Upcycle An Old Tomato Cage Into A Unique Home Storage Solution With An Easy DIY

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For gardeners, a tomato cage is a vital tool that provides essential support for all kinds of climbing vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. By keeping these off the ground, tomato cages help prevent plant diseases and can make harvesting your fruits and veggies easier. But the use of these handy structures can go far beyond your garden. If you're looking for ways to repurpose tomato cages you no longer need, this boho-style basket DIY is perfect. By simply wrapping the cage in a colorful yarn and adding a few decorative pom-poms, you can create a unique home storage solution in no time at all.

For this project, you will need one tomato cage, a pair of wire cutters, two skeins of cotton twine, and enough pom-pom trim (like uxcell Pom Pom Ball Fringe Trim) to wrap around the top edge of your basket. Choose any color of twine you like for this, or opt for two colors to add some contrast and visual interest. Once complete, you can use your new basket for storing things like yarn, craft supplies, slippers for guests, hand towels for the bathroom, and any other large, lightweight items that won't slip through the spaces between the twine. 

To get started on this DIY, use your wire cutters to cut just below the second rung of the tomato cage. You will only be using the top portion of the cage, so you can place the rest of the wire aside for a future craft. Next, create small individual balls with your twine. This step will make working with the twine a little easier to manage. Now, it's time to form the bottom of your basket. To do this, tie your twine to one of the vertical supports. Then, pull your twine to the opposite side of the cage, wrap it under and around the circular edge, and pull it back toward your starting point to create a taut loop. 

You can then start the next loop. Space each one about ½ inch from the prior loop's starting point so that you will eventually make your way around the entire circle rather than have one straight line of twine down the middle. Be sure that each loop crosses the center of your circle. You will repeat this process until the bottom is filled in and you've made your way back to the original vertical support. Once the bottom is covered, tie your twine into the tails of the original knot you made at the start.

After finishing the bottom, flip your basket right side up, and hot glue your pom-pom trim to the outer top edge of your basket with the pom-poms facing out. Once the glue has dried, weave the sides of your basket. To do this, tie your twine to the same vertical post you used when creating the bottom of your basket. Then, wrap your twine up and over the top edge of the basket. For each gap in twine on the bottom of your basket, you will want two strands of vertical twine. Each time you wrap your twine, remember to go over the top hoop, back through the center, and then around the front of the bottom hoop and back through the center again, like a figure-eight pattern. If you run out of twine during this process, tie on another small ball to continue. Once the sides are fully covered, tie your twine off, and your basket is complete.

If you're looking for ways to customize this basket, try switching up the materials. For example, you can easily craft bespoke baskets from scraps of fabric instead of twine, assuming you have enough. You could also try adding beads to random strands of twine as you go. Or, take the weaving a step further, and pull some ultra chunky yarn sideways through your vertical strands. Use rainbow-patterned yarn for a fun pop of color, or choose white for something more neutral. When you're happy with your design, you can start focusing on how to style these baskets in every part of your home.