Double Storage Basket with Railing

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• 2yds natural duck cloth
• 4yds medium weight fusible interfacing
• 12" white Velcro®
• Natural cotton thread
• Stiff corrugated cardboard for base insert
• Glue
• Paper clips or small clamps
• 1"x 2"x 34" poplar rail
• 3/4"x 7" poplar dowels, 4
• 3/4 drill bit
• Power drill
• Sandpaper
• Pencil
• Ruler

DIRECTIONS:

BOXES

1. Measure and cut out a 19 1/2"x 39 1/2" rectangle from your duck cloth. Then cut a 6 1/2"x 12" rectangle out of each corner. The 6 1/2" should be measured in from the corner on the 19" side and the 12" should be measured in from the corner on the 39 1/2" side.
2. Use this shape as your template to cut out three more pieces from your duck cloth.
3. Cut out interfacing for two of your duck cloth pieces and fuse them together according to manufacturer's instructions.
4. Fold two adjacent sides up so that right sides are facing and stitch together from the corner up to the shorter side of the fabric. Repeat with the other three sides to create one box. Repeat with three other pieces of fabric so that you have two fabric boxes with interfacing and two without.
5. Your fabric-only box should be inside out and your fabric with interfacing box should be right side out. Place the fabric with interfacing box inside the fabric-only box so that all corners and edges match up. Pin in place.
6. Starting 3" in from the corner on one of the long edges, straight stitch towards the corner with a 1/4" seam allowance. Turn your box under your needle to stitch up the flap edge but stitch with a 1/3" seam allowance on the edges of both flaps. Continue with a 1/4" seam allowance on the opposite long edge, 1/3" on the flap edges, and then stitch 3" from the corner on the long edge you started on. You should have a large open space for turning it right side out.
7. Trim edges. Cut a v-shape into each corner.
8. Turn right side out and then tuck the fabric with the interfacing inside the fabric without the interfacing.
9. Iron your seams and edges to reinforce your shape and tuck in the open edge.
10. Straight stitch 1/4" from the edge all around your box to add structure and close up your open edge.
11. Stitch a 5 1/2" strip of Velcro about 1/4" down from the top of one of your flaps on the inside. Place the matching piece of velcro where you'd prefer it on the inside of the box and pin in place. Then stitch around the edges. Be sure to measure where you've sewn them and repeat your measurements on the opposite flap.
12. Cut a 6"x 15" piece of corrugated cardboard and a piece of 8"x 17" duck cloth. Wrap the edges of the fabric around the cardboard and glue in place. Clamp fabric down to cardboard until it dries. Place in bottom of box to keep its structure.
13. Repeat for second box.

RAILING

14. Have a 1"x 2"x 6" poplar or matching wood rail cut to 34" at your local hardware store if you don't have a saw. Sand down edges.
15. Cut a 3/4"x 48" dowel in poplar or matching wood down so that you have four 7" pieces. Sand down edges.
16. Measure in 1" from each short end and mark with a pencil. Then measure in 15 3/4" from each short end and make another mark.
17. Drill a 3/4" hole at each pencil mark.
18. Insert one 7" dowel into each hole.
19. Add appropriate hangers on the back of your railing according to your wall type.
20. Hang and add fabric boxes to railing.