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!
