Easy DIY Crochet Wall Basket Tutorial — Beginner-Friendly Home Decor

There is something uniquely satisfying about hanging something on your wall that you made with your own two hands. If you have been looking for a way to combine a relaxing new hobby with a practical home decor project, crocheting a wall basket might be exactly what you need. These charming, texture-rich baskets are having a major moment in interior design right now, and the best part is that you do not need to be an experienced crafter to make one. This tutorial is written specifically for beginners, so even if you have never held a crochet hook in your life, you can follow along and end up with something genuinely beautiful.

In this guide, you will find everything you need to know to create your own crochet wall basket from start to finish — what materials to gather, which stitches to use, how to shape and stiffen the basket, and how to hang it on your wall in a way that looks intentional and polished. By the end, you will have a boho-inspired piece of functional wall art that doubles as a storage solution for plants, trinkets, mail, or anything else you want to display.

Why Crochet Wall Baskets Are a Perfect Beginner Project

Before we dive into the materials and steps, it helps to understand why this particular project is so well-suited to beginners.

First, wall baskets are small. Unlike a full blanket or a sweater, a wall basket is a compact project that you can finish in a single weekend — or even in one long afternoon if you are really motivated. That short time investment means you get the satisfaction of a finished object quickly, which is one of the best ways to stay motivated as a new crafter.

Second, the stitches involved are simple and repetitive. Once you learn the basic structure, your hands will start to memorize the rhythm, and crocheting will begin to feel meditative rather than stressful. You do not need to manage complex stitch patterns, count hundreds of rows, or work with multiple colors unless you want to.

Third, the materials are inexpensive and easy to find. You do not need specialty yarn or imported tools. Most of what you need is available at your local craft store or online for very reasonable prices.

Finally, crochet wall baskets are endlessly customizable. Once you understand the base pattern, you can scale the size up or down, change the color, add fringe or tassels, experiment with texture, or reshape the basket to suit whatever aesthetic your home calls for.

Materials You Will Need

Gathering your supplies before you start is always a good idea. Here is exactly what you will need for this project.

Yarn: For a sturdy, structured basket, you want a thick cotton or cotton-blend yarn in a weight labeled as bulky or super bulky (weight 5 or 6). Cotton is ideal because it holds its shape better than acrylic and has a natural, earthy look that suits the wall basket aesthetic perfectly. One 200-gram skein is typically enough for a small to medium basket. Natural off-white, sandy beige, or terracotta are all popular color choices for a boho-inspired look, but any color works.

Crochet hook: Choose a hook size that matches your yarn — usually a 6mm to 9mm hook works well with bulky cotton. The yarn label will suggest an appropriate hook size. If you want a denser, stiffer fabric, go down one hook size from the recommendation. If you want a more open, airy look, go up one size.

Fabric stiffener: This is the secret ingredient that transforms a floppy crochet piece into a structured basket that holds its shape on the wall. You can buy commercial fabric stiffener from a craft store, or make your own at home by mixing equal parts white glue and water. Both work well.

A balloon or bowl for shaping: Once you apply the stiffener, you will need something round to drape your basket over while it dries so it holds a curved shape. A partially inflated balloon or a round bowl of the right size both work perfectly.

Scissors and a yarn needle: You will need scissors to cut your yarn and a blunt yarn needle (also called a tapestry needle) to weave in the loose ends when you finish.

Wooden dowel or branch: For hanging your basket, a short wooden dowel, a piece of driftwood, or a straight natural branch gives a beautiful rustic look. Aim for something about two to three inches wider than your basket on each side.

Twine or jute cord: You will use this to attach the basket to the dowel and to create a hanger. About two to three yards is plenty.

Optional embellishments: Dried flowers, macrame fringe, beads, pom-poms, or leather cord can all be added at the end to personalize your piece.

Understanding the Basic Stitches

If you are brand new to crochet, you will need to know four things before you begin. Each of these can be learned in about five to ten minutes by watching a short tutorial video, but the written descriptions below will give you a solid foundation.

The slip knot: This is how you attach your yarn to your hook to begin any crochet project. You make a loop with the yarn, pull one side of the loop through the other, and tighten it gently onto the hook.

The chain stitch (ch): The chain stitch is the foundation of almost all crochet. To make one, you wrap the yarn over your hook (called a yarn over) and pull it through the loop already on your hook. That is one chain. Repeat for as many chains as your pattern calls for.

The single crochet (sc): This is the most fundamental crochet stitch and the one you will use most in this pattern. Insert your hook into a stitch, yarn over, pull through the stitch (you now have two loops on your hook), yarn over again, and pull through both loops. That completes one single crochet.

Slip stitch (sl st): Used to join rounds and move your hook to a new position without adding height. Insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion.

If you can do those four things, you have everything you need to complete this basket.

Step-by-Step Crochet Wall Basket Pattern

This pattern creates a basket that is roughly 7 to 8 inches wide and 5 to 6 inches deep — a great size for holding a small trailing plant, a bundle of pampas grass, or a rolled-up napkin collection. Once you understand the pattern, scaling it larger or smaller is very straightforward.

Step 1: Make a magic ring (or chain 4 and join)

The magic ring allows you to start crocheting in the round without leaving a hole in the center of your base. To make a magic ring, wrap the yarn around two fingers to form a loop, insert your hook into the loop, yarn over, and pull up a loop to begin your first round. If the magic ring feels too tricky at first, you can chain 4 stitches and join the last chain to the first with a slip stitch to form a small ring instead.

Step 2: Round 1 — Build the base center

Work 6 single crochet stitches into the center of your ring. Pull the tail of the ring tightly to close the hole. Join to the first single crochet with a slip stitch. You now have a tiny flat circle with 6 stitches. (6 stitches total)

Step 3: Round 2 — First increase round

Chain 1 (this does not count as a stitch — just lifts your work). Work 2 single crochets into each stitch around. Join with a slip stitch to the first stitch. (12 stitches total)

Step 4: Round 3 — Second increase round

Chain 1. Work 1 single crochet in the first stitch, then 2 single crochets in the next stitch. Repeat this pattern around the entire round — one regular stitch, then one increase. Join. (18 stitches total)

Step 5: Round 4 — Third increase round

Chain 1. Work 1 single crochet in each of the first 2 stitches, then 2 single crochets in the next stitch. Repeat — two regular stitches, then one increase — all the way around. Join. (24 stitches total)

Step 6: Continue increasing

Keep working increase rounds in this same pattern. Each round, you add one more regular stitch before each increase. Round 5 will have 30 stitches, Round 6 will have 36 stitches, and so on. Stop increasing when your flat circle is about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. For most bulky yarns, this happens around Round 6 or 7.

Step 7: Begin the sides

Once your base is the right size, it is time to build up the walls of the basket. To do this, you will stop increasing and simply work one single crochet into each stitch all the way around for every round. There is a small trick here: on the very first round of the sides, work your stitches into the back loop only (the loop farthest from you). This creates a sharp, clean fold between the flat base and the vertical sides, giving your basket a defined shape. After that first row of sides, go back to working through both loops as usual.

Continue working straight rounds (no increases, no decreases) until the sides of your basket are about 4 to 5 inches tall. You can make the basket deeper or shallower depending on what you plan to put inside.

Step 8: Fasten off and weave in ends

When the sides are as tall as you want, cut your yarn leaving a 6-inch tail. Pull the tail through the last loop on your hook and tighten. Thread the tail onto your yarn needle and weave it through several nearby stitches on the inside of the basket to secure it. Do the same with the starting tail at the center of the base. Trim any excess.

Stiffening and Shaping Your Basket

This step is what makes your basket look like a real basket rather than a soft fabric blob. Do not skip it.

Prepare your fabric stiffener in a bowl — if you are using the DIY version, mix about a quarter cup of white glue with a quarter cup of water and stir until combined.

Submerge your crocheted basket in the stiffener and work it gently with your hands until the yarn is thoroughly saturated. Squeeze out the excess gently — do not wring it.

Now shape the basket while it is wet. If you are using a balloon, inflate it to roughly the same size as the inside of your basket and set it on a flat surface. Drape the basket over the balloon with the open side facing down, pulling and adjusting the shape until it looks right. Alternatively, set a round bowl upside down and drape the basket over that.

Make sure the rim of the basket is spread out evenly and the sides are smooth. If you want the rim to flare out slightly, gently press the top edge outward as it begins to dry.

Let the basket dry completely — this usually takes 12 to 24 hours depending on the humidity in your space. Once it is fully dry, it will hold its shape firmly and feel almost papery to the touch.

Attaching Your Basket to the Dowel

Once your basket is dry and stiff, it is time to create the wall hanger.

Cut three to four pieces of twine or jute cord, each about 12 to 15 inches long. Thread each piece through a stitch near the top rim of the back of your basket using your yarn needle, then tie each piece firmly around your wooden dowel or branch. Space the ties evenly so the basket hangs straight and level.

For the hanging cord, cut a length of twine or jute about 24 to 36 inches long and tie each end to the outer ends of the dowel. The loop this creates is what you will hang on your wall hook.

Step back and check that everything looks balanced. Adjust the ties if needed before hanging.

How to Style and Display Your Crochet Wall Basket

The fun does not stop once the basket is on the wall. Styling it well is what takes your project from “craft” to “decor.”

Small trailing plants like pothos, string of pearls, or ivy look incredible spilling out of a wall basket. If you do not want to deal with a live plant, high-quality faux greenery works just as well and requires zero maintenance.

Dried botanicals — pampas grass, dried lavender, eucalyptus, or bunny tails — are another gorgeous option that adds warmth and texture without any water or soil involved.

You can also use your basket for functional storage. A wall basket near your entryway can hold keys, mail, sunglasses, or dog leashes. In the kitchen, one can hold small packets of seeds or a bundle of wooden utensils. In a bathroom, rolled hand towels or small bottles of lotion look charming.

Adding embellishments to the basket itself can elevate the look even further. Try cutting six to eight strands of matching yarn about 12 inches long, folding them in half, and attaching them as fringe along the bottom of the basket. You can also tie a few wooden beads or shells onto pieces of twine and let them dangle from the dowel on either side of the basket.

Tips for Making Your Second (and Third) Basket

Once you finish your first basket, you will almost certainly want to make more. Here are a few ideas to push your creativity further once you have the basics down.

Try making a set of three baskets in different sizes and hanging them in a cluster on the same wall. Use the same color of yarn for a cohesive look, or go with a tonal palette — three shades of the same color — for something a little more interesting.

Experiment with different yarn textures. Jute twine crocheted with a large hook creates a beautifully rustic, rough-textured basket. Chunky rope yarn gives a more polished, modern look. T-shirt yarn (made from strips of jersey fabric) produces a basket with a totally different character than traditional cotton.

Play with stitch variations. The pattern in this tutorial uses single crochet throughout, but swapping in half double crochet stitches on the sides of the basket makes the sides grow faster and creates a slightly softer texture. Once you are comfortable, you can also try adding a round of crab stitch (reverse single crochet) along the top rim for a twisted decorative edge.

Troubleshooting Common Beginner Problems

Your stitches are too tight and the hook is hard to push through: Loosen your grip on the yarn slightly. Your tension should allow the hook to slide easily in and out of each stitch. If it helps, try going up one hook size.

Your base is curling up and not lying flat: This is very common and usually means your tension is too tight or you need to add more increase rounds. More increases = a flatter circle. Fewer increases = a bowl shape that curves upward naturally.

Your basket sides are flaring outward instead of going straight up: You may have accidentally continued increasing on the sides. Make sure you stop all increases when you transition from the base to the walls.

The basket is not stiff enough after drying: Try a second coat of stiffener. Let the first coat dry, then re-wet the basket with a second application, re-shape it, and let it dry again.

Final Thoughts

Making a crochet wall basket is one of those projects that gives you far more than just a decorative object. It gives you a new skill, a meditative practice, and a small but meaningful sense of accomplishment that comes from creating something useful with your own hands. Whether you hang it above your bed with a trailing plant, use it to corral chaos near your front door, or give it as a handmade gift to someone you love, this little basket carries a kind of intentionality that store-bought decor simply cannot replicate.

Start with one. Make the smallest size, use whatever yarn is easiest to find, and do not stress about perfection — the slight imperfections in handmade things are exactly what makes them beautiful. Once you have that first basket on your wall, it will not be long before you are planning the next one.

Happy crocheting.