Today my friend Rachelle will be walking you through how to make your own rolling laundry basket out of a plywood round and some chicken wire! Take it away Rachelle:
I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect laundry basket for the past year. Who knew a laundry basket would be so hard to find? I wanted one that wouldn’t take up too much space and would allow me to separate lights and darks. It also needed to be more appealing than the current pile of laundry sitting at the foot of my bed in a big messy pile!I live in a 1-bedroom apartment in the middle of the city. While browsing around Pinterest I found this gem, and decided to give it a go.
Step 1: Sand
Find the round you'd like to use as the base of your basket. You can cut one to size, but I personally don't have the tools or space to do that in my apartment. Luckily, Dunn Lumber has precut rounds that start at 18" in diameter. Once you have the board, begin the project by sanding it smooth.
Step 2: Stain
Now, it's time to stain. (I chose a darker stain to match my other bedroom urniture.) Let the stain sit for 5-10 minutes then wipe off the excess. The longer you let it sit, the darker your finish will be.
Step 3: Set Casters in Place
Since I was working by myself, I used a clamp to hold the round steady. I attached the round to my worktable (also known as my kitchen table), making sure the bottom (the side I would be fastening the wheels to) was facing me. Now, measure and position your casters and mark each space.
Step 5: Secure Casters in Place
I didn't want to pre-drill holes because the round was only 3/4" thick. One way to avoid drilling through is to attach tape to your drill bit at 1/2". That will serve as a guide to prevent drilling all the way through the piece. (We've done that in the past, check out this post to see how.) Now, secure each caster using the larger of the 1/2" screws.
Step 6: Secure Chicken Wire in Place
PSA: Chicken wire is stubborn and scratchy. I highly recommend wearing gloves to avoid injury. Begin by securing the first section of chicken wire to the bottom of your round. Use the squares as grid lines to keep your base even. I chose three squares as my guide. So, there were three squares of wire all the way around my base, and I secured each screw and washer in the second square. Again, because of the width of the plywood I didn't pre-drill, but you can if you want to.
Now, unclamp your round from the table and move the piece to a horizontal position. Use your pliers to assist you in shaping the remainder of the wire around the base. When you have shaped the wire all the way around the wood, secure the end of the wire with a screw and washer.
Evenly space out the remainder of your screws and washers and secure the wire to the round.
Step 7: Hammer in Place
Cover the wire with a cloth, and hammer it into place to help it hold its shape. The cloth will protect the base from the hammer.
Step 8: Create the Rim of Your Basket
Turn your basket upright. Using your pliers, fold down the top (I folded the length of three squares) so that the basket will hold its shape. Secure this fold in place using the 24-gauge wire. Cut a 6" piece of wire, loop it around the folded section, and use your pliers to twist. Then cut the excess wire.
Then, secure the vertical seams where the chicken wire overlaps. Cut any excess, stray, or sharp bits of wires.
Step 9: Do your Laundry!
Now it’s time to put your laundry bag/bags in place. No more piles of messy laundry!
