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11 Mar

How to Make a Chicken Wire Basket

How to Make a Wire Chicken Wire Basket by Calli at Make it Do

Hi, I’m Calli from Make it Do and I am so thrilled to be back here creating at Ucreate. I was walking down the aisle of my local hardware store the other day and spotted a roll of chicken wire. Somehow it made it into my cart despite not having any idea of what I could do with it. Maybe it was because chicken wire fits into the category of mason jars and clothespins for me. Practical and homey… with a timeless charm that I love. Just so my purchase wasn’t made in vain, I set to looking for the perfect project. My first thought was to make a bird’s nest lined with moss. But then I spotted a chicken wire basket in a decorating magazine and thought I could make a something like that .

How to Make a Wire Basket

First, I needed something to serve as a mold for my basket. After a scavenger hunt through my basement, I spotted an old lampshade.

old lamp shade

Taking a closer look, I realized it had a heavy wire frame under the fabric cover. Sorry for the pun, but Lightbulb! With its great flared shape, it would make a lovely basket. I just love giving old things new life.

After a little deconstruction with scissors pulling off the fabric, my frame was ready for chicken wire. I left the top fitter wire in place on the frame, since it would have needed a small saw or some other nonsense to remove it. Plus I could always use it as a lampshade someday. Right? A word to the wise: you will want to wear leather gloves and eye protection for this project. Chicken wire can be very sharp!

DIY Chicken Wire Basket

I laid the frame on it’s side, on top of the chicken wire, to use as a guide and clipped around it using wire cutters. Using needle nose pliers (my husband will say they are actually duckbill pliers) I twisted the wire ends around the frame on the first side.

I repeated the process on the opposite side. Yes, I was reckless. I didn’t wear my gloves… and have a few scrapes to show for it.

As I wrapped the wire, I made sure to pull the wires tautly.

For the final two sides (which were opposite each other on the frame) I used one long piece so that the chicken wire covered the bottom and both sides. Again I laid the frame right on top of the wire to use as the guide to cut my wire. Remember when cutting your wire, you can always take some off, but you can’t put it back on. When in doubt, cut a little bigger. I ended up trimming off some of the wire as I wrapped the final side.

After I was done, I went around the entire basket with my pliers, carefully squeezing any loose or sharp ends. And the results… I just love projects that work like a charm. But it wasn’t quite done yet.

So I picked out a can of spray paint. I almost went with a cornflower blue… but the versatility of antique white won out. Rusty brown or black would have been nice too.

I was right, antique white is perfect for spring.

The competition of how and where to use my new basket with will be likewise fierce. I love it filled with eggs for Easter.

DIY Chicken Wire Basket by Make it Do

It also looks fabulous with the topiary. It is even cute as a small waste basket in my guest bathroom. All in all this was a fun and inexpensive project that only took me a few hours to complete.

So next time you run across an old lampshade, don’t throw it away! Introduce it to some chicken wire and make it into something really lovely.

_______________________

Thank you Kari for inviting me to join you and your readers today. It’s such an honor to be on U Create! Happy creating! Love, Calli

Come visit my at Make it Do anytime!

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Comments

  1. kpmattingly says

    April 8, 2011 at 12:53 PM

    Great idea!! Very cute!

    reply to this comment >
  2. MaryJanes and Galoshes says

    April 8, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    What an awesome idea!!! I also love it with the easter eggs in it. But a wastebasket!! brilliant.

    Taylor
    http://www.maryjanesandgaloshes.com

    reply to this comment >
  3. Kristina says

    April 8, 2011 at 1:25 PM

    This is so cool!

    reply to this comment >
  4. Phyllis says

    April 8, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    Thanks Calli. I love this! Going to look for a lampshade (I have chicken wire).

    reply to this comment >
  5. Robyn says

    April 8, 2011 at 2:10 PM

    So glad I came across this. I have a lamp shade frame floating around my house. Wasn’t sure what to do with it. Now I do!

    Thanks!

    http://www.imperfectnest.com

    reply to this comment >
  6. Country Mouse says

    April 8, 2011 at 2:16 PM

    guess what!? I have 3 empty lampshades that no longer match any of the rooms. Guess what I’ll be doing with them?! Thanks for the inspiration! I love your project!

    reply to this comment >
  7. Alyssabeth's says

    April 8, 2011 at 2:20 PM

    Wow, that is so… clever!!! When I get home I’m going to see what lamp shade that I change!

    reply to this comment >
  8. Anna says

    April 8, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    wow, what an incredible transformation!

    reply to this comment >
  9. Christie @ A Lemon Squeezy Home says

    April 8, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    That’s awesome! What a unique idea!

    reply to this comment >
  10. Jennifer Rodriguez says

    April 8, 2011 at 11:24 AM

    That is a fabulous idea!! Great use for those lampshades gathering dust in my storage room.

    Thanks for the great idea!

    reply to this comment >
  11. Rachel says

    April 8, 2011 at 1:22 PM

    Wow, that is so cute! I love it with the eggs . . . adorable! Thanks for the awesome idea 🙂

    Rachel @ Maybe Matilda

    reply to this comment >
  12. Nike@ChooseToThrive says

    April 8, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    How cool is that? Using a lamp frame is GENIUS! Can’t wait to try this.

    reply to this comment >
  13. hope says

    April 8, 2011 at 2:50 PM

    aaack! that is SO CLEVER!! i want one and i have several old lamp shades perfect for the picking!!! thanks for such wonderful inspiration!!

    reply to this comment >
  14. Clarissa B. says

    April 8, 2011 at 6:11 PM

    oh my gosh! i just really really love this!!

    reply to this comment >
  15. Craftberry Bush says

    April 9, 2011 at 2:18 AM

    great idea to use a lamp shade..i made one a couple of weeks ago in the same manner but used a dollar store basket….great minds…..thanks for sharing!
    Lucy

    reply to this comment >
  16. Laura Emmons says

    April 9, 2011 at 3:10 AM

    OMGosh so cute. I’ve got to try this. Thank you

    reply to this comment >
  17. Carrie Lynn says

    April 9, 2011 at 8:31 AM

    This is a great idea!
    By the way- did I miss the Amy Butler pattern giveaway winners somehow? I’ve been checking but haven’t seen it- but I’m probably just blind haha!

    reply to this comment >
  18. Liz Schaffner says

    April 10, 2011 at 8:14 AM

    Very Clever!
    I love the idea!

    reply to this comment >
  19. Lisa says

    April 10, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    Spectacular!! That turned out completely awesome! Very clever idea. Love it.

    reply to this comment >
  20. Beth Ann Zumwalt says

    April 11, 2011 at 3:06 AM

    I envision a a cluster of these on my porch filled with potted plants in them. I have shades with no home. Now they will.

    reply to this comment >
  21. Monica says

    April 11, 2011 at 6:41 AM

    lOVE LOVE LOVE this awesome idea! 🙂

    reply to this comment >
  22. Becky says

    April 12, 2011 at 5:43 PM

    Shut up! This is GREAT!
    One of those things that when someone else comes up with an idea like this I think “Man, why didn’t I think of that?!”

    Great tutorial!

    Becky
    http://www.liberatecreativity.com

    reply to this comment >
  23. LaKeta says

    April 12, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    Oh…Emmm. GEEEE!!!! I love this idea!!! Such a great tutorial! I see lots of wire lampshade baskets in my future:)

    LaKeta

    1luckeegirl.blogspot.com

    reply to this comment >
  24. :o) mg says

    April 13, 2011 at 12:24 AM

    That is stinkin’ adorable!!!! I am going to the thrift store a.s.a.p. to find lampshades!

    reply to this comment >
  25. Brittany says

    April 12, 2011 at 7:40 PM

    I am just so in love with this!! I’m featuring the tutorial on my blog tomorrow so I can remember to do it!! Thanks so much!!

    reply to this comment >
  26. Sylvie Créative says

    May 20, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    I really love the idea and result! I must try it when possible. Thanks for sharing!

    reply to this comment >
  27. Nancy says

    March 11, 2013 at 5:45 PM

    Cutest idea EVER!!!!!!!!!

    reply to this comment >
  28. Patti says

    March 11, 2013 at 10:49 PM

    This is a wonderful idea. I love it! And, it can be used outside to hold a pot, or peatmoss – I just love this! Thank you so much for sharing!

    reply to this comment >
  29. mel m. m. mccarthy says

    March 12, 2013 at 5:32 AM

    How amazing. (I knew I was hoarding chicken wire & that old lampshade for something.) Thank You, Calli!

    reply to this comment >
  30. imsteelefullofscrap says

    March 12, 2013 at 8:53 AM

    Adorable thank u for the tutorial

    reply to this comment >
  31. Beckie @ Infarrantly Creative says

    March 14, 2013 at 3:55 AM

    How fun and clever! It turned out just fab! Thanks for sharing this tutorial!

    reply to this comment >
  32. daisy says

    April 6, 2013 at 1:02 PM

    I’ll be looking for lampshades on my next thrifting hunt! Faboo idea!

    reply to this comment >
  33. Martha Murphy says

    May 28, 2014 at 4:03 PM

    I really like it! And I think it would make a cute lampshade!

    reply to this comment >

Trackbacks

  1. 30 Best DIY Chicken Wire Ideas With Tutorials ⋆ Bright Stuffs says:
    May 27, 2019 at 11:52 PM

    […] Craft a lamp-shaped basket and use it to display your favorite items. The how-to is here! […]

    Reply

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