How to make a Yarn Coil Basket from Clothesline

Today, I’m thrilled to guide you through creating your very own coil baskets. These charming baskets are crafted by wrapping yarn around a sturdy cord, resulting in functional and visually appealing pieces. The best part? They’re fun to make and incredibly budget-friendly, as they utilize scrap yarn.

Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or a budding artist, these coil baskets offer a fantastic creative outlet. You're all set as long as you can wrap yarn evenly over a cord!  A fun craft for kids 8 years and up.

Each coil basket becomes a canvas for your creativity. The choice of yarn colors and the way you coil the cording will make each basket truly unique.

The bottom size is entirely up to you. Want a petite basket? Keep fewer rounds flat. Would you prefer something more spacious? Add more rounds! And don’t forget the sides—whether you go straight up or wider, it’s all part of the artistic journey.

Our sample baskets are small and showcase different possibilities for stitching the baskets.

The taller coil basket is 4” wide, perfect for organizing small treasures.  This one is stitched with the coils on top of one another to get straight sides.

The flatter one is 5” wide, low, and stylish and is ideal for showcasing your favorite trinkets or holding everyday essentials.  For this basket, the coils were stitched more flat.

The last one is oblong in shape, 4" wide by 5" long, and showcases how you can change the base shape to get a different coil basket. The sides on this one are stitched vertically.

These baskets use a thick clothesline cording for the center. The length of the cord will determine the size of the basket.  Use a longer cord to make a larger basket.  Opt for a lighter-weight cording if you aim for a more delicate touch.  

Other pages for making bowls and baskets are: 

• Over 30 Fabric Basket, Bowls & Trays to Sew
• Crochet Baskets & Bowls

This project would be a fun project for pre-teens or teens to make.  I plan to use this project for a group of 4-Hers.

Watch our step-by-step video through the link below or keep reading this article to learn more about making coil baskets.

WHAT YOU NEED to make a Yarn coil basket

• 3/16" Clothesline Cording or other cording
• Leftover yarn (Amazon or Joann)
• Yarn or Tapestry Needle
• Scissors
• Yard Stick or other way to measure

How to make coil basket from Yarn and clothesline

Step 1: Selecting Yarn

These coil baskets are perfect for using leftover scrap yarn. We used a medium-weight yarn, such as worsted or DK weight, for our baskets.  Try out different weight yarns and see how they change the look and shape of these yarn coil baskets.

One color of yarn can be used for the whole basket, different shades of color, or many different colors to make a more colorful basket.  Two of the baskets shown below use a variety of yarn colors.  The third one uses shades of blue yarns.

STEP 2: Measure Cording

For our baskets, we used cotton clothesline cording.  A thinner cording could also be used to make a more delicate basket. 

If kids are making the baskets, I recommend starting with clothesline weight cording, as it's easier to wrap because of its thickness.

Use a yardstick to measure and cut at least 2 yards of cording to make a small basket.

Cut one end of the cording on an angle.  This will help the cord to lay flat when starting the coil.

STEP 3: Cut Yarn

Cut a 3-yard length from the first yarn color.  This yarn will be in the center bottom of the basket. If you want to change colors faster, cut shorter lengths of yarn. 

I don’t recommend cutting the yarn longer than 3 yards as the yarn can become tangled and be harder to work with.

Thread the yarn or tapestry needle onto one end of the yarn.

STEP 4: Begin Wrapping

Start with the end of the cording that was cut on an angle.  Take the yarn end without the needle and lay it near the end of the cord.  The end of the cord and yarn should be next to one another.

Starting about 2" from the end of the cord, wrap the yarn around the cord and yarn tail, working towards the tapered end cord.  This is the opposite direction you would expect to work.

Wrap the yarn around the cord in a motion wrapping away from you.  Each yarn wrap should lay next to the previous wrap, not on top of it.  Leave no gaps between each wrap.

If you see a gap, it’s okay to wrap it again in that place to fill it, but try not to overlap the yarn too much.

Wrap the first inch towards the end of the cording.

Bend the end of the cording over the wrapped section to make a loop.  The tapered end of the cording should lay flat against the cord.

Continue wrapping over both the cord and the cord end.  You will be wrapping over the section you wrapped first and but now you wil cover the tapered end of the cording. 

This will make a small loop.  Cover the loop entirely.

Continue wrapping up the length of the cord.  Keep wrapping away from you with each wrap next to the previous wrap and close together. Don’t leave any gaps, or you will be able to see the cording.

STEP 5: Wrap and Secure

After each 12 yarn wraps around the cord, coil and secure the cord to the previous round.  Holding the yarn end so it doesn’t come loose, create the coil by wrapping the starting loop into a circle.

Bring the yarn end to the top between the coil and the cording.

Take the needle on the end of the yarn and put it through the center of the starting loop. 

Pull the yarn through and tighten it to hold the loop in place.

Bring the yarn up between the loop and the cording to so you can continue wrapping.  This locks the stitch and loop in place. 

Wrap 12 more times around the cord. Remember always to wrap away from yourself.

After every 12 wraps, stop and coil the yarn-wrapped cord into a flat circle.  Secure it in place by inserting the needle between the previous cord wrap. The first few stitches will be placed in the center of the loop.   

Continue wrapping 12 times, then make the securing stitch in the previous round.  The first few rounds of the cord will make the bottom of the coil basket. 

Continue wrapping and securing the coil into a circle until about 2" of yarn remains.

Depending on how you wrap the cord, the yarn coil basket can be made in different shapes.  If you want a basket with a larger bottom, wrap the cord in a circle and keep it flat.  Once you are ready to make the bowl sides, slowly move the wrap so it is on top of the previously wrapped circle.

STEP 5: Start the Next Yarn

When you have about 2” of yarn left, stop wrapping and remove the yarn needle.

Lay the end of the yarn against the cording.

Cut the next 3-yard piece of yarn and thread the needle on one end.  Lay the end without the needle on the cord with the yarn's end near the previous yarn's end.   

Start to wrap the new yarn around the cord and the two yarn ends.  Start wrapping next to the last wrap of the previous yarn.

Wrap 12 times.

Secure by stitching into the previous round.

Pull the stitch tight to secure.

Bring the yarn to the top between the cord and the coil to prepare to continue wrapping.  Pull it tight, and this will lock the stitch. 

Continue wrapping and securing the yarn every 12 wraps.

Add more yarn as needed and continue wrapping and stitching every 12 wraps.

STEP 6: Make the basket sides

Once you complete the bottom of your basket, start making the sides.

To start the sides of the basket, wrap 12 times, then put the cord on top of the previous round, halfway covering the cord of the previous round.  A gradual change in position will look the best.

Make a stitch as usual, holding the cord in place.

Continue wrapping and stitching the entire round with the cord partially on top of the previous round.

For the next rounds, decide the shape of the basket.  Place the cording directly on top of the previous round if you want straight sides.

Place the cording partially covering the previous round for more gently sloping sides.

For a flatter basket, place the next round beside the previous round.

Keep adding more yarn, wrapping, and securing until you get near the end of the cord.

STEP 7: Ending the basket

Stop wrapping with about two inches of cord remaining. 

Quite a bit of yarn will be needed to finish off the basket.  If you are near the end of the yarn, add a new yarn, wrap 12 times and make at least one stitch with the new yarn.

Cut the cord end on an angle to lay flat against the previous round.

Continue wrapping and securing until 1/2” from the end of the cord.  Lay the cord flat onto the top of the basket edge. 

Next, use the needle to make stitches through the previous round and wrap the yarn around the end of the cording. 

Keep making stitches and wrapping around the cord until the end of the cord is completely covered.

The photo below shows the stitches wrapped around and covering the end of the cording.

STEP 8: Tie off the yarn

To end the yarn, make a knot and bury the yarn.

Slide the needle under a couple of stitches outside the basket between the rounds.

Put the needle through the loop to make a knot and pull it tight.

To bury the knot and yarn end, run the needle under a few stitches starting next to the knot.  Pull the yarn through, and the knot should go under or close to the stitches.

Trim off the extra yarn.

The basket is finished!

Some photos of the baskets showing different shapes are below.

We hope you enjoyed learning how to make coil baskets from yarn and a clothesline cording.  Happy Crafting!
 

Some other crafts kids may enjoy are:

• Retro 80s Ribbon Barrettes
• Loom Weaving
• Paracord Bracelets
• T-Shirt Pillow Tutorial - Do you have a favorite t-shirt that no longer fits? You can make it into a pillow.