The Boxy Basket is a free square crochet basket pattern with three nesting sizes—small, medium, and large. I designed these baskets for everyday storage, but they also look great grouped together on a shelf, dresser, desk, or bathroom counter.
The pattern is made with two strands of Bernat Maker held together and an L/8mm crochet hook for a sturdy finished basket. The square base is worked flat in rows, then you’ll crochet around the outside to build the sides.
I used the herringbone half double crochet stitch to add a simple textured finish. The pattern is rated intermediate and includes a full video tutorial if you’d like to follow along.
Looking for more storage ideas? You can also browse my 17 Free Crochet Basket Patterns for more sizes, shapes, and styles.
📌 Love this pattern? Save the image to your favorite crochet board on Pinterest so you can easily find it later!
Ways to Use Your Square Crochet Baskets
The three nesting sizes make the Boxy Baskets handy for organizing small items throughout your home. I like them best on open shelves, dressers, desks, and bathroom counters where they can be useful without needing to be tucked away.
A few ideas:
- Keep keys, wallets, sunglasses, and other small essentials together near the entryway.
- Use them in the bathroom for makeup, hair ties, cotton pads, or toiletries.
- Add them to a nursery or changing area for bows, nail clippers, lotions, and other small baby items.
- Nest all three together on a shelf, dresser, or console table when they’re not being used separately.
Yarn Suggestions for Your Boxy Basket
I used Bernat Maker with two strands held together for the Boxy Baskets. Bernat Maker is a size 5 bulky, tube-style yarn with a cotton outer shell and nylon center.
Holding two strands together creates the thick, sturdy fabric that helps these baskets keep their square shape. Bernat Maker can be difficult to find in stock at times, so I usually grab the colors I want when I see them available.
You can find Bernat Maker from:
Amazon
Walmart
Yarn Alternatives
Cover Story™ Lazy Days Thick & Quick® Yarn also works well for this square crochet basket pattern. I use one strand in place of the two strands of Bernat Maker.
The finished gauge is slightly smaller, but the yarn creates a sturdy, structured basket that holds its shape nicely. I’ve used Cream, Sandstone, and Olive for the nesting set shown below.
Whichever yarn you choose, check your gauge before starting—the finished basket size can vary depending on the yarn and your tension.
KnitzNPurlz 5mm Cord
- KnitzNPurlz 5mm Cord also works well using one strand. I used the color Vanilla for the basket shown below.
- The gauge is slightly larger than two strands of Bernat Maker held together. The finished basket has a little stretch while still feeling sturdy and structured.
- KnitzNPurlz also offers t-shirt yarn that would work for this pattern, but because it is a size 7 yarn, expect a larger finished basket.
Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick
- Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick is another option using one strand. I used the color Fossil for the sample shown below.
- This size 6 yarn produces a basket approximately ½” larger in both length and width. It also creates a softer, less structured basket compared with Bernat Maker or cord-style yarns.
K+C Cozy
- K+C Cozy, a size 6 yarn, also works well using one strand. I used the color Seashell for the sample shown below.
- The finished gauge is approximately ½” larger in both length and width compared with two strands of Bernat Maker. The wool/acrylic blend creates a softer, plush basket with less structure than the tube-style yarns and cords.
Lion Brand Hue + Me
- Lion Brand Hue + Me can be used with two strands held together. I used the color Love Song for the sample shown below.
- The finished gauge is approximately ½” larger in both length and width. The wool blend gives the basket a softer, more relaxed look while still creating a substantial finished fabric.
Helpful Yarn Comparison
Not sure which tube yarn to use? My Bernat Maker vs. Lion Brand Lazy Days yarn comparison compares the texture, structure, and overall feel of Bernat Maker and Cover Story™ Lazy Days Thick & Quick®.
Screw-On Tags
- I added a small screw-on logo tag to each basket for a finished look. For these baskets, I used custom Ultrasuede tags from Angie & Britt.
- I’ve also used tags from Savlabot and Grain Deep.
- For more options and details on the different tags I use, visit my Crochet Tags & Labels Guide
- You’ll also need Chicago screws to attach the tags.
Sizing
The Boxy Basket pattern includes three nesting sizes. Finished measurements may vary slightly depending on the yarn used and your tension.
- Small: 4–5″ wide × 2½–2¾” tall
- Medium: 5–6″ wide × 3″ tall
- Large: 6–7″ wide × 3½” tall
Gauge
9 sc sts × 10 rows = 4″ × 4″ with an L/8mm crochet hook.
Check your gauge before starting, especially if you’re using one of the yarn alternatives listed above. A slightly different gauge will change the finished size of the basket.
Skill Level
Intermediate
Stitch Key | US Terms
- beg – beginning
- ch(s) – chain(s)
- hhdc – herringbone half double crochet
- rnd(s) – round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
✂️ Materials & Supplies Needed
Grab everything you need to make the Boxy Basket:
- Yarn: Size 5 Bulky Yarn — two strands held together. I used Bernat Maker .
- Small Basket Yardage: Approximately 65 yards
- Medium Basket Yardage: Approximately 95 yards
- Large Basket Yardage: Approximately 120 yards
- Crochet Hook: Size L/11 (8mm) Crochet Hook, or size needed to meet gauge
- Notions: Tapestry Needle, Scissors, and a Flexible Measuring Tape
- Optional Tags: Screw-on personalized tags. Read my Crochet Tags & Labels Guide for my favorite options.
Special Stitches
Herringbone Half Double Crochet (hhdc)
Yarn over, insert your hook, yarn over, pull up a loop and pull directly through the first loop on your hook. Yarn over and pull through the remaining two loops. Video instructions here
Invisible Join
After completion of the last stitch of the round, fasten off. With a tapestry needle, weave tail end under both loops of the first stitch of the round. Next, weave through the back loop only, of the last stitch of the round. Weave in tail.
Video Instructions
Prefer to follow along visually? The video tutorial walks through the main steps of the Boxy Basket, including the square base, working around the sides, and finishing the basket.
Instructions
- Pattern is worked with two strands of yarn held together
- Beg ch of each row/rnd does NOT count as 1st st, work 1st st in same st as beg ch
- The pattern starts at the base working in rows, you’ll then switch to the sides and work in the round.
Starting At The Base
Size Small – working in rows
Row 1. Ch9, sc in 2nd ch from hook & remaining chs across, turn. (8sc)
Row 2-7. Ch1, sc across, turn. (8sc)
Row 8. Ch1, sc across, do NOT turn. (8sc) (finished square measures approximately 3 ½” x 3 ¾”, it’s ok if its slightly off & not perfectly square), move to side instructions below.
Size Medium – working in rows
Row 1. Ch11, sc in 2nd ch from hook & remaining chs across, turn. (10sc)
Row 2-9. Ch1, sc across, turn. (10sc)
Row 10. Ch1, sc across, do NOT turn. (10sc) (finished square measures approximately 4 ½” x 4 ¾”, it’s ok if its slightly off & not perfectly square), move to side instructions below.
Size Large – working in rows
Row 1. Ch13, sc in 2nd ch from hook & remaining chs across, turn. (12sc)
Row 2-11. Ch1, sc across, turn. (12sc)
Row 12. Ch1, sc across, do NOT turn. (12sc) (finished square measures approximately 5 ½” x 5 ¾”, it’s ok if its slightly off & not perfectly square), move to side instructions below.
Completing The Sides
- Do not fasten off, continue where you left off above.
- Switching to rnds, you’ll now be working around the perimeter of the square you just created
- Join each round with a sl st, unless otherwise noted
Size Small Continued
Rnd 1. Ch1, work 8 hhdc evenly around each of the 4 sides of the square you created above. (32hhdc) (reference photos below)
Size Medium Continued
Rnd 1. Ch1, work 10 hhdc evenly around each of the 4 sides of the square you created above. (40hhdc) (reference photos below)
Size Large Continued
Rnd 1. Ch1, work 12 hhdc evenly around each of the 4 sides of the square you created above. (48hhdc) (reference photos below)
Sides Continued
Size Small Continued
Rnd 2-4. Ch1, hhdc around, join.(32 hhdc)
Rnd 5. Sl st around, fasten off using the invisible join method.
Size Medium Continued
Rnd 2-5. Ch1, hhdc around, join.(40 hhdc)
Rnd 6. Sl st around, fasten off using the invisible join method.
Size Large Continued
Rnd 2-6. Ch1, hhdc around, join.(48 hhdc)
Rnd 7. Sl st around, fasten off using the invisible join method.
Your baskets are complete!! Add optional leather logo tags and enjoy!!
If you make the Boxy Basket, I’d love to see it! Share a photo and tag me @simplymadebyerin on Instagram so I can see your finished baskets.
More Crochet Basket & Home Decor Patterns
If you enjoyed making the Boxy Basket, here are a few more practical crochet basket patterns and collections to make for your home:
- 17 Free Crochet Basket Patterns
- Spike Stitch Crochet Basket & Tray Pattern
- Small Crochet Basket & Trinket Tray
8 Comments
REBECCA LEON
how lovely! thank you.. this might be next Xmas gifts… question.. would Bernat Blanket work? it’s a size 6 bulky.
Erin
You’re welcome, and yes, I’m sure that would work, just use one strand.
Janet
Hey Erin, I tried to sign up for your emails but the ad at the bottom of the screen on my phone wouldn’t allow me to finish. I’m glad this gives me the option here ~ I wish the ad companies set the ads so we could move them to a different part of the screen lol Have a blessed day and thank you for sharing your patterns! ~ Janet
Erin
I’m sorry about that, ads allow me to offer free patterns to you, but they can be a pain sometimes too. I appreciate you signing up for my newsletter and following along. Thank you!
Emily M
I’m not sure how many yards of #6 weight yard you would need for each sized basket? I’d love to try making all 3 but the instructions given are for #5 weight using 2 strands. Baskets look beautiful. Can’t wait to make them.
Erin
Thank you! I don’t have the exact yardage for the alternative yarn, as the pattern was tested with the Bernat Maker, but it should be about half the amount of the two strands of Bernat Maker.
Mary Stumpf
How in the world do you print this? I click on download and it uses another site and never opens or goes to the pattern even when I download it
Erin
Hi there, the pattern is free to view on my blog. There’s a paid, ad free, printable version available on Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/strfrnt/SimplyMadeByErin/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Flisting%2F1391307925%2Fthe-boxy-basket-pattern-084-diy-crochet&listing_page_id=1391307925