DIY Bins Boxes Baskets Under $5 That Look Impressive

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We have all been there: you walk into a luxury home store, see a beautiful seagrass basket or a linen-lined storage box, and realize it costs $40—for one. The trend has shifted toward High-End Upcycling. It’s no longer just about tidying up; it’s about storage using materials you likely already have like recyclable cardboard for containers or fabric for crates.

This guide will show you how to transform trash into high-end decor for less than the price of a latte. These work good for storing anything in living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, craft rooms, office, kitchen, mudroom and even laundry room. Also great for kids toys and art supplies as well.

Materials for DIY Bins Under $5

These low-cost supplies are widely available and beginner-friendly:

Cardboard boxes (shipping, cereal, shoe boxes)
Dollar store plastic bins
Paper rope or jute twine
Fabric scraps or old clothes
Felt sheets
Kraft paper
Contact paper or peel-and-stick vinyl
Wooden crates (small or broken down)
Hot glue, Mod Podge, or craft glue

Pro tip: The finish matters more than the base material.

Creative DIY Bins, Boxes and Baskets

You can decorate plastic bins, crates, or cardboard boxes with fabric, burlap, paper, and decorative duct tape to make them presentable and display-worthy at home for organization. Let’s look at some ideas:

1. The Pottery Barn Dupe: Burlap and Jute Baskets

You can turn a standard Amazon shipping box into a rustic, high-end basket that looks like it belongs in a coastal farmhouse.

The Build: Take a sturdy cardboard box and cut off the top flaps.
The Material: Wrap the exterior in Jute Rope or Burlap fabric (available at most dollar stores for $1.25).
The Secret Touch: Line the inside with an old white pillowcase or a scrap of linen fabric. Fold the edge of the fabric over the top of the basket for a clean, tailored look.
Cost: ~$3.00 (Rope + Glue sticks).

Make your own simple rope covered cardboard box with fabric insert basket.

2. The Faux Leather Studio Bin

Perfect for office supplies or TV remotes, these bins look like expensive Italian leather but are made from recycled cereal boxes.

The Build: Use a cereal or cracker box as your base.
The Material: Cover the box in Kraft paper (the brown paper from grocery bags). To get the leather look, crumple the paper repeatedly until it’s soft, then flatten it and wipe it with a light coat of brown shoe polish or diluted acrylic paint.
The Secret Touch: Use a hole punch to add two holes on each side and thread through a small strip of an old leather belt as a handle.
Cost: ~$1.00 (Kraft paper is free; handles from upcycled items).

Turn a cereal box into mail or magazine organizer with fabric covering.

3. Scandinavian Minimalist Slat Boxes

Natural wood is a massive trend. You can mimic the look of expensive slat bins using simple wooden craft sticks.

The Build: Use a small plastic bin from the dollar store or a square box.
The Material: Glue Jumbo Popsicle sticks vertically around the perimeter.
The Secret Touch: Lightly sand the edges and apply a white-wash (1 part white paint, 3 parts water) to give it that airy, Nordic feel.
Cost: $4.00 (Pack of sticks and base bin).

Make this unique Crate storage coffee table stools using repurposed crates and fabric for storage and daily use.

DIY Bins Boxes Baskets under five dollars

1. DIY Fabric Covered Storage Cubes

Old cardboard boxes covered with fabric and burlap for storing dry items.

PVC Pipes Box

Make a storage bin with PVC pipes frame and fabric loops.

Get organized with easy DIY fabric covered storage bins using dollar store plastic baskets.

Repurposed Sweater Bin

Cute storage boxes from old boxes and sweaters.

Rosettes Fabric Bins

Fabric covered cardboard boxes with decorative burlap rosettes.

Cardboard box covered with fabric. The fabric handles make it easy to access.

Cover diaper boxes or cardboard boxes with fabric of your choice to make cute easy storage.

DIY Hanging Storage Baskets

Create fabric boxes with loop to hang on a curtain or baskets rod for storage.

Creative guest hanging storage baskets

2. DIY Paper Storage Solutions

Cover boxes with old map scrapbook paper.

Paper Covered Boxes

East kate spade inspired storage boxes with decorative paper.

3. DIY Burlap/Jute Storage Baskets

DIY mobile storage bin

Cover cardboard box with burlap and install metal casters to make it easy to move around.

Bucket Repurpose

Upcycle a large bucket such as cat litter bucket into nautical storage using burlap string.

Boxes into Baskets

Turn a box into basket by wrapping it with burlap and inserting fabric cover inside the basket.

Make burlap storage box

Take cardboard boxes and cover them with burlap using white glue.

4. Rope Covered Baskets

DIY Rope Storage Basket

Turn a plastic basket into woven storage by glue chunky yarn around it.

No Sew Coil Basket

Use hot glue gun to roll and stack cotton coil rope to make a woven basket.

DIY no sew rope coil basket

5. Storage Crates

Use chalkboard paint to write what each crate containers and revise as needed.

DIY rolling storage bin

Use crates with hardware drawer handles and casters for storage under the bed.

6. Tape Covered Boxes

Black and White Stripes Storage Box using black decorative tape.

DIY Duct Tape Containers

Use decorative duct tape to cover the cardboard boxes.

7. Simple and Easy Storage Containers

Crate Shelves

Connect plastic crates with zip ties to make a shelf for organization.

Cork storage boxes

Turn cork board into 3D shaped storage boxes which can also be used to pin notes and look nice.

8. DIY Bins Boxes Baskets With Labels

Add Label Inserts

DIY Sweater Storage Box with label inserts.

Storage with Labels

DIY Storage Container with Labels for easy access to supplies.

Final Pro-Tip:

Uniformity is the secret to a professional look. If you are making multiple bins for one shelf, use the exact same material for all of them. Even if they are different sizes, having matching textures creates visual calm and makes the space look professionally organized.

How to Make DIY Storage Look Expensive

Stick to neutral colors (white, beige, gray, black)
Use consistent materials across a room
Add clean labels or leather tags
Avoid visible glue or uneven edges
Reinforce corners for structure

Common DIY Storage Questions

1. How do you make a DIY box look expensive?

The key is texture and hardware. Avoid shiny plastics. Use matte textures (burlap, cotton, wood) and add hardware like leather tabs, metal nameplate labels, or thick rope handles.

2. What is the best glue for DIY bins?

For fabric and rope, a High-Temp Hot Glue Gun is the most efficient. For paper-to-cardboard, a Spray Adhesive ensures a flat, bubble-free finish.

3. Can DIY cardboard boxes actually hold weight?

Yes, if you “double-wall” them. Glue a second piece of cardboard to the interior base and sides to significantly increase the weight capacity for items like books or toys.