi: You can purchase fabric stiffener at Michael’s in Canada and Hobby Lobby or maybe Joann’s in the USA. I recommend using the sugar starch recipe I added to the bottom of the post.
I hope you try it. Thanks for commenting.