The Nori Nesting Baskets — Free Crochet Pattern

There is something quietly satisfying about a set of baskets that stacks together perfectly. Not the kind of satisfaction you have to talk yourself into, but the real kind — the kind where you finish a project, set all three pieces together on a shelf, and just stand there for a moment looking at them. That is exactly what happens with the Nori Nesting Baskets. This free crochet pattern is one of those designs that works overtime: it organizes your space, adds texture and warmth to a room, and teaches you skills you will use in project after project going forward.

Whether you are relatively new to crochet and looking for a beginner-friendly structure to work with, or you have been crocheting for years and want a quick, satisfying make that doesn’t require a lot of complicated stitch-counting, the Nori Nesting Baskets are an excellent fit. Let’s walk through everything — the yarn, the hooks, the stitches, the sizing, the full pattern, and a few finishing tips — so that by the time you reach the end of this post, your hooks are already out.

Why Crochet Baskets?

Before we dive into the pattern itself, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate why handmade crochet baskets have become such a staple in fiber arts communities. Unlike many decorative projects that you finish and then tuck away, baskets actually live in your home and do something. They hold your yarn stash. They sit on the bathroom counter collecting cotton rounds and lip balms. They live on the entryway table managing keys and sunglasses. They go on a child’s bookshelf corralling small toys that otherwise migrate to every corner of the house.

Crocheting a basket also gives you an opportunity to work at a larger gauge than you might be used to, which means the fabric grows quickly and the results are immediately visible. There is nothing like watching a flat circle become a sturdy wall in just a few rounds. For new crocheters, that visible progress can make all the difference in keeping you motivated. For experienced makers, the relatively fast pace of a basket project makes it a perfect palate cleanser between more intricate designs.

The Nori Nesting Baskets in particular come in three sizes that are designed to sit inside one another for storage and display. Pulled apart and distributed around a room, they can serve completely different functions. Stacked together, they create a clean, cohesive vignette that looks intentional and beautiful.

A Note on the Name

Nori, if you are wondering, is the Japanese word for the dried seaweed sheets used to wrap sushi. It felt like the right name for this pattern because of the way the three baskets layer around each other — each one a wrapper for the next — and because the finished texture of the baskets has a slightly organic, coastal quality when worked in natural cotton or jute-blend yarn. Names like that, the ones that feel slightly unexpected but click the moment you hear them, tend to stick.

Materials You Will Need

Getting your materials together before you start is always worth the few extra minutes it takes. Here is what you need for the complete set of three Nori Nesting Baskets.

Yarn: Approximately 400 yards of bulky weight yarn (size 5 or 6) for the full set. A cotton, cotton-blend, or jute-blend yarn works best because these fibers have very little stretch, which gives the finished baskets their structure and allows them to stand up on their own. Some makers prefer 100% cotton for a softer result; others like the slight roughness of a jute blend for a more rustic, natural look. Both are beautiful. Avoid yarns with a lot of elasticity (like wool or acrylic blends with spandex), as they tend to make the basket walls flop rather than stand.

Hook: A 6.5mm or 7mm crochet hook works well for most bulky cotton yarns at this gauge. If your basket is coming out too stiff or your hand is cramping, go up a hook size. If it is too floppy, go down. The goal is a firm, dense fabric that holds its shape when standing empty.

Stitch marker: Just one, to mark the beginning of each round.

Scissors and a yarn needle: For weaving in ends.

Optional: A little spray starch if you want to block your baskets and give them even crisper edges.

Gauge and Sizing

Because basket patterns are worked in the round and the dimensions are more important than exact stitch count, gauge is worth checking here. Work a small swatch in single crochet to get your bearings.

Approximate gauge with a 7mm hook and bulky cotton: 9 stitches and 10 rows = 4 inches in single crochet.

Finished dimensions for the three baskets are approximately as follows:

The small basket stands about 3 inches tall with a base diameter of roughly 5 inches. The medium basket stands about 4.5 inches tall with a base diameter of roughly 7 inches. The large basket stands about 6 inches tall with a base diameter of roughly 9 inches.

These dimensions can shift slightly depending on your yarn weight, hook size, and personal tension. The most important thing is that the three baskets nest comfortably inside one another, so as long as you work all three with the same yarn and hook, the proportional relationship will hold.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern uses only a handful of stitches and techniques, most of which you likely already know.

Magic ring (magic circle): This is how each basket begins. The magic ring allows you to pull the center of your circle completely closed so there is no hole in the middle of the base. If you prefer, you can start with a chain-4 slip-stitched into a ring instead, but a magic ring gives a cleaner result.

Single crochet (sc): The primary stitch used throughout the entire pattern. Simple, sturdy, and perfect for basket walls.

Slip stitch (sl st): Used at the end of certain rounds if you are working in joined rounds rather than a continuous spiral. Both methods work; the pattern as written uses a continuous spiral with a stitch marker.

Increases: You will work two single crochets into the same stitch at regular intervals to expand the flat base before transitioning to the upright walls.

Working in the back loop only (BLO): This is the one slightly more advanced technique in the pattern, and it is simple once you have tried it once. When you work a single crochet through only the back loop of a stitch (the loop farthest from you as you work), it creates a visible horizontal ridge on the outside of the fabric. In this pattern, working BLO for one round is what creates the defined crease between the base and the walls, giving the basket its clean, structured transition.

The Full Pattern

Small Nori Basket

Starting the base:

Make a magic ring. Round 1: Work 6 single crochets into the ring. Pull the tail to close. Place your stitch marker in the first stitch of round 1. Do not join; work in a continuous spiral.

Round 2: Work 2 single crochets in each stitch around. You will have 12 stitches.

Round 3: Work 2 single crochets in the first stitch, 1 single crochet in the next stitch. Repeat this pattern (increase, 1 sc) around. You will have 18 stitches.

Round 4: Work 2 single crochets in the first stitch, 1 single crochet in each of the next 2 stitches. Repeat (increase, 1 sc, 1 sc) around. You will have 24 stitches.

Round 5: Work 2 single crochets in the first stitch, 1 single crochet in each of the next 3 stitches. Repeat around. You will have 30 stitches.

Transitioning to the walls:

Round 6: Working through the back loop only, single crochet in each stitch around. 30 stitches. This round creates the fold line between base and wall.

Working the walls:

Rounds 7 through 10: Working through both loops, single crochet in each stitch around. 30 stitches each round.

Finishing:

After round 10, slip stitch into the next stitch to finish cleanly. Cut yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail. Weave in ends. If the top edge feels uneven, you can work one final round of slip stitches through the back loop only for a polished look.

Medium Nori Basket

Starting the base:

Make a magic ring. Round 1: Work 6 single crochets into the ring. Pull to close. Place stitch marker.

Round 2: Work 2 single crochets in each stitch around. 12 stitches.

Round 3: Increase, 1 sc. Repeat around. 18 stitches.

Round 4: Increase, 1 sc, 1 sc. Repeat around. 24 stitches.

Round 5: Increase, 1 sc, 1 sc, 1 sc. Repeat around. 30 stitches.

Round 6: Increase, 1 sc, 1 sc, 1 sc, 1 sc. Repeat around. 36 stitches.

Round 7: Increase, 5 sc. Repeat around. 42 stitches.

Transitioning to the walls:

Round 8: Working through the back loop only, single crochet in each stitch around. 42 stitches.

Working the walls:

Rounds 9 through 14: Single crochet in each stitch around through both loops. 42 stitches each round.

Finishing:

Slip stitch into the next stitch to close. Cut yarn and weave in ends.

Large Nori Basket

Starting the base:

Make a magic ring. Round 1: Work 6 single crochets into the ring. Pull to close. Place stitch marker.

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around. 12 stitches.

Round 3: Increase, 1 sc. Repeat around. 18 stitches.

Round 4: Increase, 1 sc, 1 sc. Repeat around. 24 stitches.

Round 5: Increase, 3 sc. Repeat around. 30 stitches.

Round 6: Increase, 4 sc. Repeat around. 36 stitches.

Round 7: Increase, 5 sc. Repeat around. 42 stitches.

Round 8: Increase, 6 sc. Repeat around. 48 stitches.

Round 9: Increase, 7 sc. Repeat around. 54 stitches.

Transitioning to the walls:

Round 10: Working through the back loop only, single crochet in each stitch around. 54 stitches.

Working the walls:

Rounds 11 through 19: Single crochet in each stitch around through both loops. 54 stitches each round.

Finishing:

Slip stitch to close the final round. Cut yarn and weave in ends.

Tips for Success

A few small things can make a big difference in the finished quality of your Nori baskets, and they are worth mentioning even though none of them are complicated.

Tension matters more than usual. Because you want the baskets to stand up on their own, try to work with firmer tension than you might use for an amigurumi or a wearable. If you are a naturally loose crocheter, going down a hook size is usually the right move before you try to muscle your tension into submission.

Do not skip the BLO round. The single back-loop-only round is the secret to the basket’s clean profile. If you work that round normally through both loops, you will not get the crisp crease, and your walls will have a more gradual, rounded transition from the base. It is one round and it makes a significant visual difference.

Keep the base as flat as possible. If your base is cupping up in the middle (like a bowl), you have too few increases and need to go up a hook size or add more increase rounds. If it is ruffling at the edges, you have too many increases and should adjust in the opposite direction. A perfectly flat base is what allows the walls to go straight up when you transition to working without increases.

Weave in ends carefully. Because these baskets get handled frequently (going in and out of shelves, getting filled and emptied), ends that are only barely woven in will eventually work their way out. Take a little extra time to weave in diagonally, backtrack once, and snug the yarn down before trimming.

Color and Yarn Ideas

The Nori Nesting Baskets look beautiful in a single neutral — natural, undyed cotton has a warmth and texture that feels right at home in almost any interior. Cream, oat, stone, terracotta, sage, and dusty blue are all wonderful choices depending on your palette. Working all three baskets in the same yarn gives a clean, minimal look that never goes out of style.

That said, working each basket in a different colorway creates a playful, collected effect — especially if you stick to tones from the same color family. Three shades of warm beige ranging from pale sand to deep caramel, or three blues running from sky to navy, can be stunning.

If you want to add a stripe, you can do so easily on the walls by simply changing yarn at the beginning of a wall round. A single contrasting stripe near the top of the large basket, for example, ties a multi-colored set together without making it feel busy.

Ways to Use Your Finished Baskets

Once you have all three baskets complete, the nesting option is always lovely, but do not feel obligated to keep them together. Here are some of the best ways to put them to work around your home.

The small basket is ideal for a bathroom counter, a bedside table, or a desk. It holds jewelry, coins, paper clips, lip products, or a single candle set in a jar. On a craft table, it keeps scissors and a few stitch markers within easy reach.

The medium basket is a perfect catch-all. On a kitchen counter it holds packets of tea or small fruits. In a child’s room it corrals art supplies or small figures. In a living room it sits beside a chair holding a phone charger and a chapstick in a way that somehow looks intentional rather than cluttered.

The large basket earns its keep in a living room or bedroom. Yarn stash organization is an obvious and beloved use. It also works beautifully as a plant holder (with a plastic pot liner inside), a toy basket, a bread basket for serving, or a home for extra throw blankets folded small.

Sharing Your Makes

If you make the Nori Nesting Baskets, I would love to see them. Tag your finished projects with #NoriNestingBaskets and find me at Meghan Makes Do — your photos are always the best part of sharing a pattern. Whether you go classic and neutral, paint them in color, or put them to some unexpected use I have never thought of, every version teaches me something new about what a pattern can be.

Crochet baskets are one of those projects that never really stop giving. You make one set and immediately want to make another in a different color for a friend, or a smaller version as a gift, or a version out of a chunkier yarn to see how big you can go. That is part of what makes this pattern worth keeping in your rotation. It is not a one-and-done; it is a formula you will come back to.

Happy crocheting. I hope your Nori baskets find exactly the right corner of your home.