When I fixed up my daughter’s bike she requested a basket for all her things.
I didn’t find one that fit the bike and looked sturdy enough, so I took some basic measurements an made my own:
It features reflective fabric and tape for better visibility
If anyone likes to make one I’ve written a basic tutorial. Unfortunately I didn’t take pictures of all steps.
Supplies
- plastic placemats
- about a fat quarter of sturdy fabric
- some bias tape
Instructions
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Cut 3 rectangles from the placemats
- Back: 15cm x 20cm
- Front: 15cm x 40 cm
- Bottom: 20cm x 10cm
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Round two corners of the bottom rectangle
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Use some painter’s tape to attach the front to the bottom to determine the final length of the front piece (it depends on the corner radius)
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Mark length, remove tape and cut to length
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Cut a fabric rectangle:
- length:front + back + 1 cm + 2x your preferred seam allowance
- height: 35cm
- if you want to use a different fabric on the inside just piece it together
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Fold the fabric right side inside so that the short edges meet. Sew together to form a loop.
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Sew two strips of fabric 3cm wide and a bit longer than the circumference of your handlebar. Alternatively you could use webbing.
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Sew the strips to the right side of your loop.
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Fold the loop lengthwise wrong side together. This will form the walls of your basket
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Insert the front and back piece into this loop. The middle of the back piece should line up with the center seam.
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Sew along the open edge. Trim seam allowance to the width of your bias tape.
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Sandwich the bottom piece between two fabric pieces and sew around the edge. Trim seam to the width of your bias tape.
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Pin the bottom to the body of the basket and finish with bias tape (or reflective tape as I did).
Tell me if you need a sketch for any of the steps.