13 Clever Uses For Cheap Laundry Baskets

Laundry baskets are cheap and plentiful at all sorts of stores, but even in a large household, there are only so many you need to buy before your laundry game is on point. Still, it's a plastic basket, right? There's gotto be more uses for them than just sorting the whites from the colors and wondering how your teen's clothes ended up everywhere but the bin. 

Check out some of these alternative uses for those baskets, and stock up next time they're on sale!

1. Form a wreath.

It can be tough to achieve that perfectly round wreath shape without resorting to a foam base. If you want a less bulky wreath, you can use a round, plastic laundry basket as a makeshift loom to hold everything together until your masterpiece is complete. 

2. Turn an IKEA hamper into a chic side table.

A piece of scrap wood turns the metal frame of this IKEA hamper into a great little table. 

3. Give your pets a bed.

Cats and dogs would love a cozy bed like this, and not only is it inexpensive, but it will be a cinch to wash the blanket regularly.

4. Or make them a booster seat for car rides.

Smaller dogs will appreciate being able to see out the windows without any trouble with one of these cute booster seats. Cut two larger holes in the back of the basket to run the seatbelt through, and clip the leash to the basket to keep Fido from wandering. 

5. Keep your drinks cool.

If you don't have a cooler but need one in a pinch, a laundry basket lined with plastic will work just fine. 

6. Make fewer trips with the groceries.

Keeping a basket or two in the trunk of your car makes bringing in the shopping so much easier. Plus, your groceries won't be able to escape the bags and roll all over the trunk while in transit. 

7. Use as a base for a DIY rope basket.

Hot glue and rope can turn a plastic basket into a chic piece of decor. The plastic will also act as a frame, helping it keep its shape better than a lot of basic rope baskets in home decorating stores. 

8. Make your tub child-sized.

When your baby has outgrown the sink but is still too small for the tub, a laundry basket is there to help! Not only will it keep all of the toys within easy reach, but it can also help your child sit upright out of the water.

9. Don't be left without a sled.

With the weather playing all sorts of games lately, you never know when you may get the perfect sledding snow. If it doesn't happen regularly enough to merit having a sled in storage, a laundry basket will do in a pinch! Pick one with a solid bottom for optimal speed. 

10. Light up your room.

This project uses a cheap bamboo basket from IKEA, but a coat of black or metallic spray paint could lend a more industrial look to a plastic basket. 

11. Make a pot for the garden.

With a hot glued liner and some burlap, these round laundry baskets look great in the garden!

12. Don't limit yourself to the round ones either!

The big rectangular baskets will give you more room for your larger plants, and look great in basic black, or also wrapped in burlap.

13. Grow your own edible mushrooms!

Skip the liner entirely and grow mushrooms instead of greens. They'll grow out from the basket's holes in perfect bunches, ready to be harvested and cooked up!