Crochet Turkey Bread Basket Pattern
The crochet turkey bread basket is a delightful decorative item typically used to serve bread, but it offers a range of other uses that can enhance your holiday decor.
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When the holiday season rolls around, families gather to celebrate, share meals, and make memories. Among the cherished traditions is the Thanksgiving turkey centerpiece. But beyond the traditional bird, there’s another turkey-themed item that can be just as festive: the turkey bread basket.
What is a Turkey Bread Basket?
A turkey bread basket is a decorative and functional table accessory shaped like a turkey, often crafted from materials such as woven rattan, ceramic, or metal. Designed to hold and present freshly baked bread or rolls during meals, it serves as a centerpiece that adds a festive flair to any holiday table. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner or a fall gathering, a turkey bread basket can bring a cozy, rustic charm to your spread.
Why Crochet a Turkey Bread Basket?
- Festive Appeal: The turkey motif ties directly into the Thanksgiving theme, making it a perfect addition to your holiday table.
- Functional Decor: Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the basket serves a practical purpose, keeping your bread warm and easy to access.
- Versatility: Available in various designs, from vintage to modern, the turkey bread basket can complement different styles of decor.
Alternative Uses for Your Turkey Bread Basket
While its primary use is to serve bread, this charming basket can be repurposed in numerous creative ways throughout the year. Here are some ideas:
1. Seasonal Fruit Bowl
Transform your turkey bread basket into a fruit bowl for your kitchen counter. The open design of many bread baskets allows for proper air circulation, keeping your fruits fresh. The turkey shape adds a fun, seasonal touch to your kitchen decor, especially during fall and winter.
2. Harvest-Themed Centerpiece
Fill your turkey bread basket with harvest-themed decor like mini pumpkins, gourds, and autumn leaves. This makes for an eye-catching centerpiece that’s perfect for fall dinners or as a decoration on your mantel. Add some fairy lights for a touch of sparkle during the evening.
3. Holiday Treat Basket
Why not use your turkey bread basket to present holiday treats? Whether it’s cookies, candies, or other sweet delights, this basket can become a festive way to display goodies for your guests. Wrap the treats in colorful cellophane or add a bow to the basket handle for an extra festive touch.
4. Rustic Planter Holder
For a more unexpected use, try turning your turkey bread basket into a planter holder. Line the inside with a plastic or ceramic container, and plant seasonal flowers or succulents. This can be a lovely addition to your dining table, entryway, or even your patio during fall.
5. Key and Mail Holder
If you’re looking for a practical use, place your turkey bread basket in the entryway as a catch-all holder for keys, mail, or other small items. Its whimsical design will add a fun element to your home organization while keeping your essentials in one convenient spot.
6. Bathroom Towel Basket
Your turkey bread basket can also double as a bathroom towel holder. Roll up small hand towels or washcloths and arrange them neatly in the basket for an unexpected yet charming touch to your bathroom decor.
How to Style Your Turkey Bread Basket
The key to making the most of your turkey bread basket, regardless of how you choose to use it, is all in the styling. Consider adding a seasonal touch with accessories like fabric liners, decorative ribbon, or themed items like pinecones or cranberries. Here are a few styling tips:
- Neutral Liners: A neutral-toned fabric liner can help your basket blend seamlessly with any decor, allowing the turkey design to shine without overwhelming your table.
- Seasonal Touches: Swap out the liner and accessories based on the season. For example, in spring, fill the basket with fresh flowers, while in winter, consider using pine branches and holly berries.
- Layering: Add dimension by layering items of varying heights within the basket. For example, if you’re using it as a centerpiece, mix taller items like candles with shorter items like small pumpkins or pinecones.
What materials do I need?
To make the crochet Turkey Bread Basket you will need double strands of worsted weight yarn, a K/10.5/6.50mm and an H/8/5.00mm crochet hook, a yarn needle, scissors, and 12mm black gems or buttons for eyes. Safety eyes could be used, but the shanks will show out of the back of the head. It is also optional to use a fabric stiffener spray, like Aleene’s Stiffen Quick.
The Pattern
Keep reading for a list of what you need to make the braided crochet pumpkin, including the stitch pattern instructions!
Materials
Worsted Weight Yarn (#4)
● Brown [5.5oz/350yds]
● Red [1oz/65yds]
● Yellow [.75ozs/48yds]
● Orange [.5oz/32yds]
● Green [.5oz/32yds]
K/10.5/6.50mm Hook
H/8/5.50mm Hook
12mm Black Gems
Yarn Needle
Scissors
Gauge
10 sts x 8 rows = 4”
Gauge is not critical for this project
Finished Measurements
9”D (across bottom)
4”H (basket sides)
Stitch Guide
Adc = See Special Stitches
arnd = around
BPdc = See Special Stitches
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
FPdc = See Special Stitches
hdc = half double crochet
sc = single crochet
sl st(s) = slip stitch(es)
st(s) = stitch(es)
Skill Level
Easy
Written in U.S. Terms
Pattern Notes
- Beginning chains do not count as stitches.
- Where asterisks appear, repeat the instructions between them.
- Where parenthesis appear, work those stitches all into the same space.
- Tutorial photos are at the end of the pattern.
- Pro tip: If you’re wanting the tailfeathers to be stiffer, you can crochet over craft wire or fishing line!
Special Stitches
Front Post Double Crochet (FPdc): Front-post double crochet—Yarn over, insert hook from front to back and then to front again around post of stitch, yarn over and draw up loop, [yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook] twice.
Back Post Double Crochet (BPdc): Back-post double crochet—Yarn over, insert hook from back to front and then to back again around post of stitch, yarn over and draw up loop, [yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook] twice.
Alternate Double Crochet (Adc): Without chaining, work sc in first stitch, insert hook in middle of sc, yo, draw up a loop, yo, draw through both loops.
Instructions
BASKET (Double Strand + K Hook)
With Brown,
R1. Magic Ring, ch 2 (counts as 1st stitch), 10 dc in ring, sl st to join (11)
R2. Ch 2 (counts), dc in same space as ch, 2 dc in each st arnd, sl st to join (22)
R3. Ch 2, *2 dc, dc* in each st arnd, sl st to join (33)
R4. Ch 2, *2 dc, dc x 2* in each st arnd, sl st to join (44)
R5. Ch 2, *2 dc, dc x 3* in each st arnd, sl st to join (55)
R6. Ch 2, *2 dc, dc x 4* in each st arnd, sl st to join (66)
R7. Ch 2, *2 dc, dc x 5* in each st arnd, placing 2 dc in last st, sl st to join (78)
R8. Ch 1, FPdc arnd 1st st, BPdc arnd next st, *FPdc, BPdc* arnd, sl st to join (78)
R9. Ch 1, BPdc arnd 1st st, FPdc arnd next st , *BPdc, FPdc* arnd, sl st to join (78)
R10-15. Repeat R8&9; Fasten at end of R15.
HEAD (Double Strand + K Hook)
With Brown,
R1. Make magic ring, ch 1, 6 sc in ring (6)
R2. 2 sc arnd (12)
R3. *2 sc, sc* arnd (18)
R4. *2 sc, sc x 2* arnd (24)
R5. *2 sc, sc x 3* arnd (30)
R6. *2 sc, sc x 4* arnd (36)
R7. sc x 3, *2 sc, sc x 5* 5X, 2 sc, sc x 2, sl st x 2; Fasten. (42)
TAILFEATHER (Double Strand + K Hook)
With Red,
R1. Ch 16, sc x 5, hdc x 5, dc x 5, turn
R2. Ch 1, Adc in 1st st, dc x 4, hdc x 5, sc x 5, turn
With Orange,
R3. Ch 1, sc x 5, hdc x 5, dc x 2, 3 dc in next st, leave last 2 sts unworked, turn
R4. Ch 1, Adc in 1st st, dc x 4, hdc x 5, sc x 5, turn
With Green,
R5-6. Repeat R3&4
With Yellow,
R7-8. Repeat R3&4
With Red,
R9-10. Repeat R3&4
With Orange,
R11-12. Repeat R3&4
With Green,
R13-14. Repeat R3&4
With Yellow,
R15-16. Repeat R3&4
With Red,
R17-18. Repeat R3&4; Fasten at the end of R18.
WINGS (Make 2) (Single Strand + H Hook)
With Brown,
R1. Ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hook and across, turn (3)
R2. Ch 1, sc across, turn (3)
R3. Ch 1, 2 sc, sc, 2 sc, turn (5)
R4. Ch 1, sc across, turn (5)
R5. Ch 1, 2 sc, sc x 3, 2 sc, turn (7)
R6-13. Ch 1, sc across, turn (7)
R14. Ch 1, sc, skip 1, sc x 3, skip 1, sc, turn (5)
R15. Ch 3, 2 trc in same space as ch, sl st x 2, (ch 2, 2 dc) in same space as last sl st, sl st x 2, (ch 1, 2 sc) in same space as last sl st; turn project slightly and sc in the end of each row and in each st arnd the wing (do not work back across top); Fasten.
FEET (Make 2) (Single Crochet + H Hook)
With Yellow,
R1. Magic Ring, ch 1, 6 sc in ring (6)
R2. 2 sc arnd (12)
R3. 2 dc x 2, sc x 3, *[ch 4, hdc in 2nd ch from hook and across], sl st in next sc* 3X; Fasten.
BEAK (Single Strand + H Hook)
With Yellow,
R1. Ch 5, sc in 2nd ch from hook and across, turn (4)
R2. Ch 1, sc across, turn (4)
R3. Ch 1, dec x 2, turn (2)
R4. Ch 1, sc across, turn (2)
R5. Ch 1, dec (1); turn slightly and sc in the end of each row and in each st arnd; Fasten.
SNOOD (Single Strand + H Hook)
With Red,
Ch 9, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 2 chs, skip 1 ch, sl st in next, 2 sc x 2, 4 sc in last; Fasten.
Finishing
- Attach beak to head, so R1 of beak is across R1 of head.
- Attach snood to head, so the 1st stitch of the snood is attached to the corner of R1 of beak. I tucked mine under the beak.
- Attach black gems to head slightly above and to the side of the beak corners.
- Attach head to the outside front center of basket, so R5-7 of head are attached to the basket.
- Attach feet to front outside of basket, so the heel of the foot is across R8 of the basket. Leave approx. 10 sts between them, so they are just outside alignment with head.
- Attach wings to the front top of basket, leaving one stitch between them and the head. Make sure R1 of wing is closest to the head and the trc stitches are the top of the wing. Angle them slightly upward, so there is about 2-3 stitches peeking above the top of the basket. I only attached R1-6 of the wing, so they would “flap out”.
- Attach tailfeather to the inside back center of the basket, so half of the tailfeather is attached and the other half comes out above the basket.
- Optional: Use Aleene’s Stiffen Quick or other liquid starch to stiffen the basket. Use as directed on packaging.
- Hide all strings.
And that’s the Crochet Turkey Bread Basket Pattern!
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Written pattern and photographs © 2023 Sonya Blackstone of Blackstone Designs. Please do not sell, share, or modify this pattern, but instead share the link to where the pattern can be found. You may sell items you make with this pattern. This pattern, as with all Blackstone Designs/Sonya Blackstone patterns, are not for educational use without written permission from the designer. All rights reserved.
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