For the last few years laundry has been a family affair. Everyone taking turns washing and then a big, fun folding session once a day.
The process would break down, though, when the washing person didn’t do their work.
So, finally, one day, my husband declared that everyone would just do their own laundry from now on. (You know those announcements, when Dad gets mad???)
The only exception is that there would be a “household load” once a week for the towels and the like. Everyone, including my husband, was assigned one day a week where the laundry room was all theirs.
Fast forward. . .
Four things happened,
- my time given to laundry dropped down to about 30 mins a week!
- the laundry room is almost always clean
- people, suddenly, don’t want to go through multiple outfits every day (go figure)
- we needed more hampers!
*This post contains some affiliate links to products I know and love.*
It was the perfect excuse to make some farmhouse style hampers I saw in Liz Fourez’s book last Christmas.
I talk about her book in Last Minute Gift Ideas.
This is such a fun, quick project. My husband and I whipped up three new hampers on a Sunday afternoon for the three family members who needed a little more organization.
I love how Sara from Twelve on Main lined hers up in her laundry room!
DIY Hamper Tutorial
Supplies List
- 12″ Wood Round
- a 16″ inch round will give a chunkier look, but the king size pillow case will not fit
- Antiquing Wax
- this is my favorite way to age raw wood, it stains and seals in one step and there is no dry time
- Rags
- 2″ x 4″ Wire Fencing
- we had some left over from our chicken pen
- Wire Cutters
- Pliers
- Leather Gloves
- Bench Grinder (optional)
- for smoothing out the sharp wire edges
- Staple Gun and Staples
- 4 Casters
- 3/4″ Screws
- Drill
- King Size Pillowcase
- I picked mine up at Goodwill
Tutorial
- Stain or apply wax to the wood round.
- Cut the wire fencing to fit around the round with some overhang on the long edge.
- Remove every other section of the wire fencing along the very bottom.
- Bend this bottom section over to fit around the wood round.
- Staple into place.
- Bend the side wires, one by one, around and trim. Use the pliers to tighten the ends and close up the long side of the basket.
- OPTTIONAL- use the bench grinder to smooth out any sharp edges on the cut wires.
- Add four casters.
- Add king size pillowcase, I turned mine inside out.
- We decided we wanted more overhang from the pillowcases, so we cut off the very top wire section.
Now you can make a simple farmhouse style hamper with just a few materials, my family is really excited about this new way to keep us more organized!
Shop This Look
FYI
World Market
is currently having a sale on their hampers!!
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I have old top loader machines, both washer and dryer. My understanding is that front loaders are more vigorous and better at cleaning. Which are you using, and have you heard of the discrepancy between top and front loaders?
Also, do you find that cold water takes odors out of the wash?
Thanks for sharing.
Author
Hmmm, you know, I think top loaders actually do a lot better job cleaning clothes. But, I have a front loader right now. And yes, so far so good on the cold taking the odors out. I suppose it might not work for certain extreme jobs, though.
Great job on the hamper.
Author
Thank you so much, Grammy. You are the sweetest!
I have been using front loaders for almost 12 years and (knock on wood) haven’t had any problems. I don’t know that one is better than the other. Sprinkle a little baking soda in your wash to eliminate any odor.
Author
Great idea on the baking soda!
What are the finished dimensions of the hamper?
Author
These ones came out to 12″ by 30″, but you could make them any size by cutting the wire down and ordering different size wood rounds.
It was a beautiful thought! I love your hamper tutorial and your instruction is great. Thanks for sharing this fabulous tutorial.
Author
I’m so glad you liked it, those hampers are some of my favorite diys to date!
Any suggestions on what I can use in lieu of a king size pillow case if I’m using a 16 inch round? Thanks!
Author
Ann, I can’t think of anything super easy or pre-made. I would just make a bigger “pillowcase” from some fabric, if you can sew. You could use a king size pillow case as a pattern and just make the whole thing about 5 inches bigger. Does that make sense? 1 inch for seam allowance.
As a DIY lover..! You made a great tutorial. Really I appreciate you. Thanks for inspiring me for using this hamper.
Author
Oh good! These hampers are so cute, they’re one of my favorite DIYs.
I really liked the. Thank you.
Author
Oh, I’m so pleased!