Oval Gift Basket

Little Oval Gift Baskets, complete with crochet holly leaves.

In the build up to Christmas, I realised that I needed a few gift bags for the presents that I had purchased for friends and relatives. One particular gift was going to be particularly tricky. I had bought a few pots of jam from a local small business. The apricot jam was made using fruit from the trees in the grounds of the local manor house, which I thought was pretty neat.

Anyway, I had to have a gift bag that would be substantial enough to protect the glass jam jars while being transported. I couldn't find anything that I particularly liked and that would do the job. I therefore decided that the only solution was to make my own.

I designed these little baskets to hold two jam jars. They are lined with cotton fabric (a seasonal Christmas print) and the base is reinforced using cardboard. The aim was to make the baskets snug and secure so that the jars could easily and safely be transported without them knocking against one another and breaking.

My Mini Waistcoat Crochet Basket - inspiration for this project

These little baskets were inspired by a basket that I had previously made using some super chunky wool called Mini Waistcoat Crochet Basket. This project was based upon the Waistcoat Basket pattern by Stephanie Jessica Lau. My version was considerably smaller than the original because I had a limited amount of that chunky yarn. This was one of those "makes" that started when I was sorting through my yarn stash and I found some interesting balls of yarn that I had forgotten about.

For this project, I used a brown jute garden twine. I had a big ball of the stuff from the garden centre. I am not entirely sure quite how much twine the project used but I made two of these baskets from it and I still had some left over. I think the ball was about 125 meters long. So, if you have about 60 meters, that will be plenty. I really should have payed more attention to the length that I used. Sorry!

You will need:

• Large ball of jute garden twine
• 4mm crochet hook
• Large blunt sewing needle (with a big eye that the jute twine will go through)
• Sheet of cardboard (I cut up an amazon delivery box)
• Cotton fabric (I used scraps - but about a 1/4 -1/2 meter will be ample)
• Cotton thread 
• Regular hand sewing needle
• Sheet of paper
• Pencil
• Scissors 

The Crochet Base: 

Start by making the base for you basket.

Begin by making a chain of 10 stitches. I have written out the basic instructions below and also added a diagram of the completed base. You really just keep adding another row around the oval until it is the desired size.


 First round:

• Ch 10
• Single crochet into last but one loop.
• Single crochet down chain. 6
• Single crochet three times into last loop, turning corner
• Single crochet along other side, join 

 Second Round:

• Chain stitch twice.
• Single crochet into next stich
• Single crochet twice in to next stich
• Single crochet along side, until last two stiches on this “side”
• 2 single crochet into next four stiches (turning as you work around the piece)
• Single crochet along side until last two stiches
• 2 single crochet into last two stiches, join

Third round:

• Chain stitch twice.
• Single crochet into next stich
• Single crochet twice in to next 2 stiches
• Single crochet along the side, until last four stiches on this “side”
• 2 single crochet into next eight stiches (turning as you work around the piece)
• Single crochet along the side until last four stiches
• 2 single crochet into last four stiches, join

Etc …

**Remember to check your jam jars fit into the oval that you have created** 

Diagram of Crochet Base

When finished the base will look like this:

Diagram of pattern for the oval base

The chain stitches are indicated using a purple line. This shows where the next row/round starts.

The increases occur on either end of the oval which is depicted in black

The grey stitches are the area that doesn't have any increases.

As an aside - 

This is what my notes look like for the base of this project (Yey for Paint! haha!).

I decided to draw it out so that I could figure out what I was actually doing with the yarn and how I was making the shape. It is pretty basic and I really was just making it up as I went along, trying to scribble down what I was doing. I am sure that there are patterns for basic ovals out there but I decided to do my own thing and hope that it worked out. I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

My note page for the project

Next step: 

• I then flattened out my base by leaving it under a heavy book for a few days. I needed to make sure the edges were flat and not curled up.
• I then used a pencil and a piece of paper to draw around my base and make a template.
•  I then cut out the paper oval template using scissors
• This will be needed later on.

Making the Sides:

To make the sides stand up you need to reduce the number of stiches

At each rounded end of the oval - 24 stitches, this needs to be reduced to 12 stiches

Decrease round: 

In this first round of the oval, only crochet into the 'top' loop of the stich below (when the base is placed flat on a surface). This creates a better division between the base of the basket and the sides. Continue this for the entire first round. 

• Find the middle of each of the curved ends of the oval attach stich marker

•  Attach yarn in the middle of one of the curved ends of the oval.
• Single crochet into every other stitch over the next 12 stitches (six stitches total)
• Single crochet to 12 stiches before next stich marker. 
• Single crochet into every other stitch over the next 24 stitches (six stitches total)
• Single crochet to 12 stiches before next stich marker.
• Single crochet into every other stitch over the next 12 stitches (six stitches total)
• Join. 

Sides:

Next you crochet the sides of your basket using a single crochet stich, however instead of crocheting into the gap, you instead crochet into the centre of the stich below. Crocheting into the little 'V' shape. This makes the sides of the basket a little thicker and stronger. It also gives the impression that the bag has been knitted rather than crocheted. This is known as the Waistcoat Stich or Single Centre Crochet.

• Ch 2, Single centre crochet the round. 
• Place a stich marker and continue to crochet the next round (in a spiral)
• Move stich marker up as the sides grow.
• Continue until basket is 11 cm tall (or any other desired height)

Making the Handles:

The next stage involves making the handles. 

Continue with a further round of single centre crochet as follows:

• Single centre crochet 6 times
• Chain stich 13 stiches, skip 11 stiches 
• Single centre crochet 12 times
• Chain stich 13 stiches, skip 11 stiches
• Single centre crochet 6 times

You will now have two separated 'loops' of chain stitch on either side of your basket. These will form the basis for your handles.

On the next round:

• Single centre crochet 6 times (into stiches)
• Single crochet 24 times over chain ('over' the chain rather than into the chain stiches)
• Single centre crochet 12 times (into stiches) 
• Single crochet 24 times over chain ('over' the chain rather than into the chain stiches)
• Single centre crochet 6 times (into stiches)
• Join

You now have two 'handle gaps' below the last row of crochet. The aim of this next row is to strengthen the handles. To do this you need to reverse the direction that you are crocheting in.

• Turn your work around and single centre crochet back into the previous stich that you have just created.
• Continue to work back along the round, working both the ends and stitching over the handles. 
• You will notice that the handles/top form a bulky rim to the basket which is now finished.
• Using your big needle, sew in the ends. 

Finishing and reinforcing:

Reinforcing: 

If you are happy with your basket, feel free to use it as it is.

I however decided to reinforce my basket using cardboard. Using the paper template of the base that I created earlier, I cut out two pieces of cardboard from a box (amazon delivery). I then placed one on top of the other and glued them together to double the strength.

I then placed the double-thick cardboard oval into the bottom of the crochet basket. Trim the edges to get it to fit in; ensuring it is a nice and snug fit.

If you are concerned that it may move secure the cardboard with a few stitches to the crochet basket. It is pretty tough getting the needle through the cardboard!

Lining:

Once again, I used my oval paper template. This time I placed it on the cotton fabric and drew around it. I then cut it out leaving seam allowance.

I also measured the circumference of the oval and marked out a rectangle of fabric that was as long as the circumference (I can't remember the exact measurement) and as tall as the sides of the basket (11cm).

This rectangle was also cut out, leaving room for a seam allowance.

I then hand sewed the oval base of the lining to the side piece (right sides on the inside) and joined the side seam.

The top hem was then tuned over and the lining placed in the basket.

The top of the lining was then secured with a felling stich.

Final details:

I then made some little holly leaves using this pattern and a few buttons; attaching them to safety pins so that they could be pinned to the baskets. It was a Christmas gift after all.

The jam jars fitted perfectly and I am really happy with the way the gifts turned out!

I made two of these little oval bags (and a bottle bag - another pattern to post!)