Guest DIY: T-Shirt Pompom Basket by CRAVE by CRV

Guys, I am SO EXCITED to introduce our first guest post!! My friend Carli from upcycled accessories brand CRAVE by CRV had an awesome idea for a DIY that we just had to share with you here on TNTP. If you’ve seen and liked the basket that holds my snake plant at #casadegloob, you’re going to love this project, which features pompoms made out of a surprising recycled material.

I’ll let the upcycling queen take it away — all you, Carli!

Step into your crafty pants & hold onto your scissors- we’re about to embark on a DIY of fringy (& appropriately) neon proportions.

I’m Carli, the head honcho (& only honcho, #solopreneurlife) at CRAVE by CRV.  A self-proclaimed re-purposer extraordinaire, I’ve got a knack for MacGyver-ing thrift store finds in the chicest ways possible & am thrilled to be sharing my latest obsession with you here!

THE INSPIRATION

These pom baskets are popping up everywhere! They’re the perfect size for storing blankets, plopping in a plant or a super chic way to hide unsightly clutter. The good news- it’s super easy to DIY one for yourself! Our material of choice? Keep scrolling to find out!

THE FINAL PRODUCT

YOU’LL NEED:

• An array of old t-shirts (go on a closet binge, choose your favorite colors or dye a worn in white tee for a custom look)
• A basket of your choice (I used this option from Etsy)
• Scissors
• Sewing needle
• Heavy thread (my favorite is this extra strong upholstery option)

Optional (but also super helpful):

• Ruler
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat

Step 1: Hack off the hem. Go ahead and get rid of the sleeves, too if you like. You can make multiple poms from one tee if it’s been blessed with long sleeves.

Step 2: Whip out that rotary cutter & mat and get to fringing. With the shirt lying flat, start at the bottom and work your way up cutting 1/8” – 1/4” strips.

Cutting by hand? Wider strips are OK, too!

 The more strips the merrier & the larger the poof.

BONUS!  You also get the perfect Coachella crop top!

Depending on your desired size of pom pom, you may want to keep cutting until the cows come home.

Pro tip: Try experimenting with different amounts of fringe (with practice fabric/t-shirt) before diving into the real thing.

Step 3: Gather your strips into a neat little pile like this.

Step 4: Here’s where a little experimentation may come into play… For a more voluptuous pom, carefully fold the strips in half. This way you’ll get twice as much bang for your buck without having to cut out more strips.

For the jumbo sized pom used on the final basket, I used about 60 strips each.  Counting the front and the back of the t-shirt (since it’s technically 2 thicknesses of fabric) that’s technically 120 strips. THEN folded in half makes about 250 separate little fringies when all is said and done.

Did I lose you there? Don’t worry about all those numbers. Just start cutting. 50 strips is a great place to start. You can always add more.

Step 5: Cut a 10-12” piece of thick thread and tie a super tight double knot around the center of your strips. Flip the pile over and tie another super tight double knot. As tight of a knot as humanly possible.

Step 6: Cut the folded portion.

Step 7: Continue the haircut.  Trim to be as manicured or mangy as you like.

WARNING: If you are at all type A, this is going to take a while.

Continue this process until you’ve created as many pom poms as you’d like on your basket.

Step 8: Using the same extra strong thread, attach to the basket.

Cut a long piece of thread, tie a double knot on the end and start stitching away. Starting from the inside of the basket, pull the thread to the front and all the way through the pom. Follow the thread right back through the pom and back towards the inside of the basket. Try to keep the thread as close to the center of the pom as possible.

 Step 9: Secure your threads & tie a double knot on the inside of the basket. Repeat steps with each color until all your poms are attached.

Step 10: Step back and soak in the fabulousness you just crafted.

Was that a crazy good DIY or what?! A zillion thanks to Carli for such a fun and creative DIY! Stay tuned for some more fun content featuring Carli’s goods, and be sure to check her out on cravebycrv.com and on Instagram @cravebycrv!

peace, love & neon,

marisa