From Drab to Shab: Diaper Box Baskets

Today, I hit the limit.  I couldn’t stand to throw out one more diaper box.  We’ve thrown out so many & each time I think to myself how wasteful it is.  I mean, yeah it’s just a cardboard box & yeah, we recycle but still.  There had to be SOMETHING I could do with them.

As I looked around my mess of a house I thought about how badly I needed to clean.  There are baby toys & photography props everywhere.  I’m forever complaining about how much easier it would be to keep things tidy if I had more baskets for organization but never get any because they’re so expensive.

That’s when it hit me: diaper box baskets!!  They’re the perfect size, so why not?!

So I grabbed the empty Pampers box that eluded the trash & got to work!  I decided I wanted to do fabric lined & rope covered diaper box baskets.   (FYI, lining it with fabric is just me doing the most.  You can totally just wrap it with rope!) I had some fabric (well, actually it was this curtain from Walmart) left over from a past project for the lining & I bought Jute Rope for the exterior detail (I needed a little over one roll). The rope was $2.97 a roll, so since I already had fabric on hand & hot glue sticks handy this project cost a whopping $6.  Talk about a bargain!  Where are you going to find this size basket for six dollars?!  Plus, its super cute!

There has to be a handful of you in the same boat as I am, so here’s how to make it:

First, cut the top flaps off.  Preferably with a box cutter.  I used a pocket knife & it was torture, lol.

Next, (if you’re going to do the most, like me) cut your fabric & hot glue it to the edges of the box.  I just laid the fabric in the box to determine where I should trim it because who really has time to measure it exactly?! #momprobz     Pro Tip:  Think about how you’re going to use your basket.  Is it going to be on a shelf where the inside will never be seen?  If so, save some time & skip this step!

Now, comes the “fun” part.  Grab your hot glue gun & give yourself about 20-30 minutes of monotonous rope gluing, lol.  It’s not hard at all, but not necessarily exciting either. Glue, stick, turn on repeat. I did leave the handles uncovered for easy transportation.  Just trim the rope with a little excess in order to glue it on the inside of the handle opening.

Finally, I left about an inch of fabric showing around the top edges (though you can do rope all the way to the top, especially if you’re not lining with fabric).  & just like that, viola! Easy, (& cute) DIY diaper box baskets!

This is such an easy, DIY project & I know you mamas have some diaper boxes lying around you can put to good use!  Grab a drink & have a crafting break;  bonus Mom points because it’s productive!

What will you use yours for?!  Be sure to share pictures of your own diaper box baskets!

Happy Crafting!