Bead Handled Bicycle Basket

Add a Few Beads for a Rustic Touch

I've had this little galvanized bicycle basket for a long time, getting used sometimes, and other times kicked to the curb and ignored in the weeds.

I thought it was time I did something about that, and made it so there was no mistaking it for junk any more.

So what will I use this for? 

I've attached it to the edge of my bench in the Breezeway Studio, where it holds various things; boxes of steel wool, glass jars with small bits in, rags to use for cleaning things, and so on.

It's a handy catch all - now to make sure it doesn't just end up being a junk repository.

Other ways to use this basket would be to hold towels beside the bathroom sink, or for soaps and shampoos.

Bicycle baskets typically are shaped to fit on a bike, with the front side and the back side curved a little differently.  This actually makes it the perfect candidate to hang under a window or mantel.

The beads are from a selection of wooden ones given to me by a friend and I thought, nice, but what will I use all those for?  Guess what?  I'm finding all kinds of ways to use them in various crafts.

Two pieces of wire about 16 inches long gives me lots to work with.  One end is wound around the top wire of the basket and then wound around itself, with the beads holding the loose end and hiding it. 

Then the other end is also wound around the top wire of the basket and threaded back through the beads to form a handle. 

Three beads is the right amount to make an easy-to-hold handle.  I like the look of the different beads, especially the spool in the middle, but you choose which ones you prefer.