Ever since I became addicted to making 1-inch-scale dollhouse miniatures, I have started hanging onto all kinds of little odds and ends that I think might come in handy for creating tiny things. I’ve got a wee bit of an addiction to gumball machine rings and other tiny vending machine toys, so I always save the little plastic capsules. They come in very handy for making all kinds of tidbits, including these itty-bitty baskets! They are super simple to make and look so adorable!

Project estimate:

• Vending machine toy capsule, on hand
• Twine, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand

Total: Free or $1

I used a coupe of different styles of vending machine capsules to make my baskets. You can also use bottle caps or other small vessels for this project, whatever you happen to have laying around.

Use a dab of glue to attach the end of a piece of twine to the top edge of the capsule. Carefully work all the way around the top edge, making sure the twine is evenly around the whole edge. Be sure to use enough glue to hold it securely in place all the way around, but not too much because you don’t want lots of extra oozing out. (It’s like when you go to the deli and order your meat sliced not too thick, not too thin…)

Continue working the twine in a spiral all the way down the capsule, still using plenty of glue to keep everything in place. Make sure the coils are nice and tight so that there are no gaps between the rounds of twine.

When the entire capsule is covered, you can call your basket finished if you don’t want to add a handle, like this tiny knitting basket.

If you want to add a handle, make a braid of twine slightly longer than the length you want the handle to be. Knot the twine at the ends of the braid and coat the parts of the braid right next to the knot with a bit of glue to secure them; when the glue is dry, cut off the knots. Use a couple more dabs of glue to attach the handle inside the rim of the basket.