Scrap-busting Fabric Bowl

Last week my mom sent me a crafty care-package. Yes, my mother still sends me care packages, how great is that?? Included was a fabric bowl from my childhood home as inspiration and 12 yards of 1/2" piping cord. I had no excuse! I had to whip up a Scrap-Busting Fabric Bowl. Here's what you do...


Gather ye scraps. I used shades of green with a few pops of peach and blue. Less than a yard total worth of scraps.

Tear your fabric into 1" strips. Pull off any lose threads but no need to go crazy, there will be more to trim later.


This is 1/2" piping cord. I used 6 yards (!) for a 12" bowl. I think it would be worthwhile to shop the hardware store for similar cord/rope to save some $$. Just make sure it's fairly smooth, flexible and not too heavy.



Start with a strip and cover the end of rope, then wrap fabric around end of rope to secure.


Continue wrapping fabric around rope, keeping fabric flat and covering rope completely. Curl the end of the rope in a tight spiral as you go.


When you have wrapped enough rope to to enclose the tip as shown here, use a small crochet hook and pull the fabric from the outer rope up through the center of the spiral.


Pull the fabric through and continue wrapping around outer-most layer of rope.


If your strips are fairly short, you can sew a few together end to end but not more than a yard in length at a time. That will make it too difficult to work with.


At this point you should alternate single wraps around outer rope, with doubles wraps around the outer two layers of rope. Keep your fabric flat, tight and cover all rope.


Continue to use the crochet hook to pull the fabric through.


To change a fabric without sewing... end with a wrap around the outer single layer of rope.


Add a new strip by covering the end of the previous strip with the new end and wrap all the way around tightly. Proceed with a double wrap to secure and carry on.


Continue wrapping and threading, making sure that your bowl base is flat.


Once your base is the rights size (I did 7-8 rows but this is completely your choice) Move the rope up to about a 45 degree angle from the base and continue wrapping with alternating single and double wraps.




You can continue angling your rows out at a 45 degree angle for a shallow bowl or turn up 90 degrees for a tall bowl. I did 45 degrees.


More pulling the fabric through with the hook.


And more wrapping.

Starting to look good!


Now my bowl is my desired height but one side is short because it's a spiral.


Find the side that is lower and and cut off your rope to even out that lower side. Cut it at an angle like this if possible.


Continue wrapping to cover and hold down the end of the rope.


Pull the end tightly to secure and then wrap through one more time leaving the loop loose.



Pull the end of the fabric through the loose loop and pull tight in a knot.



Then snip off your end and you are done! If you have lots of loose threads just snip them off but no need to get them all, it's part of the charm.

This makes a great house warming gift on it's own but could also be filled with goodies as a baby shower gift. I love having extra baskets around for storage of pretty little things.


 This one was made especially for my difficult to accessorize green sitting room!

Where it was promptly filled with shells purchased in a tourist shop on our recent trip to Destin, Florida. (Ha, there were no shells on the beach and the girl wanted shells, what can I say?)

Here is the original inspiration, the bowl my mom made over 25 years ago!

Why do I feel like I'm going to picking up shells every day for the next year?

Stay tuned, we have a great giveaway coming this afternoon!