Easy DIY Harvesting Basket
Celebrate nature’s bounty and make this easy DIY harvesting basket using pallet off cuts, chicken wire, a bicycle inner tube and some sisal rope. It’s just the right size (39 cm long, 15 cm high and 19 cm wide) and it’s perfect for harvesting, washing and carrying fresh, home grown veggies.
Harvesting basket
What you need
- 2 15 cm x 15 cm pallet off cuts (side pieces)
- 2 39 cm x 3 cm strips of wood
- 35.5 cm x 6 cm strip of wood (bottom of the basket)
- plastic coated chicken wire cut into a 39 cm x 45 cm piece
- 4 wood screws
- a thick sisal rope (about 1 meter)
- a bicycle tube inner
- A stapler gun and food safe wood stain
It literally took me less than an hour to make the basket. Cut the pallets according to the measurements given above. Make sure the pallet hasn’t been treated with any harmful chemicals. Seal the wood with a food safe wood stain (we used GripSeal, a locally produced water based sealer that comes in the most beautiful colors and it dries super fast)
Cut the wood pieces and stain
Cut the chicken wire and use a staple gun to attach the wire to the 39 cm strips of wood to form a basic frame. Attached the frame to the two side pieces with the wood screws.
Putting it all together
Staple the chicken wire around the outside edges of the side pieces to make the basket. Flip the basket over and staple the 35.5 cm piece to the bottom of the basket. Tie a knot on one end of the sisal rope and screw the knot into one side of the basket. Slip the bicycle inner tube over the sisal rope and then tie a knot at the other end. Screw this end to the other side of the basket. Sisal rope can be a bit harsh on your hands when you’r picking veggies so the inner tube gives some protection.
Screw the rope handle on to the sides of the basket
The basket is ready for harvesting. Now we can pick our veggies and wash them off all at the same time.
Celebrating nature’s bounty
Would love to hear what you think. Do you grow your own veggies? What do you use to harvest them?
P.S. You can use this handy converter to change the measurements from cm to inches
Such a great idea if you eat veggies. And like you say if you run out you just pop out the door. Great project.
Thanks so much, Anita. We use our harvesting basket all the time, she comes in so handy 😀
Wonderful project! Love it!
Michelle, I love this idea! I am pinning it to show my husband. Not only would this be very useful, it’s really pretty too!
I would love this basket filled with necessities for outdoor eating, it would look great on the table and I love a touch of rustic farmhouse in my more modern home. Or even full of pots of herbs on my sleek glass dining table! I think I need more than one. I need 2 or 3 of these.
We’ve been talking about using some chicken wire to make frames to put over the garden next year so the chipmunks don’t eat all of our produce. Buggars! So while we’re making frames we might just have to sneak in a few of these lovely baskets! Love them!
Oh Nikki, I’m so glad you like it and I agree it would look lovely in your home. I saw what those silly chipmunks did to your veggies, darn that’s just wrong, but if you ignore the holes those veggies look amazing. I’ve been trying to get some heritage seeds so we can plant some too. Fortunately we don’t have chipmunks 😉
This is such a great idea! I love that you can even wash the veggies in the basket. I’m sharing this with my sister-in-law. She has a beautiful garden and would love this idea.
Yay, Tara, thank you. Glad you liked it. We use it all the time and it really does make life easier.
Ahhhh Kimm, thank you 🙂
Thank you for the feature Gardenoholic.com and for all the stunning garden inspiration