DIY wire laundry baskets

I am so happy!

I've taken my own advice from my last post, and prettified some of my laundry essentials: I've de-cantered my laundry detergent, fabric conditioner and stain remover into some pretty bottles and jars, and even treated myself to some new wooden pegs that I'm keeping handy in  a nice storage basket...It is a good start...and doesn't it look good?

But the stars of my new look laundry station are these DIY wire laundry baskets.

Not only do they look good, but they are also super functional, as they are on castor wheels, making them easy to move around.

And of course, being a DIY, they are custom made to fit that little space under the shelves in my mini-hallway just outside the bathroom!

In today's post I will show you how I made them.

Of course you should make them to fit your own space, and maybe you can think of another use for the, other than laundry...They would also make great craft or toy storage, I think!

Super useful!

It took me 1 day to make two of these laundry baskets, but as I have done all the hard work of figuring out how to for you, it shouldn't take YOU that long, making this an ideal weekend project!

Here's the step by step:

YOU WILL NEED:

Piece of wood, cut to size (I used Plywood)

2 X Galvanised mesh panels (or you could use chicken wire)

4 X Swivel castor wheels

Galvanised florist wire 

Screws

Canvas (I used some that I had left over, but something like this would also look nice)

polymer clay (you'll need 2 packets)

Twine

TOOLS:

Jigsaw/wood saw

Sandpaper

Drill and drill bits

Wire cutters

pliers

Staple gun and staples

hammer

Pencil

Sewing machine and thread

Scissors

Letter stamp kit

BEFORE YOU START....

When deciding what size to make your laundry basket, obviously keep in mind the space it is going to be in, but also , to make life easier for yourself, consider your materials...

For instance, the size of the mesh panels I bought for this project made me change my original measurement when I cut the wood for the base, so that I knew that two of these panels would be sufficient to fit around the wood, and with a little (Ca 1cm) to spare...

This will make more sense to you further down this tutorial.

Now lets get started:

So baring in mind what I mentioned above, cut your wood to size, then use some sandpaper to remove any splinters or rough edges.

Attach the castor wheels to the corners of the wooden base. Make sure you drill pilot holes into the wood before screwing the castor wheels in place.

The reason I attached the castor wheels on to the wood before I got started with the with the wire mesh, is because the height of the wood with the wheels attached would help me decide how tall I wanted the wire basket to be....

And considering the space I wanted my laundry baskets to fit in to , this helped me determine the measurement to which I cut my mesh.

Using wire cutters, I snipped the mesh as close to the previous square in the mesh as possible, this way avoiding any sharp sticky-outy bits!

I then used my pliers to bend over (by ca 1cm/1 square) and flatten the top of the entire length of each cut-to-size mesh panel. I did this for two reasons: To minimize any sharp bits of mesh along the top of the basket, but also to add a bit of strength to the structure...

I Then folded each of the panels, by pressing along a square edge, to fit around the wooden base.

This is where my earlier advise will come in handy:  If you considered the length of the mesh panels when you cut the wooden base to size, two of these panels should fit perfectly around the base, with a 1 cm/1 mesh square extra lip at the corners where the two panels meet, for attaching them together.(More on this a little further down...)

Starting at the corners, where the mesh panels are bent, use your staple gun to fix the mesh to the base. Try to get the staples to form a nice, neat pattern, if you can....it'll look nicer!

Use a hammer to gently tap any protruding staples flat to the wood..

NOTE: Make sure the two mesh panels are level with each other at the top of the basket before stapling in place!

At the corners, where the two mesh panels meet, use your pliers to bend the little overlap into place all the way up to the top of the basket. Then attach some florist wire near the base of the basket, by twisting using the pliers, as shown above. Use the wire to "sew" the two mesh panels together where they meet. Use your pliers to tighten  the wire throughout for a neater look...

That's it: 

You're Laundry basket is almost done:

Now, all you'll need to do is make a canvas lining, so that your laundry doesn't get snagged on any protruding mesh or wire we may have missed:

SEWING THE CANVAS INSET:

I am, as often stated here on Nostalgiecat, NOT a sewing expert, but the canvas lining for these baskets are really easy to make, and require hardly any skills with a sewing machine.

The trick is to make the pattern do most of the work for you, so that all you'll need to do is stitch it together in 4 places.

I simply laid my canvas out flat on the ground, then drew up the pattern, below, on to it and cut out...

Insert your own measurements , taken from the inside of your basket, to this pattern, and you can whip this basket lining up in no time...

The extra 15 cm to the height of the canvas lining compared to the height of the basket, will form a nice fold to the top edge of the basket...

No need to hem up the top edges of your lining , as you can simply fold it under when placed in the basket.

ADDING THE FINISHING TOUCH...

If you like the look of my little basket labels, these are also really quick and easy to make:

In a similar fashion to what I did HERE, I simply rolled out a ball of white polymer clay, and stamped the words into it...I used a butter tub as a template for the shape, then cut out....and I used a straw to make the holes in the clay....

Ovenbake according to the instructions on your polymer clay and leave to cool...

 I then just neatened up the edges with a bit of sandpaper, and used a pencil to color in the wording..

Then I attached the clay labels to my laundry baskets by tying on with a bit of twine...

Simple and stylish...

The perfect solution if you have an awkward space, like me, that you are struggling to find a use for...now you can squeeze a little handy storage in!

I love how they've neatened up this space in a useful way...Goodbye junk-space, Hello beautiful linen baskets!

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial. But if you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you asap. And if you like this or any of my other DIY tutorials, please spare a minute to give me your vote for best DIY and craft blog in the Amara interior blog awards, by clicking on the link below:

Please vote for me for best DIY blog

Oh, and if you like the look of my DIY laundry labels on the pretty bottles and jars, sign up for my weekly newsletter, by entering your e-mail address in the minty-blue bar at the bottom of the page, as I will treat all my subscribers to a free download of my design + instructions on how to apply them to plain glass jars in next weeks newsletter!

Next week I am hoping to announce a very important project I am involved with...

...stay tuned , you don't want to miss it!!

My New Coffee station...

An early morning upgrade

I love mornings.

It is my favorite time of the day.

I love getting up with sunrise and see the day get gradually lighter outside...when all is quiet and calm...

And I love my morning coffee....and last week I posted about my quest to make my first morning coffee even more enjoyable, when I looked into creating a coffee station.

I wanted to see how I could use beautiful, yet functional design to enhance that first sleepy half hour of my day, and make the coffee-brewing experience as lovely as that first cup of coffee...

So today I am sharing my design picks for my dream coffee station....some of which I've already acquired, and some that are on my wish list:

1/ Wood collar Chemex 6 cup coffee maker 2/Hario V60 Buono Power Kettle 3/square wooden tray 4/Super living Amanda blue Sugarpot 5/Superliving Amanda blue milkjug 6/glass storage jar with wooden lid 7/House of Rym TISSAGE cup 8/small wire storage basket 9/Hay coffe bag clip and measuring spoon 10/Salvaged cork coasters 11/CoffeeSock Chemex Filter 12/Cafe de Tiamo Stainless Steel Hand Coffee Grinder Skerton 13/Tall Glass storage jar with wooden lid 14/Marimekko Oiva teapot 15/Linen napkin 16/Stelton copper thermos flask

My Coffee station essentials list consists of:

A tray to gather the coffee making essentials on, with beautiful storage jars for teabags and coffee beans, a pretty sugar pot and milk jug....A handy basket for storing coffee filters, tea towels and coasters.....a beautiful , new favorite cup and a handy measuring spoon is on my wishlist...as is a stylish new kettle and thermos flask to keep the coffee warm....and a nice teapot for the tea drinkers.

And I really want a handheld coffee bean grinder, to replace my electric one (as apparently this will prevent the coffee beans from getting scorched in this process)...

But top of my wishlist was a Chemex coffee maker, as I'd heard so much praise for it...so after much deliberation, I took the plunge and got one to replace my hideous green plastic cafetiere

....and I have to say...it lives up to it's expectations:

Not only is it beautiful, like a piece of art, to look at, but it really does make THE best coffee!

There is a bit of an art to brewing the perfect cup of coffee with the Chemex, and at the bottom of this post you can find my Chemex coffee brewing guide. But as convoluted as the process may sound, the Chemex has most definitely improved my morning coffee, beyond the fantastic taste....

...it has made the coffee brewing an enjoyable morning ritual, and I find (now that I've got the hang of the process) that it focuses my mind and sets me up for the day...

Who knew that a coffee maker could do all that?

Of course, my coffee station is more than my new Chemex...it is now not just an organised space where I keep my hot-drinks essentials, but also a more aesthetically pleasing corner of my kitchen.

My late mormor's old copper tea-caddy has now found it't use, as mu new sugar bowl, and has pride of place....

And this stylish milk jug was a bargain from Tiger...

The cork coasters are a DIY that I will share with you all in my next post...

As is the wooden bead trivet, handy for resting my Chemex on to protect my kitchen counter. (tutorial coming soon)

I've also printed some tea-towels to go with my DIY coasters that I also will share with you soon....

But for now, I will leave you with this little guide to brewing the perfect cup of coffee using a Chemex:

Photo by Cindy Loughridge  from her atmospheric 365 days of coffee tumble page.

I hope you all feel inspired to upgrade your morning coffee fix.

It doesn't have to cost a lot: Some new storage jars to keep your essentials in or  A pretty, new favorite mug could make a big improvement...

And investing in a Chemex will only set you back about £40...

....I mean: surely we all deserve to start each day in the best possible way:

With a great cup of coffee!

{ L i v i n g r o o m }

Summer updates (new sofa, new layout)

Isn't it funny how just changing out one piece of furniture can make such a difference to the look and feel of a room?  This is exactly what happened in our living room when we got a new sofa a couple of weeks back. Gone are the old , uncomfortable leather sofa's...... .....hello new, squishy, deep-seated sofa-chaise! And it has made such a difference!
So this has been a long tome coming.... When I posted about my plans for a new sofa back on October last year, I had the entire living room mapped out how I would ideally like it. But because I lacked the funds to get a new one at the time, I ended up DIY'ing a new sofa cover for one of the old ones instead... It has served me well. Even if it didn't make the sofa's more comfortable, at least it was easier on the eye....But of course it meant keeping that old awkward living room layout....
....until now! Finally I've got the layout I'd planned all those months ago....and what a difference! The room is now less stuffy, more open and more comfortable... ...it has actually improved the way we use the room: With more floor space and a more defined area for just chilling at the end of the day.
So today I am sharing some pictures I quickly took of the new and improved living room yesterday: With the new sofa, and other changes that has subsequently happened in there...including my most recent DIY, which is perhaps the one I am most proud of to date: A new sideboard, MCM style!!
If you're curious you can see the old living room layout and what it used to look like here. And here's what it looks like now:

I can tell you: Finding the perfect sofa/chaise , which was essentially the style I was after in order to achieve my dream lay-out, to fit this space was not easy, but I am really happy with my end choice: This IKEA soderhamn modular range combination works perfectly.

And I love the deep seats and the relaxed feel it adds to the room. And that minty-blue color.....it works perfectly in this room (And if I ever grow sick of it, I can change the color by swapping covers on the sofa....bonus!!)

I can't tell you guys how pleased I was to see the back of the old sofa's...having been with us for almost 15 years, they really had seen better days.

...and of course , the observant of you all will have noticed that the old bookshelf is gone as well! Hello, mid century modern sideboard!!

And yes....that's a DIY....from scratch: Made from a piece of ply-wood....

Can you tell that I am chuffed with it?

It is my first attempt a cabinet-making, and I think I've done a great job....even if I do say so myself!

I love it...

....and yes, of course there will be a tutorial on how I made it, so stay tuned for that one, coming next week!

If you have been following along here for a while, you will recognize that gorgeous rattan chair from my garden post a couple of months back....I love it so much I decided to move it inside...it can easily be brought back outside if it is a particularly glorious day, and I feel like lounging in style ;)

Doesn't it look great in it's new space by the window?

I also love the way my vintage Formica coffee table from An Artful life ,now has pride of place in the middle of the room, as unfortunately my DIY MCM coffee table is now a bit too big for the space...

You win some, then you loose some...

C'est la vie!

So what do you think of my new look living room and my new sofa?

Do you think it was bold of me to go with that icy-blue color?

And what do you think of the new layout....and THAT DIY sideboard??

I hope you'll all tune in for the how-to next week.

Until then, happy weekend peeps!