How to Make a Picnic Basket
What better way to while away a few hours than with a charming picnic? Here’s how to make a picnic basket with a few simple DIY tricks.
If you don’t remember, we spent a few weeks in Paris a few years ago and I came back with my head absolutely in the clouds.
As a matter of fact, of my very favorite Parisian-y things to do was to pack a picnic and go eat in the park (preferably under the Eiffel Tower, duh), which led to one of my favorite pictures of all time.
So when we came back, I figured out how to make a picnic basket for a perfect Parisian-type picnic so we could pretend we were back there again. In case you dream of the same thing, we’re sharing our little tutorial here for you.
Psst — before you dive into the tutorial, be sure to sign up below for my VIP group, where I’ll send more of my very best DIY ideas straight to ya.
More Picnic-y Ideas
Assuming that you’re like me and you enjoy going all in on a vibe, I rounded up a few other picnic-friendly ideas for you!
Be sure to pin your favorites so that you can find them again easily.
- Giant Embroidery Picnic Blanket
- Make a Modern Kids’ Picnic Table
- A Perfect Picnic Cocktail You Can Make on the Go
- Pretzel and Beer Pairings for a Picnic
The DIY Trick to a Custom Picnic Basket
The key to this project is that you don’t actually have to make the basket, you just find a really great pre-existing one and outfit it for picnicking.
And that means that you can find a basket that’s perfect for your needs, whether it’s larger, smaller, or any shape and color you can imagine.
As you’re planning how to make a picnic basket, consider your needs and the types of items you’d like to be able to store inside your basket.
It also helps to thing about how you’ll be transporting it (bike, car, walking, and so on). That should help you narrow down the size and shape of the perfect basket.
Supplies You’ll Need
- basket with hinged lid
- E6000 (or your favorite mega-strong glue)
- colorful elastic ribbon
- large button
- scissors
- upholstery thread
How to Make a Picnic Basket
- Start by figuring out what utensils you’d like to attach to the inside of your basket. I wanted to make space for a couple of sets of silverware, and a couple of champagne glasses. (Speaking of which, here’s a tutorial to make your own gold polka dot champagne flutes!)
- Then, measure out the elastic so that it’s long enough to wrap around your glasses but keep them very snug. Snip off the right amount of elastic. Spread E-6000 on both ends and press the ends firmly into the underside of the basket lid.
- Repeat the process for the other items you’d like to attach to the lid. For utensils, make a small loop of elastic by cutting about 2 inches and glueing the ends together. Then glue the loop to the lid in the same way you did for the glasses.
- Use thick upholstery thread to weave through the front of the basket and through the hole of your button. Next, make a few passes with the needle to ensure that the connection is strong. Finally, double knot and snip the ends.
- Glue a loop of elastic to the underside of the lid of your basket, long enough to reach around the button and hold the lid taut.
- Allow all of your glue to dry for at least 24 hours, or until it’s completely cured. If you’d like to add places to hold plates or larger items to the lid or sides of your basket, do so in the same manner that you added the elastic for the glasses. Plates hold well if you glue the elastic on in an “X” shape, because then they stay secure if your basket gets jostled around.
And that’s all! Fill it with fun treats (champagne required) and get yourself on some picnics! xoxo
How to Make a Picnic Basket
What better way to while away a few hours than with a charming picnic? Here's how to make a picnic basket with a few simple DIY tricks.
Materials
- basket with hinged lid
- E6000 (or your favorite mega-strong glue)
- colorful elastic ribbon
- large button
- upholstery thread
Tools
- scissors
Instructions
- Start by figuring out what utensils you'd like to attach to the inside of your basket. I wanted to make space for a couple of sets of silverware, and a couple of champagne glasses. (Speaking of which, here's a tutorial to make your own gold polka dot champagne flutes!)
- Then, measure out the elastic so that it's long enough to wrap around your glasses but keep them very snug. Snip off the right amount of elastic. Spread E-6000 on both ends and press the ends firmly into the underside of the basket lid.
- Repeat the process for the other items you'd like to attach to the lid. For utensils, make a small loop of elastic by cutting about 2 inches and glueing the ends together. Then glue the loop to the lid in the same way you did for the glasses.
- Use thick upholstery thread to weave through the front of the basket and through the hole of your button. Next, make a few passes with the needle to ensure that the connection is strong. Finally, double knot and snip the ends.
- Glue a loop of elastic to the underside of the lid of your basket, long enough to reach around the button and hold the lid taut.
- Allow all of your glue to dry for at least 24 hours, or until it's completely cured. If you'd like to add places to hold plates or larger items to the lid or sides of your basket, do so in the same manner that you added the elastic for the glasses. Plates hold well if you glue the elastic on in an "X" shape, because then they stay secure if your basket gets jostled around.
Notes
The key to this project is that you don't actually have to make the basket, you just find a really great pre-existing one and outfit it for picnicking.
And that means that you can find a basket that's perfect for your needs, whether it's larger, smaller, or any shape and color you can imagine.
As you're planning how to make a picnic basket, consider your needs and the types of items you'd like to be able to store inside your basket.
It also helps to thing about how you'll be transporting it (bike, car, walking, and so on). That should help you narrow down the size and shape of the perfect basket.
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um WHOA. Hey did you cut your hair?
Also, basket is super cute.
Yeah girl! Lopped it off. The babe was getting a little grabby so I cut it short enough that he can’t reach it. 🙂
What an adorable basket! I need to make something like this so whenever Spring finally shows up we can go picnicking!
Such a great DIY! Thanks for sharing. Its definitely feeling like spring in Los Angeles. Picnic season is around the corner!
xo,
Melanie
http://www.picklesandpalmrees.com
This is an adorable idea!
What a great DIY project! also…loving the new haircut?!?!?!
Thanks Dianna! Chopped it off for my birthday. 😉
Love this! I have been wanting a picnic basket but all the ones I like are super expensive. This might be a cheaper alternative!!!
Definitely! And this way you can pick any basket that you love and just customize it. 🙂
It’s so hard to find the perfect picnic basket, making your own is so simple I can’t believe I never thought of it!
This is very, very cute!
love, love this! what a clever use of an old basket. I know just the place to find a thrift store version and set it up for a Father’s Day picnic. Thanks for the inspiration! jen @ http://www.satsumadesigns.com
Brilliant idea!
THAT BICYCLE…FROM WHERE??!?!?!?!?!
all caps cause its that awesome.
Hi Stef! It’s a Pure Fix City bike. I LOVE it. 🙂
This makes me dream of spring!! Too bad right now we have a foot of snow on the ground.
Maybe in June, I’ll find a basket and recreate this!
Abby
happyfoodhappyhome.com
It’ll be here before you know it! 🙂
How fun! I can’t wait to hit the farmer’s market and buy some fruit and veggies and hummus to fill up the basket.
Where are your utensils from!? So beautiful!!
This is so clever! I have a picnic basket that I love, but it’s not very functional and doesn’t have spots for everything to go. Definitely going to kick it up a notch and add the elastic holders to it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This basket idea is so adorable!! I’ve been wanting to buy one, but they’re so pricey! I think making one is a much better option!
http://www.littleblackshell.com
I’m obsessed with that (gold) silverware! Where did you get it??
Such a great DIY! Thanks for sharing
How did I get my glasses through the bottom hole? Is the elastic stretchy enough to go through the flat bottom part of the glassware? Hope that makes sense! Lol thank you!
Is there an actual plan for all of this or do we just follow the blog directions? Thank you. Love it!
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