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How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets

Learn how to create your own wire baskets from hardware cloth. You can make a custom size to fit a specific space.

Making your own diy wire baskets is great fun but can be a little cumbersome. Make sure you have all the right equipment and some gloves! But the outcome was so great and did give me the perfect size wire basket for my space.

I needed this one for my Craft Organizer that I posted last week.

If you love DIY metal projects you can click here to find more metal crafts inspiration!

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own

How To Create Your Own DIY Wire Basket

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

Materials Needed

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Step 1: Measure your space

Start by measuring your space.  The size basket I needed was 17 x 15.  

I wanted it to be about 4 inches tall but my Hardware Cloth was only 24 inches wide.  We had purchased it for a different project and this is what we had.  But with the 17 inch width and two 4 inch sides my cloth would have to be 25 inches.  So I decided on 3.5 inch sides.

Math is hard.

Step 2: Cut the pieces of hardware cloth

Cut the piece to be the length plus the side heights (17 + 3.5 +3.5) x the width plus side height (15 + 3.5 + 3.5).  So I needed 24 x 22.

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

Mark the corners of the basket with sharpie and cut out the corner section of the wire that you don’t need.  The sides on my basket are 3.5 inches so I measured  3.5 inches away from the corners then 3.5 inches up.  Where to two points met is where I marked my cut line.

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

Use the tin snips to cut one side of the corner close to the cross wire and the other side I left the little wires stick out.  

This way it will be easier to secure the corners.  

Step 3: Creating the corners

You will wrap the short wires around the cross wire.  

This is confusing to explain.  I need visuals.  You can see what I mean in the photo below.

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

Next bend the sides up using some sort of straight edge.  I used a piece of wood for this.  It worked just fine.

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

Once the sides are up, use the needle nose pliers to wrap the wires to secure the corners.

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

Then you are done.  Now mine had a funny twist in it.  I was able to bend it around a bit and it was better but once I got the fabric in it was fine.

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

Fill it up and admire your work.  

My fabric scraps need a place to live so this is what I have in my wire basket for now.

And even though this was sort of a pain in the butt I think I definitely want to make more.

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Michelle

How To Create Your Own Wire Baskets - www.michellejdesigns.com - It seems I can never find the right sized wire basket for my space. This tutorial will teach you how to create your own!

If you like this post you may like my other Cassette Tape Organizer.  It is still on my bedside table and I love it!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Michelle

 

John from Central Scotland

Tuesday 9th of May 2023

Just wanted to say thanks for this wonderful ideal - I had some bespoke shelving in my kitchen - 1 was for spices and salt etc - I wanted a copper basket - £40 each - a small scrap roll of rat-mesh and now I can make as many as I want - with a little copper spray paint - it looks amazing! Thanks for sharing your idea.

Michelle

Wednesday 17th of May 2023

Yay! I am so glad you made them and loved them. That makes me happy!

Shirley Wood

Friday 14th of June 2019

I need two to sit side by side on a shelf in my laundry room! Great idea!

Michelle

Saturday 15th of June 2019

Thanks Shirley. I havent made any for a while. I have a million places I need them too!!

Toni | Small Home Soul

Friday 16th of March 2018

This is such a great idea and I love that you can make them any size you need!

Michelle

Friday 16th of March 2018

Thanks Toni! I really want to make more of these. Just haven't done it yet.

Michelle James

Monday 13th of February 2017

I love this so much!! I would love this for my living room!

Michelle

Wednesday 15th of February 2017

I have no doubt that you could make these with ease!! Thanks so much!

Sandy

Friday 9th of December 2016

If you would have laid out your pattern the other way, you could have had your 4 inch sides with a basket measuring 15x17 ????

Michelle

Sunday 11th of December 2016

Wow! Thank you Sandy. I still have some of the hardware cloth. I may just do that. I think I get tunnel vision sometimes.