She Turns An Old Plastic Bucket Into A Cute Storage Basket With A Clever DIY

Many people have encountered a Danish cookie tin repurposed to hold sewing supplies, but there's a whole world of food containers just waiting to serve in a new capacity once you finish the last morsel. YouTube creator @cameliadiycraft thinks outside the tub by creating an adorable storage basket from an empty plastic bucket — the kind that might hold a gallon of ice cream — using chic fabric coverings and string for added visual interest. It's a savvy way to reuse an old plastic container that's as beautiful as it is budget-friendly. Best of all it's easy to make, but looks carefully crafted — making it an excellent DIY as a gift and for aesthetic home organization alike.

You only need a handful of inexpensive materials to recreate the look, starting with a clean, empty cylindrical plastic bucket or tub — one with tapered sides will have a little more character. You'll also want to gather hot glue, fabric, cardboard, twine, and thick rope for the handles. Beyond keeping another plastic container out of the trash, the beauty of this DIY is how easily you can reuse old clothes, fabric scraps, or other remnants to adorn the exterior and interior. A word of caution: Studies have shown there are possible risks of recycled plastic containers leaching chemicals or microplastics into food (more so if the plastics are heated). If this is a concern, wrap food separately or line your container with a food-safe material if you're using your new basket to store snacks or other goodies.

To create her basket, Tiktoker Camelia DIY trims off the rough upper edge of a clean, empty tub (it appears to be a 1-gallon bucket). She then hot glues a strip of rustic burlap fabric that wraps the exterior with a few inches of overlap, folding it over the top and bottom edges for a seamless look. For the textured design, she wraps pieces of twine in diagonal diamond shapes (reminiscent of an old-style drum), securing either end with a dot of hot glue. She then lines the tub with a lighter fabric interior, adding fabric-covered cardboard circles to the underside and the interior bottom to hide fabric and twine edges. Finishing touches include decorative trim and thick rope handles.

This process uses a lot of hot glue, which can sometimes get a little messy. You can remove excess hot glue drips by picking it off once it fully cools (you can also pop it in the freezer to make the task easier) or dabbing stubborn spots with rubbing alcohol. For the latter, always test an inconspicuous spot or unused swath of fabric to ensure the alcohol won't stain or alter the fabric dye, or damage synthetic fabric.

Once you've mastered the basic design, there are plenty of ways to make this storage basket your own. Swap burlap for patterned cotton, velvet, linen, or another fabric that complements your decor, or replace the twine with ribbon, beaded strings, lace, or other decorative trim. You can also opt for different food containers for a custom size, or simply to reuse what you already have on hand.