Wire Baskets from Hardware Cloth Scraps

This idea came from Amy at Four Corners Design. I could not follow her design for a basket laid out in one piece because I was using scraps without a piece large enough to fashion the basket out of one piece of Hardware Cloth.

Amy's basket has a decorative edge at top made by looping back

each little wire. I used a plain factory edge so there are no snags.

It just worked out that way because I was using long pieces of the material.

Long wires left at the cut edge loop over the bottom piece to secure.

 

 Two pots of Mistletoe cactus so you can better visualize the basket. This basket is 10 x7" and the sides are 5.5 inches high. I have another partly completed and the bottom and side piece cut for another. I planned and planned and drew little sketches to use the last two pieces of hardware cloth I have and can make 2 more  that are 11x7" with sides 4.5 inches tall.

Perfect for corraling little pots with cuttings or seedlings.

I was told that galvanized wire discourages roots growing out of the pot.

 

As Mama used to say, "Cat and skin and put it all in." There are no scraps left, and 5 baskets.

I did not make pics nor make a tutorial because Amy's directions are so great. My pattern is: Cut a piece for the bottom. Measure all 4 sides and add those numbers for the length of the basket sides in one long piece. Fold to form 4 sides to fit the bottom, attach the open side, then attach to bottom piece using the little wires on the cut edge of the side piece. If the bottom has some wires too it reinforces the join.

Tools needed are Tin Snips or wire cutters and Needle-nosed pliers for bending the little wires into loops that hold the basket together. A ruler is helpful. Hardware cloth has half-inch spaces, so you can just count in inches. 

He-who-mows and gives advice kept telling me that you cannot make Hardware cloth lie perfectly straight or make perfectly squared baskets. Rustic charm, dear, they're for the greenhouse.