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"Where better to care for the soul than in the details of our daily lives?....The soul has an absolute, unforgiving need for regular excursions into enchantment. It requires them like the body needs food and the mind needs thought... An enchanted world is one that speaks to the soul, to the mysterious depths of the heart and imagination where we find value, love and union with the world around us. As mystics of many religions have taught, that sense of rapturous union can give a sense of fulfillment that makes life purposeful and vibrant." ~ Thomas Moore.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

DIY French Market Basket On Wheels


Well Hello Bloglandia......its been a long while and I am back for a short time.

I really miss blogging here and my sentiments as always are that I wish I could do more....but...alas.


Gosh, its been a long time.......and blogging just isn't as easy as it was.
First, in April, due to nothing, no bad weather, winds or anything, my computer crashed and with it all my photos I'd been taking for years, of my home, flowers, and things I find to be beautiful. I never knew how much I'd miss my photos until they were gone. I wanted to cry. Often.

This pc was taken to a tech who said the motherboard was fried in the power surges, (yes we had a power surge protector!), and he replaced it and installed the windows 10 which I find horrid. I like systems that are easy to use, self explanatory, and reliable.

However now, when making posts on my blog, the photos I upload do not go where blogger can get to them and I can't figure it out. And these pictures below, after 2 hours of clicking away, were on a folder which I was able to get available to blogger, I cannot repeat for all the other photos I want to share on another post coming. So, I haven't been able to blog, and the techs want me to bring my pc in, so they can show how to upload photos from my camera onto a file that blogger has access to. Frustrating!

Second, my life has become a bit "complicated" and my levels of pain usually make me want to lie down more often than not.....not exactly inspiring. And sitting at the pc makes it worse.


Anyway, (deep breath! ) this is one post I've been wanting to make for a long time.

French Market Basket with Wheels!

I've always wanted a French Market Basket on wheels, but shopping for one in the U.S. is coming up with little to nothing, and those that are available are over $150.00. So I don't think so. I just knew I had to find a way to make it myself. And finally I have and I want to share.

First I had to search for a basket that was tallish.....and usually they are laundry baskets. I found this one made of wicker which I am not too fond of because it is such a rough texture, but I had to settle. This one I found in Hobby Lobby and bought only when they had their 50% off days, and this one was I think $60.00, so 50% off is $30.00, and it has a liner and lid. I spray painted it ivory inside and out.

Then for wheels. I initially planned on attaching wood to the inside and outside of the bottom, attaching them together, then buying individual wheels to screw on the bottom, and then figure out how to get a handle made.....but that wasn't a graceful process either.

Then I searched and searched for a simple elegant trolley/handcart/handtruck with wheels I could simply attach the basket to, but simple ones are not easy to find either. I found most heavy duty ones even if I searched for lightweight etc, and then they were in primary colors or were so tough looking....oh no, no no people!.....
I left that alone for a while.

Then one day.....(dont' we love that intro?) my housemate John comes home and tells me that Whole Foods is now selling these basket "totes" he says they're called, on wheels.....and he looked at it and saw the liner is easily removed and it could work for my basket and I said, yes, yes, yes Please and thank you! They're only $20.00, and sure enough, he brought one home and it was just about perfect.

I removed the liner held by just a narrow strip of velcro on the back, whose pictures are hiding somewhere on my pc......then I attached my basket with cable ties I got from the dollar tree.
Cost of all (basket at 50% off and wheel "tote") is around $50.00. Done!

Now I have a basket on wheels to take to the farmers market where often I buy plants I can put in there and walk around easily. sigh. After years......it finally came to fruition. I hope you like :D.



 This is the Whole Foods shopping "tote" as it is being sold now.....(August 2019)





 Here I'm showing two cable ties, and one on the floor of the basket just to keep that in place on the bottom. I only used three, that's it.





I put the liner back in that came with this basket and voila......a beauty in the making. I am having all kinds of ideas of adding prettyness to this, but that inspiration will have to wait until my frustration about not being able to get picture on my blog fixed. I'm thinking maybe tassels, which I am very into these days and making some just for fun.....some French touches?? I don't know. Any ideas?
It seem it needs some frills, but this is all the fun part.

But I now. have. a. French. Market. Basket !


I just really wanted to share with you in case anyone else out there has always wanted one, how to make a French Market Basket Trolley, simply and affordably, totally stress free. That shopping tote from Whole Foods, really helped alot!







 Happy Shopping!













A picture of one delightful view from my living room window.






Beauty Blessings.