DIY: Pottery Barn Knock-Off Underbed Basket

May 8

Yup, I’m back again tackling this magazine hoarding issue of mine. I can’t be the only one, right? Someone else stand up and step into the shame spotlight with me.

I can’t help keeping them around for inspiration! Especially when these beautiful magazines arrive weekly in my mailbox – for free! Whether it’s related to food, home decor or clothing, I love to thumb through them all. They serve as inspiration to me at home, which means the inspiration often carries over here on the blog. So while they stack up quickly, I like to keep them around (some, not all). But I’m also a busy mommy to 3 small children, which means you typically won’t find me lounging around reading a magazine.

Even though I tackled magazine organization once before, my stack of un-read magazines was beginning to take over my bedside table once again!…

Here’s that pretty teal basket I found on sale that I was originally using as magazine storage. Once it was full, the magazine’s simply started overflowing onto the floor..And then onto the bedside table…

Obviously, I love magazines and needed to find a better storage solution for them – since they are sticking around.

When I went to SF a few months ago to look at homes and schools, I packed a few magazines in my carry-on….One of them being a Pottery Barn catalog. I found this gorgeous underbed storage basket and desperately wanted it. Like many of you, I’m sure, I love the Pottery Barn look…But the price can be hard to swallow. I knew this basket would be the perfect answer to my magazine storage issue, but could I DIY one for myself?…

PB’s version is $69, plus tax and shipping. This is an online only product, so you have to pay that shipping cost. Turns out I was able to create not only one but TWO underbed rolling storage baskets for about $22 each!…
Maybe mine doesn’t look exactly the same, but it was much less than the PB version….And I still love the result. Here’s how I made them!
Supplies needed for each basket:
A basket of your liking (found mine at Michael’s on sale 40% off) = $8.99 each
4 – 1 1/4″ caster’s (Home Depot) = $2.39 each
2 – 1/4 x 2″ x 2’s (Home Depot and cut down to size) = $.89 each
Spray paint = $3.50
Small screws (had on hand but these are only a few dollars)
Drill
Screwdriver

Before you buy your basket, measure your underbed clearance. I measured my bed to floor clearance and it’s 11″…

The baskets I found at Michael’s are 5″ high, so they work perfectly and allow room for the casters to be attached. I chose 2 baskets in a dark walnut color…

I love the basket texture outside and inside…

It was helpful having these additional structural wood pieces on the basket bottom. These allowed me to add the extra pieces of wood for a sturdier base for screwing in the caster wheels….

Before moving into the project, I also made sure the magazines would be a good fit. They are!…

 

Now that I know the baskets are a go and I had all of my supplies, I got to work. First up was a quick spray paint of the 1/4 x 2 x 2’s. I chose a dark walnut paint that matches the baskets perfectly. Since the wood is a much different color than the basket, this helps everything blend in should I later decide to move the baskets to another spot in the house…

 

 

The finished painting project…

I also spritzed over the casters so they blended better. The silver stood out quite a bit before spraying…

Assembly couldn’t have been easier. I placed the 1/4 x 2 x 2’s along the length of the basket…

Then I set one caster on a corner and pre-drilled a small hole into 3 of the 4 caster holes. Pre-drilling a small hole should keep your wood from splitting…

Once the holes are drilled, you’ll screw in the small nails using a standard screwdriver…

That’s it! First basket complete…

Each basket took about 10 minutes to assemble and now we’re ready to load ’em up with magazines!…

And roll them away under the bed…

My side of the bed looks pretty happy and organized now…

 

And for a lot less money than I would have spent at Pottery Barn for 2 baskets. 🙂

In case you’re wondering about the dimensions of my finished baskets: 18.5″ wide x 13″ deep x 7″ high.

I love my new magazine baskets! If you have the same hoarding issue, I hope this little organization project inspires you to create your own storage and save a little money.

comments +

  1. Jessica says:

    Sam,
    Can you tell me where you got your nightstands? They are just what we need to not block our vents.

    Thanks!

  2. Crystal says:

    Great idea!! Love the baskets!!

  3. Nikki Dao says:

    Oh wow! Love it! I have clipped onto beadandcord.com

  4. Carla Hulsey says:

    How did you secure the 1/4 x 2 x 2's to the basket?

    • hi!

      you can see how i did that in the description above! 🙂

      best,
      sam

    • Your description says that you "placed" them. Are they glued? THere does not appear to be any nail/screw holes……

    • I think Carla is wondering, as am I, if the screws from the casters went all the way into the 1/4 x 2 x 2's to secure to the basket or if you had to nail/glue them to the basket first.

    • Yes, I didn't use any glue to adhere. When I screwed the nails into the casters, it kept the 1/4 x 2×2's in place as well. The baskets have framing around the inside, as well. So my screws secured all the way into those…and that's what keeps everything together. No glue was required! Let me know if you have additional questions!

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