Easy-Sew Hamper Liner

I've had this wicker laundry hamper for about a decade.  The top edge was starting to show wear-and-tear and the lid had unraveled a bit.  The lid has been retired to the brush pile and has now become a nice little house for a chipmunk or salamander, but I decided to give the rest of the hamper a new life by sewing a liner.  The new liner covers up the top edge, so it's not scratching me every time I reach in!

This is really easy to sew and took me just about an hour, start to finish.  And since I used leftover fabric, it was FREE!  A quick and pretty project to get done while my Little One was napping this morning.



Materials Needed:
- wicker laundry hamper or basket (the uglier the better, so you can boast to anyone who will listen of your super thrifty furniture transformation!)
- enough fabric to create a liner that will over the bottom and up over the top a few inches  (I chose a heavy-weight beige twill that I got on clearance); should be machine washable
- fabric to make a decorative panel around the outside; should be machine washable
- thread
- straight pins
- pinking shears or scissors
- tape measure
- iron
- sewing machine (or sew by hand)

Before I started, I washed and dried my fabric to reduce shrinking later on.  I also gave my wicker hamper a quick rinse in the shower to remove dust.

Steps:
1.  Wrap the liner fabric around the outside of the hamper.  Pull it down over the bottom just enough so that it will cover by meeting in the center.  Pin the fabric along the side so it fits snugly over the hamper sides.

2.  On the bottom, pull the fabric together so it meets in one long seam.  Pin it as closely to the hamper as possible.

3. Trim off extra fabric from the bottom, leaving a 1" seam allowance.  The edge should be straight and even.  Also, trim off extra from the side, leaving a 1" seam allowance.

4.  Cut a straight line around the top edge of the fabric, just under the top of the hamper.

5.  Measure the circumference of the hamper near the top.  Cut a panel from the decorative fabric that is 2" wider than the circumference and 6" high.  (You can change the height of the decorative panel; I liked how 6" looked on my hamper and it held the liner in place well.)

6. Slip the fabric off the hamper without removing any pins.  Place the decorative panel inside the liner with the right side facing the liner.  Line it up with the top edge of the liner, align the seam, and pin in place.

7. Stitch down the side, starting at the top of the decorative panel and going all the way down to the bottom, leaving a 1" seam allowance. 

8. Along the top edge of the decorative panel, fold 1/2" over and iron.  Fold it over another 1/2" and iron.  Stitch across the top to hold down the fold.  I also added a zig-zag stitch overlapping the fold.

9.  Finishing the bottom:   If needed, re-pin and trim the bottom so it lays flat and is even.  (The bottom of mine had a curve to it.)  Stitch across the bottom, leaving a 1" seam allowance.

10.  Fit liner into the hamper.  Pull the top over the sides of the hamper until the inside fits correctly.


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