Crochet Basket Pattern: DIY Easter Basket

As much as I love crocheting with yarn, I really love trying to crochet with unusual materials. This cute little Easter crochet basket was made using something called plarn (plastic yarn), which I think is kind of the perfect material for an Easter basket. It is durable, sturdy, flexible, and waterproof – in other words, totally kid-proof.

Usually plarn is made from recycled grocery bags, which are super environmentally friendly but limited in color choices. For this crochet basket, I used a large plastic tablecloth to make my plarn. Tablecloths are great for making plarn because they are inexpensive and available in so many fun colors.

Easter Crochet Basket Supplies:

Darice Plastic Tablecloth (I used almost all of one 54″ x 108″ tablecloth)
Rotary Cutter
Large Cutting Mat
Size N Crochet Hook
Darice Yarn Needle
Scissors

Step One. Make the Plarn.

To turn your tablecloth into plarn, begin by folding the tablecloth in half widthwise several times until it is small enough to cut easily on a cutting mat.

Using the rotary cutter and cutting mat, cut the table cloth into 2″ wide strips. Each strip will be 108″ long.

To join the strips together to form one big piece of plarn, start by overlapping the ends of two strips. Using your scissors, cut a slit in the end of each strip about an inch or two from the end of the strip.

Pull the end of one strip through the hole in the other strip, and then pull the end of the other strip through the hole in that strip. Pull on both strips to tighten the join.

Wrap that plarn up into a ball, and – Voila! – we are ready to crochet.

Step Two. Crochet the Basket.

Round 1: Ch 4, sl st to beginning ch to join into a ch 4 loop. Ch 2 (counts as dc), 11 dc in ch 4 loop, sl st to top of beginning ch 2 to join (12 dc).

Round 2: Ch2 (counts as dc), dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, sl st to top of beginning ch 2 to join (24 dc).

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as dc), 2 dc in next st, * dc, 2 dc, repeat from * around, sl st to top of beginning ch 2 to join (36 dc).

Round 4: Working stitches in back loops only (see image below), ch 2 (counts as first dc), dc in each st around, sl st to top of beginning ch 2 to join (36 dc).

Rounds 5-7: Ch 2 (counts as dc), dc in each st around, sl st to top of beginning ch 2 to join (36 dc).

Round 8: Ch 1, sc in same st, * skip 2 dc, 5 dc in next st, skip 2 dc, sc in next st, repeat from * around eliminating last sc and sl st to beginning sc (6 5 dc shells). Finish off. Use yarn needle to weave in ends.

Step Three. Crochet the Handle.

Start by making a 25 ch chain. Then, single crochet into the second chain from the hook. Single crochet into every ch. When you get to the end of the ch, work 3 single crochet into the last chain. This gives your handle a nice round end.

Then go around the back side of the chain and sc in each chain on that side. When you get back to the end where you began with your single crochets, work 3 single crochets into the first chain, and then slip stitch to the first single crochet to join. Use the yarn needle to weave in your ends.

Step Four. Sew the Handle to the Basket.

Using a piece of plarn and your yarn needle, sew each end of the handle to the side of the crochet basket. Start by pulling the needle from inside the basket up through the center hole of the handle end leaving a tail about four or five inches long.

Insert the needle back into the basket, wrapping the plarn around the end of the handle. Repeat the process around the end of the handle until it is securely attached.