How to make a stiff fabric bread basket.

A fabric bread basket is a container with its corners tied up in little bows. The basket offers an elegant and functional way to serve the bread, to organize small items, or even serve fruits and cookies. Another advantage is that it can lay flat for convenient storage. Remember, that you can select fabrics that coordinate with the tablecloth of your dining table.

The particular basket has a 7''X7'' (18X18cm) base and 3 1/2'' (9cm) sides but you can make baskets in any dimension. Moreover, I have placed between the fabrics pieces of cardboard to make the basket stiffer. So, the object is not washable.
Materials required:

• Fabric of two colors. You need to make two squares of 15''X15'' (38X38cn) each. 
• Extra fabric to make eight ribbons 5'' (12cm) long. 
• Cardboard or corrugated fiberboard
• Needle and thread (muline)
• Sewing machine

1. At first, you have to cut two squares: One square out the red and one out the blue fabric. Each square should be of the dimension, 15X15 inches (38X38cm).

2. Draw four parrallel lines 1/2 inch (1cm) from each side. Fold the sides inwards and sew them with the sewing machine.

Repeat the same process for the other piece of fabric.

3. You need to mark the base of the basket. Mark 3 1/2'' (9cm) inside from the four sides and draw lines using a pencil and a  ruler. You will get a square in the middle, which will form the base of the basket.

4. Measure the dimensions of the four long rectangles and of the square inside and cut some pieces out of the cardboard of the same size. In fact, the dimensions of the cardboard pieces should be a little smaller (around 1/2 inch smaller).

Cut some cardboard pieces

5. Place glue on one side of each cardboard piece and adhere it onto the fabric. The glue will help the pieces to remain in place. 

6. Make 8 strips of fabric. Take the first two and arrange them perpendicularly to the sides along the drawn lines. Baste them with the fabric with needle and thread. 

Secure all the strips onto the basket. 

9. Place glue onto the cardboard pieces and adhere the second piece of fabric above. Keep the edges of the fabrics aligned. 

10. You need to mark the base of the basket. Mark 3 1/2'' inside from the four sides and draw lines using a pencil and a ruler. You will get a square in the middle, which will form the base of the basket.

11. Sew around the square. Then sew along the four lines that form the base of the basket. Alternativelly and instead of sewing you can stitch along the lines with running stitch. Also, at the perimeter you can stitch the edges with blanket stitch.

The completed fabric bread basket

11. Fold the sides up along the lines and tie the strips in a bow. You can place the four corners either inwards or outwards.

The bread basket with the corners inwards