A week or so ago, Lou and I decided she needed a basket on her bike. We love her little bike, and she zips around town on it like a pro. But it has no space for Critical Items like water bottles and My Little Ponies. So we decided to remedy the situation.
An Adorable Little Bike Update
The bike itself is great for young kids. It's wooden, so I think it's sleek, and pedal-less, so Lou can be pretty quick on it, when not examining every bug, leaf and rock along the way. We got it at Goodwill in Thorndale, PA, for $8. Someone had hand-written "Deal of the Day" on the tag. Darn skippy: The bike shop a few doors down in Brooklyn sells a similar version for $300. No joke. More typically, they cost abut $75.
Either way, it was the deal of the day, and Lou loves it. I love it. The whole neighborhood loves it. We stop and chat with everyone we see (and Lou often has to assure people that she can ride a bike with pedals, as a point of pride). But, as I say, the basket was a serious omission. And while I was at it, I figured I should fix the seat, which has been peeling back a bit.
So, that's what we did. I had a basket I thought would be perfect, because it had a flat side. It was $2 or $3 from Goodwill, and I loved it because I could hang it on hooks. (It's okay; I love it more now). I also had this strawberry vinyl from the dollar store (which I originally used to back our kitchen pantry shelves).
From here, it was all pretty straightforward. I cut the top off the basket, used thin gauge wire to attach it to the bike, and used a combo staple gun and hot glue gun to reupholster the seat.
The wire wrapped around the handle bars wasn't so pretty, so I wrapped some ribbons around it. That seemed like a necessary step anyway. Then Lou and I went out for a little bike tour and photo shoot. With Pinky Pie (My Little Pony)! The basket has made our nightly bike rides complete!
Hope you're having a great Thursday!