This Affordable Dollar Tree DIY Looks Like A High-End Blanket Basket

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Curling up under your favorite blankets is one of the most relaxing ways to spend time, but figuring out how to store them is anything but. Flannel to fleece-lined, the best blankets are hefty and thick, which means they take up a lot of space when they're folded. If you can't squeeze another one into your linen closet or you dread seeing them crumpled up at the end of your couch, you need a blanket basket. There are tons of spacious woven ones out there, but some can cost $100 or more, which might put them just out of reach for anyone on a tight budget. Fortunately, several TikTokers discovered how to upcycle a super-affordable Dollar Tree find into a clever blanket storage idea that looks high end without the high price using nothing more than a few basic craft supplies and plenty of hot glue.

While you could use their approach on any similar-sized storage basket, TikToker @msdbrooks1 and other creators are using Dollar Tree's boring-yet-sturdy plastic baskets like the Round Flexible Laundry Basket with Handles. The $6 find gets high ratings from customers who love the tall, flexible, and durable design ... but it's not much to look at. That's nothing a little rope won't fix. Just wrap the plastic basket with rope, and you can transform the bland appearance into an attractive textured accent to enhance your decor while adding storage. You'll find thin rustic twine at Dollar Tree for just a few dollars, but for a more luxurious look, consider using a thicker, darker option like the $9 Tenn Well Jute Rope on Amazon. Both options provide a neutral on-trend look, but don't be afraid to experiment with other rope colors, materials, and combinations if you want a more vivid or striped effect.

Making a DIY nautical rope basket creates one of the easiest opportunities to decorate with throw blankets once you master the technique. Although you could leave the bottom of your plastic laundry basket exposed, we recommend covering it entirely for the most attractive look. Flip your basket upside down before using ample hot glue to attach one end of your craft rope to the very center. Then, begin spiraling the rope around itself, adding a thin line of hot glue around the first few circles to firmly hold it in place. Continue this process all the way around until the bottom is covered before working your way up the basket's sides and around the handles. Depending on the grid structure of your Dollar Tree laundry basket, you may want to add dots of glue on either side of any openings to ensure there are no gaps.

You could stop there, or you can add a large piece of fabric to line the inside of your laundry basket. The material choice is totally up to you — buy a new patterned fabric or repurpose old bed sheets to save money, but pick something tightly woven to help avoid lint, fuzz, and shedding. There's no need to be terribly precise about the lining — creator @ryanmirnawhite just cut a piece of fabric large enough to cover the entire interior with 1 to 2 inches extra. She overlapped it around the lip of the basket before hot gluing it into place. You can then finish wrapping the final few rows of rope around the top of the basket, covering the cut edges of the fabric to give the basket an extremely clean finished look, inside and out.