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Creative Ways to Repurpose Laundry Baskets

The idea of using laundry baskets in DIY might sound strange, but sometimes projects that are created with household items end up being some of our absolute favourite ones! Most of the projects we’ve made using laundry baskets are similar to their actual use, but that doesn’t mean transforming them into better forms of storage wasn’t a useful thing to do. We’ve actually tried most of these things in real life and each one we built made our household experience just enough better to really make investing the effort worth it!

Check out these 15 awesome laundry basket projects that will help you put old baskets to better use and give you lots of awesome home storage to work with!

1. Wide laundry dresser

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Have you been looking for ways to stack your laundry baskets safely and effectively because you’re tired of having them block your hallways, bedroom corners, and laundry room floors, but you want a sturdy stacking method that won’t result in baskets tipping over and pouring dirty clothes all over the floor? Then we have a feeling you’ll love this white basket dresser idea from Ana White! The best part is that, if you have enough baskets, you can easily swap the ones filled with dirty laundry for fresh empty ones as you do the week’s laundry so things don’t pile up!

2. Floor to ceiling laundry shelves

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Do you love the idea of stacking laundry storage but you don’t have an old dressed to gut and repurpose? Then try building yourself a laundry basket shelf instead. Living Solutions shows you how to make it happen in just a few surprisingly simple steps. This is another idea that will keep things nice and high and out of the way for you so you don’t trip over baskets while you’re doing housework!

3. Tilt out laundry basket cabinet

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Would you rather find a laundry storage solution that hides the baskets all together so you can keep things decorative rather than having them stacked all up your walls? Are your laundry baskets the tall standing kind rather than the squat baskets that sit closer to the floor? Then we think this leaning basket cupboard might be just what you need! When it’s closed it just looks like a cute side table but you can access the baskets easily by pulling open the leaning door. See how it’s made on Ana White.

4. Laundry bag sorting hooks

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Maybe you don’t really have the floor space for baskets at all but you do have a little bit of spare walls pace up for grabs? Then check out how Yellow Brick Home created a simple but stylish looking laundry solution by hanging canvas bags from coat hooks. We know this option doesn’t really involve baskets, but it certainly is a space saving solution if the baskets you currently have just really aren’t working for you.

5. DIY mobile laundry station

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Perhaps you actually really like the stacking laundry shelf idea but you’re not supposed to be carrying heavy things like laundry baskets around the house because of certain health needs, so you’d rather something a little bit more mobile? Then this basket shelf on wheels is a way better solution for you! Hoosier Homemade shows you how to make it much easier than you probably anticipated.

6. Reclaimed wood basket rack

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Okay, we’ll come clean; we have an obsession with palette crafting right now. If it’s made of wood or calls for repurposed wood of any kind, you can bet our truck keys are already in our hands to go thrift some spare wooden packing palettes from behind the local hardware store. That’s why this awesome scrap wood laundry basket shelf featured on Ana White caught our eye! They actually did make theirs out of palette wood but even if they hadn’t, that’s what we’d be suggestion you use (and also using ourselves).

7. DIY laundry pedestal

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Are you very tall but you have a front loading washer and dryer and you’re tired of having to bend down so far with your laundry to get the machines loaded? Well, if you’re handy with wood then Addicted 2 DIY has the perfect tutorial for you! They teach you to build a wooden pedestal for your machines that also has laundry basket storage underneath, solving two problems at once.

8. Dirty laundry sorting shelf

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Is your priority in building yourself some laundry basket storage not so much the way it looks or stacks but rather your ability to actually organize the laundry itself so the whole washing process goes more smoothly? Then we definitely think you should check out this shelving idea from Family Brings Joy. Along with talking about the shelving itself, they walk you through their system of organizing what goes in each basket, complete with labels so their family members can follow along.

9. Sliding basket drawers with doors

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Are you still very into the idea of basket shelves where the shelves slide in as drawers and you’d prefer to hide the baskets from plain view somehow but you don’t have room for a while leaning cabinet like we talked about before? Then check out this more simplified idea from Ana White instead! They attached an easy pair of hinged doors to the end of each shelf, turning the stack into a neat, subtle cupboard.

10. Angled basket shelf for easy reach

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Do you have our filled up dirty laundry baskets sorted out but now you’re looking for a way to get your empty baskets off the floor and out of the way? Then something as simple as a highly placed wire shelf can be the answer to your prayers! Hold Onto Your Hats shows you how they affixed a shelf that angles down right above the washer and dryer so that things are out of your way but still easily accessible.

11. Clean clothing pick up station

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Perhaps you don’t mind how the laundry gets stored or sorted before it’s washed, but you’d like to have some kind of solution for once it’s all clean and folded? Then we think you’ll love the way Family Brings Joy organized their clean laundry pickup station! They’ve built a stacking shelf with sliding drawers and each one has an erasable label with a family member’s initial on it. Let the people in your house know that their clean laundry is ready for pickup and they’ll know where to find it!

12. Basket hooks above the sink

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Did you love the idea of having angled laundry baskets easily accessible above your work space in your laundry room but your only free wall is a bit too small to fit a shelf into? Then check out how How to Build It made a similar thing happen using hooks instead! To hang your spare baskets, hook the spaces in the plastic onto the hooks on the wall.

13. Laundry basket hiding drawers

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Are you up for the challenge of building something that’s a little bit more hands on and time consuming? Then take a look at how Mobile Home Living created this space-saving shelf idea complete with nice long drawers that will let you set an entire basket down so it can slide in and out of the wall. Just make sure you measure your baskets and the drawers before you buy everything so you know they’ll actually fit!

14. Hallway laundry shelving

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Do you like the idea of having laundry stacking shelves available to you for both dirty and clean laundry, but your laundry machines are rather far away from the bedrooms in your house, so you’d lie to store it closer to make sure that your kids’ laundry actually makes it into the baskets and not just all over their floor? Then check out this hooking shelf idea from Broke Ass Home! We love the way it stays close to the wall so that you can build it in a hallway without blocking the way to the bathroom or the stairs.

15. Rustic laundry table with baskets underneath

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Do you spend a lot of time in the laundry room because you have a large family or your children play a lot of sports, and you prefer doing your folding right there in the room to make things easier? Then you might benefit from building yourself a folding table off to one side! To solve the laundry basket storage issue, try getting or making tall standing ones that can be slid underneath your folding table for easy access! Get the full details on Twelve on Main.

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