Simple Instructions for Making Basket Liners

Lay your fabric on your work surface with the wrong side facing up. Place the basket on your fabric with the bottom side down. Trace around the outside of the basket's bottom edge using a marking pen. Tracing on the outside will allow for a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Cut out the traced fabric shape.

Measure from the bottom edge of the basket to the top edge, on the outside of the basket. Add 5 inches to this total to accommodate an overhang cuff on the top edge of the basket, a casing and seam allowance. This is your height measurement.

Measure around the circumference of the basket's top edge. Add 1 inch if the basket has no handle, or 2 inches if the basket has a handle.

Cut one strip of fabric using the height measurement by the circumference measurement. If your basket has a handle, cut the length (circumference measurement) of the strip in half. This is the liner side for your basket.

Fold the long strip in half with the right sides together and matching the short edges. If your basket has a handle, place the two pieces together with the right sides together and match all edges. Pin together the short ends of the strip or strips.

Measure down 4 inches from the long edge of the strip, and sew the remainder of the short pinned edges using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. This will leave an opening for ties and handles. Iron the seams open. The long edge you measured down from is the top edge of your liner strip.

Fold over 1/4 inch on the top edge of the liner strip to the wrong side of the fabric. Press the fold. Fold over another 1 inch, press and pin. Sew the pinned edge to create a casing. If your liner has two strips sewn together for a handle, fold and sew a casing between each open seam on the short edges.

Lay the fabric bottom on your work surface. Mark the center of each end and side edge using straight pins. Starting at a seam on the long bottom edge of the liner side, place four equally spaced straight pins around the edge.

Hand-sew a running stitch along the long bottom edge of the lining side, 1/4 inch from the edge. Position the bottom edge of the lining side and the fabric bottom of the liner together with the right sides facing. Match the pins of both pieces and pin the edges together.

Pull on the thread of the running stitch to gather the edge of the liner side until it matches the size of the fabric bottom. Pin the gathered edge to the fabric bottom. Sew the pinned edge using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

Measure around the circumference on the top edge of your basket and add 20 inches. If your basket has a handle, add 40 inches. Cut a length of 1/4-inch-wide ribbon using this measurement. If your basket has handles, cut the length in half.

Attach a safety pin to one end of the ribbon. Using the safety pin as a guide, insert the ribbon into the open end of the liner casing and thread it through to the other open end. Pull out 10 inches of ribbon on each end of the casing. If your basket has a handle, insert the remaining ribbon through the other casing.

Place the liner in the basket. The right side of the liner will be on the inside of the basket facing up. Fold the casing cuff over the edge of the basket. Tie the ends of the ribbon into a bow. If your basket has a handle, tie the ribbon around the handle.