Sewn Baskets with Fabric Tops: Practical Storage Ideas and Endless Colour Combinations
A sewn basket with a fabric drawstring top is one of those handmade projects that can be adapted almost endlessly. The sturdy cord base gives the basket shape and structure, while the soft fabric top adds colour, pattern and a practical way to hide whatever is stored inside. Change the cord, fabric and drawstring colours and the same basic design can look completely different every time.
1. Practical Storage That Still Looks Decorative
Storage does not have to look purely functional. A sewn cord basket can stay visible on a kitchen shelf, dining table, craft desk or bathroom counter and still feel like part of the room.
The structured lower section keeps the basket stable, while the fabric top can be left open for easy access or pulled closed when you want the contents hidden.
2. Use It in the Kitchen for Almost Anything
In the kitchen, this type of basket can hold fruit, vegetables, bread rolls, pastries, sweets, snacks, napkins or smaller packaged foods. The drawstring top is especially useful when you want the basket to look tidy between uses.
A colourful fabric print can also turn an everyday storage piece into a cheerful kitchen accessory.
3. Beyond the Kitchen: Craft Supplies, Cosmetics and Small Essentials
The same basket works just as well outside the kitchen. Use it for yarn scraps, sewing notions, children's small items, cosmetics, guest towels or other everyday essentials that tend to create visual clutter.
Because the fabric top closes, you can keep useful things close at hand without having to display everything inside.
4. Turn the Same Pattern into a Seasonal Basket
One of the biggest advantages of this design is how easily it changes with the seasons. Deep green cord with autumn fabric creates a completely different mood from soft beige, bright orange or fresh yellow.
You can use botanical prints in spring, fruit and citrus patterns in summer, pumpkins and earthy colours in autumn, or festive fabrics in winter.
5. One Basket, Endless Colour Combinations
The cord and fabric do not have to match exactly. A tonal combination creates a calm, coordinated look, while contrasting colours make the basket more playful and expressive.
You can also use the drawstring as a third colour. That small detail can connect the fabric print with the cord base or create a deliberate contrast.
With so many BIGcord colours and countless fabric prints, the number of possible combinations is almost endless.
6. A Handmade Basket Also Works as a Gift
Filled with sweets, homemade cookies, craft supplies, cosmetics or small presents, the basket can become part of the gift itself. After the contents are used, the recipient still has a practical handmade storage basket.
This makes the project especially suitable for birthdays, seasonal gifts, housewarming presents or small personalised gift sets.
7. Make Your Own Sewn Basket with Fabric Top
If you want to make the same type of basket, follow our step-by-step Sewn Basket with Fabric Drawstring Top tutorial.
If you prefer to start with the materials already prepared, choose our DIY Kit – Sewn Basket with Fabric Drawstring Top.
The basket is made with 6 mm BIGcord sewing cord, sewn on a sewing machine with a zigzag stitch, and then finished with a fabric drawstring top.
8. And Yes, the Lemon Version Works Too
For a fresh summer variation, yellow cord combined with lemon-print fabric creates a bright Mediterranean-inspired look. It is only one example of how the same basket can move from neutral to seasonal or colourful simply by changing the materials.
