DIY Tobacco Basket Tutorial With Decorating Ideas

I have the coolest project to share with you guys! Today’s project is a DIY tobacco basket tutorial. I’ve also put together a few ways to decorate with tobacco baskets so you can easily use them in your home decor year round. I’ll bet you’ll want to make a couple of these vintage style handmade tobacco baskets once you see how simple and inexpensive making handmade baskets can be. They also make awesome gifts friends!

From the minute I saw my first tobacco basket one I’ve wanted one. But not at the price they were going for! Even at $50 ea, the three DIY tobacco baskets my friends and I made would have been pricey!

You’ve seen me use this same style basket reed before, it’s what I used to make my DIY Wooden Lantern that went crazy popular all over Facebook last spring.

Sending out a big thank you to HomeRight for sponsoring this post. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep H2OBungalow going! I also use affiliate links to help you find the supplies I used. You can read my full disclosure policy here. 

How to make a DIY Tobacco Basket

Here’s a list of the supplies I used to make my DIY tobacco basket.

• 1″ basket reed – 2 orders is enough to make 3 tobacco baskets
• Small brads with antiqued finish – this will make 3 baskets
• Scissors
• Painter’s tape
• HomeRight Super Finish Max
• Wagner small Paint Shelter
• Varathane Weathered Wood Accelerator or paint
• Glue gun and glue sticks – these are my favorite!

Step-by-step Tutorial

Start by cutting the basket reed into 14 pieces that are 25” long, two pieces that are 30” long, and two pieces that are 84” long.

Next, make the tobacco basket base by laying one piece of painter’s tape onto a flat surface. Mark each of the 25” pieces at 4” from one end. Thread 7 of the reed pieces through the tape, lining them at the 4”mark. The mark will be on the inside of the tape line. Spread the 7 reeds out evenly over 14”.

I recommend using wood blocks to hold down the first taped side. This will make it easier to weave them together and keep them from curling up. Tape and space the other side down the same as the first side.

Next, use the 7 other 25” basket reed lengths to weave over and under across the first set. Space them as evenly as possible so they are 14″ across. Use a glue gun and Gorilla Glue to tack down the outer place where one reed crosses over the other.

You can remove the wood blocks as needed to do this next step. Measure and cut the basket reed at 4” from the woven section all around.

Then use the glue gun to tack one of the 84” basket reeds to the outside of each reed to form the lip of the basket. As you get to the corners hold the corners up to form a corner as you glue.

Glue the entire basket all the way around and tack onto where you started. Trim the excess reed off. Use a drill and make a small hole on every reed all the way around.

Insert a small brad from the outside of the basket top through each drilled hole and open the ends. This will help hold it together as well as add a decorative touch to your DIY tobacco basket.

Now take the other 84” basket reed section, starting in the middle of a side and attach it to the inside of the basket. This strip will cover the opened back side of the brads.

Work in sections gluing the 84” strip of basket reed to the inside all the way around. When you reach the starting point, cut it. Use office clips to hold the reed in place while the glue cools. They are easy to clip on and apply just the right amount of pressure. Fill the bottom of the basket with something heavy ( I used a stack of books) and let it sit overnight to shape the base flat.

Finish your DIY tobacco basket by using the wood accelerator or your choice of stain and a Super Finish Max paint sprayer and Small Spray Shelter to stain the basket. Let dry completely before using.

Make any size DIY tobacco basket you need.

The best part about making your own tobacco baskets for home decor is that you can make yours any size you need. They don’t need to be square either. Make what will fit your own space. My finished tobacco baskets are roughly 22″ square, the bases are square(ish) at 17″, each side is an additional 2 3/4″.

Change the shape of your DIY tobacco baskets by changing the base size and adding 8″ onto the reed measurements (4″ per side) for the sides or try making a round one. It’s simple!

So, let’s talk about a ways to use tobacco baskets in home decor.

DIY Tobacco Basket Decorating Ideas 

My handmade tobacco baskets look beautiful with my DIY fireplace With an Electric Insert I just built, don’t you think so?

• Try adding a tobacco basket into a mixed media wall vignette with other items.
• Cover a wall with several shapes and sizes of tobacco baskets.
• Add a wreath to the inside of a tobacco basket to hang on a wall or front door.

• Use a long thin basket, add a linen cloth or a few fabric napkins and use it as a bread bowl.
• Fill a long thin tobacco basket and use as a dining table centerpiece. Add greenery, a few candles and seasonal filler and you have the beginnings of a gorgeous tablescape.

• Fill a basket with seasonal items on a side or entry table. Fresh greenery, pinecones, even large seashells would work.
• Stack and lean a few different shapes and sizes of DIY tobacco baskets on a shelf or mantel.
• Make a front door wreath out of a tobacco basket by hanging greenery or other seasonal items in the center.

I hope I’ve inspired you to make your own tobacco basket and find ways to decorate with them too!

I’m so jazzed about making my own home decor with tobacco baskets! I’m seriously wanting more sizes and shapes of them. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my DIY tobacco basket tutorial on my DIY’er Expert Page on HomeRight’s Website.

Do you have a favorite way to decorate with tobacco baskets? Share with me below! I love learning from you guys and it’s always nice to help inspire others. Leave me a note in the comment section below with your ideas!