How can I make trash cans out of lace or crochet?

Sharon Kettner
by Sharon Kettner
In a super expensive department store I saw small trash cans made out of lace and others made out of crocheted material. They stood by themselves, the material was stiff but not covered in plastic. Thank you!

  7 answers
  • Cindy Cindy on Jun 25, 2017

    Hi Sharon, My first thought is lace with lots of starch. Not the spray starch that we iron with. I mean powder starch. You could add the powder to a bucket of water and soak the lace (or crochet) in it. Lay it over a small trash can and let it dry. It should take on the shape of the can. Hope this helps.

  • Chances are they are very heavily starched. Will look pretty for a while but long term probably not so much. Certainly a novelty item. You could do the same yourself - just use something as a "form" cover in plastic, spray with Pam, then "mold" your lace fabric and then use liquid starch to brush on. Let dry and unmold. Your own custom one at a fraction of the cost.

  • Doug Doug on Jun 25, 2017

    Many years ago I remember making shapes with many different materials using full strength starch to saturate the material then putting the saturated material over a form and letting it dry thoroughly before removing the form. These objects were rigid but not strong enough to take much abuse. One advantage of making these small containers is that, if the container got mashed or otherwise damaged one only had to moisten it and put it over the form again.


    I believe that I made a candy dish out of one of my Mothers favorite linen doilys, without asking, and only survived because the starch washed out cleanly. I seem to remember there being several days to suspense to see if said doily was damaged.

  • Castrang17 Castrang17 on Jun 25, 2017

    Yes, remember those starched items too, made by my grandma. She went wild with crocheted ornaments, everyone has one or two or three, that still hang on our Christmas trees. Brings a smile on my face to see grandma's work after all these years. And they are still white and stiff. As for items, like you mention and repeated use, I would keep the spray starch handy. No reason, not to make it, it becomes a handmade remembrance.

  • Holly Kinchlea-Brown Holly Kinchlea-Brown on Jun 25, 2017

    You could stiffen your lace article with thinned white glue and let dry, will be stiffer than starch and might hold its shape better

  • CeeJay CeeJay on Jun 25, 2017

    Thin regular white wood glue with water and soak the lace in it. Cover your form with plastic like a cheap shower curtain and stretch the fabric over the plastic. Cover the edge of fabric with stiff but flexible plastic strips (like the plastic found in some packages of bacon). Secure with clothespins and let dry. While surface will feel dry the fabric next to the plastic will take longer to dry. When completely dry, gently pull the plastic off the fabric. Use the original form to perfect shape of your container. Carefully remove and spray with matte acrylic clear spray, inside and out. Additional coats of acrylic spray will help make your container durable and you will be able to gently clean it if necessary.

  • Sharon Kettner Sharon Kettner on Jun 25, 2017

    Thank you all so much! I can't wait to try all these wonderful ideas. If I can get something nicely made I will post a picture of it.