How to Sew a Liner for a Picnic Basket

Picnic in a city park.

       Our dolls, Skylar and Kendall are meeting at the park to have a picnic. Their old-fashioned picnic basket contains all of the dishes they will need. Plus there is also a red and white checkered picnic blanket for them to sit on.

       I picked up this doll sized basket from a local resale. I painted the backside of the lid white, decoupaged the top of the lid with bandana printed scrapbook paper and then lined the interior of the basket with a pad, having a similar bandana print.

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Sewing The Bandana Liner

Above is the finished project. I picked up the dishes from a dollar store. 
The plastic picnic table cloth/blanket is also from the same place.

       First, you will need to acquire a doll sized picnic basket. Make sure it is clean and well made. Search resale, flee markets, Goodwill for baskets like these. I paid less than a dollar for the example shown here.

Left, the basket with a decoupaged lid. Center, cut pieces for the liner's bottom. 
Right, cut pieces for the liner sides.

       Decoupage the top of the lid using a scrapbook paper that you like. Clean where you will layer either white school glue or Mod Podge with decorative paper. 

       Choose a coordinating fabric to compliment the decoupaged lid. I chose a very traditional theme for my basket. Red checks, plaids and bandanas have been used in decorating picnic baskets for over a hundred years I think. I still have one that was my grandmothers from way back when...

       Flip the basket upside down and measure the bottom with a ruler. Make this part a little smaller than the actual measurements of the basket. Slip the bottom cardboard piece into the basket to check out the size before proceeding to the next step. Cut the cardboard down to a smaller size until it fits inside the basket easily.

       Cut cotton batting sheeting or felt just 1/2 inch larger than the cardboard bottom insert. Cut a piece of coordinating fabric the same size. Use a hot glue gun to adhere these pieces to the bottom, wrapping the sides and corners neatly as you go.

       Cut a slightly smaller cardboard piece to glue on top of the wrapped corners and sides so that none of the frayed edges will be seen.

Left, the finished bottom of the liner. Center the finished top side of the liner. Right, I tucked it 
inside the basket to make sure that it fit properly before sewing on the sides.

       Now make the liners side pieces by measuring the width of the sides with a ruler. To measure and cut the length that you will need for the fabric pieces. Take a string, line it up around the interior basket walls, and clip it off where the two ends meet. Lay the string along side a ruler to see how much fabric you will need to cut.

       Cut out two pieces of fabric to match your measurements, only leave 1/2" more on every side for a seam allowance. 

       Pin wrong side of the fabric together and sew around all four sides leaving a 1" opening to turn the long narrow side pieces inside out. Stuff with a narrow sheet of felt  or batting and sew the opening shut using a whip stitch. 

       Now attach the sides of the liner to the base (botoom) I did this by hand with a threaded needle. (see below center) I simply wrapped the edges of the fabric against the edges of the liner bottom and whip stitched the two together all the way around the cardboard.

       I then folded the corner edges next to one another and stitched up the remaining corner to finish off the liner.

Left, the finished liner seen from above. Center, the finished liner seen from beneath. 
Right, the finished liner tucked inside the basket.

       Tuck the liner inside the basket and hot glue it in place if you wish. You don't need to permanently attach this liner with glue. It should stay in place on its own if you prefer.

Our dolls are meeting in the park for lunch. What do you think Skylar's funny puppy is up to?

More Dolls Go On Picnics:

• Dolls Charlotte and Jolena take "A Picnic by the Lake"
• The Doll's Picnic coloring page here
• Veggie salads made just for picnics!
• I Went On a Picnic With My Sister and Baby Cousin by Yoshidoll