- 1). Cut a two to three foot section of fabric or yarn. Start with the shorter length, and as you gain skill you can use a longer length. Hold one end of the clothesline in your left hand and the end of the fabric strip or two strands of yarn in your right hand. Begin winding the yarn or fabric around the clothesline to cover it. Overlap the fabric slightly, or wrap the yarn right up against the previous wrap.
- 2). Thread the other end of a fabric strip or two strands of yarn through the tapestry needle. When you have three inches of the clothesline covered, bend it into a U shape. Insert the needle between the two halves of the U and pull the fabric or yarn taut. Bring the needle up on the outside of the U and began wrapping the next section of clothesline. Drop the needle and continue wrapping by hand.
- 3). Coil the covered clothesline around itself, picking up the needle and inserting it between the coils, pulling the fabric or yarn taut and binding the coils together. When the base is the side you want for your basket, begin building up the sides of your basket. Add new fabric or yarn pieces as needed, wrapping the fabric around itself once to secure the loose ends.
- 4). Stack the next coil on top of the preceding one to begin building up the sides. Use the needle to bind the coils together as before. Place the coils direction on top of each other for a straight-sided bowl, or angle the coils slightly for a bowl with sloped sides.
- 5). Make handles by forming a loop of covered clothesline on either side of the basket. Bring the clothesline away from the main basket, loop to form the handle, then join the basket again, continuing to wrap fabric or yarn around the clothesline as you go. Form a second handle on the opposite side of the basket.
- 6). Cut the clothesline when the basket has reached the size you like. Wrap the end with fabric and use the needle to sew the end securely to the basket. Cut the fabric or yarn. Thread the sewing needle with regular sewing thread and stitch down the end of the fabric or yarn.
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