Transform a basket into an elegant end table that also provides extra storage

End tables are convenient and often stylish additions to any room in the home. When placed next to a couch, bedside or chair, they provide a convenient place to rest a water glass or leave an unfinished book. Beyond function, end tables also create additional space for displaying decorative items that add a pop of color or texture to an interior décor scheme. You can show off a vase full of flowers or a well-loved photo with an end table.

Those who love to craft understand the satisfaction that comes from turning a traditional object into something entirely new and innovative. Repurposing a woven basket into a functional and beautiful end table is a simple task with plenty of possibilities. Adding a wood top to a basket not only creates more surface space, but it also comes with the extra benefit of a basket base that can still be used for storage. This creative end table serves a dual purpose, providing a place to store blankets, books and more. There’s nothing better than an end table that also works for the greater organizational good of the home.

-Round wood cutout, 1 inch in diameter
-Ruler, 24 inches in length
-Pencil
-Painter’s tape
-Table vice
-Handheld drill with a ¼-inch drill bit
-Sanding block
-Plastic sheet
-Large paintbrush
-Small glass bowl
-Blue acrylic paint
-Tall woven basket, 2 feet high and 16 inches in diameter
-Orange yarn
-Large sewing needle
-Scissors

Instructions
 
1. Place a 16-inch round wood cutout on a flat surface.

2. Place a 24-inch ruler vertically through the center of the round cutout leaving approximately 1 inch of space from the center-most line.

3. Make a pencil mark ¼ inch from the top of the cutout edge. Make a second mark along the same line ¼ inch from the bottom of the cutout edge.

4. Move the ruler 2 ½ inches to the right; make a pencil mark ½ inch from the top of the cutout edge and an identical mark ½ inch from the bottom edge following the same line.

5. Turn the ruler horizontally, and place it on the round cutout 5 inches from the top edge. Make a pencil mark ½ inch from the left edge of the cutout and a second mark ½ inch from the right side.

6. Tear six small pieces of painter’s tape, and place each individual piece on the backside of the round cutout directly beneath the pencil markings.

7. Secure the round cutout to a flat surface using a table vice. Allow one of the pencil markings to extend over the edge 1 ½ inches.

8. Drill through the pencil marking with a handheld drill using a ¼-inch drill bit.

9. Unclasp the table vice, and rotate the round cutout so the next pencil marking is extended over the table edge. Drill through this marking and continue to rotate the cutout until all six pencil markings are drilled through entirely.

10. Release the round cutout from the table vice, and remove all painter’s tape.

11. Sand both sides of the round cutout using a sanding block until all edges around the holes are completely smooth.

12. Place the round cutout on top of a protective plastic sheet.

13. Fill a small glass bowl with blue acrylic paint, and use a large paintbrush to cover both faces of the round wood cutout in blue. Allow the cutout to dry.

14. Place the round cutout on top of a 2-foot-tall woven basket so that the two horizontal holes are closest to the top.

15. Thread the end of a string of orange yarn through the bottom right hole of the round cutout coming in from the backside.

16. Pull the end of the string up and over the top of the cutout, threading the end through the top right hole. Pull the remaining yarn up from the bottom hole so that the ends of the yarn meet at the top edge lying on either side of the cutout.

17. Thread the end of the yarn through a large sewing needle, and use the needle to knot the yarn underneath the top right hole.

18. Once the knot is secure, sew the yarn directly into the side of the woven basket using a single x-stitch to secure the cutout in place. Knot the yarn on the inside of the basket to attach and cut away excess yarn from the needle.

19. Cut a second piece of yarn 3-feet in length, and thread one end through the left side hole in the cutout coming in through the backside.

20. Pull the yarn across the top of the round cutout, and thread the end through the hole on the right side, allowing the edges of the yarn to meet on the underside. Knot the ends together and cut away excess yarn as needed.

21. Thread a third piece of yarn vertically through the remaining two holes. Use the large sewing needles to secure one end with an x-stitch identical to the previous attachment point.

22. Place the newly crafted end table near a chair or couch using the cutout as a surface for displaying household goods. The lid can be lifted to store throw blankets or other miscellaneous items as needed.