Thrifted Wicker Baskets

with Carrie from carriesvintagelifestyle

One thing about me is, I love a good chunky, antique basket! You know the kind, the huge, French or English, wicker baskets with lettering, that cost thousands Of dollars. They're not exactly, "in the budget"; although, I am completely delusional and I truly believe that I will, one day, find a whole collection on Marketplace.

In the meantime, I decided I could make some Of my own using some thrifted baskets!

I love an easy DIY that adds both charm and character to our little Alaskan rental, and who doesn't love an old antique basket?

If you have a basket of any kind (mine are wicker), some paint, a paintbrush, or a foam brush, then you're all set.

For my baskets, I am using Fusion Mineral Paint in the colors "Fort York Red," and "Coal Black."

I am not a painter, so freehanding letters or numbers with a paintbrush seemed a bit intimidating to me. That is why I opted to use a foam brush for my baskets. Instead of painting the letters on, I pressed the foam brush onto the wicker gently with just a little bit of paint loaded onto the brush. I did this a little at a time and angled the brush very slowly while pressing with the desired letter or number shape in mind.

It doesn't have to be perfect. That's the whole point!

Having photos Of authentic, antique, French and English baskets to refer to while painting, both inspired me, and gave me a better idea Of what font or thickness I wanted my letters and numbers to have.

If you don't trust your free hand, you could alternatively, use stencils for this DI Y, which would undoubtedly give this project a more polished 100k. Although, I personally think that it looks more authentic when it's a bit imperfect and untidy.

The best part of this DIY is how little time it took from start to finish. I was able to paint all three Of these baskets in less than 15 mins! They were already dry in less than an hour and ready to be used!

If I can do it, you can do it! If your basket turns out messy and imperfect, then you still did a great job because that's the whole point!

Make it mean something! Paint an old address, a favorite date, initials, or your favorite number. Any combination Of letters or numbers that make you smile will do!

I adore the personalization that it adds to our own home. On our largest wicker basket, I chose to paint the first letter of all of our names (Erik, Carrie, and Nick). I chose to paint Our family's favorite number On Our middle basket, and the top basket is my own initials. Don't forget to look for a basket when your out shopping so you can add some antique charm to cozy up your own home!