How To Paint Wash A Basket

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Learn how to simply (and oh so easily!) paint wash a basket! Transform your old baskets and get rid of the orange! 

Hello wonderful friends and happy Thursday! Thank you so much for all the emails and comments on my question about our bedframe in Tuesday’s post. Lots of great ideas! I’ll update you once we decide what to do.

Before I talk about today’s makeover, I have to say a big, happy birthday to my husband! Today is his birthday and he is a big part of what I do around here, especially the home DIY, of course! But much more than that, behind the scenes helping me when I need it. Moving furniture, cutting wood, really, anything I need or ask of him. Such a great husband, father, partner! Happy, happy birthday, love!

Alright, let’s get to it! I am sharing a brand new makeover today. A basket makeover. I just love baskets, especially baskets with wood lids. I found two different size/shape baskets, with lids, on my last outing. Yay!

Today I’m sharing the smaller one and how I use a paint wash to “stain” the weave. It works so well and takes all of that icky orange out. And did I mention how absolutely easy it is too?

How To Paint Wash A Basket

Here is how it looked when I found it.

Typical orange basket but also with ducks! ha!

Tell me this is from the 80s without telling me it’s from the 80s. Or maybe early 90s. lol

No worries, it’s going bye-bye. Sorry if you love it! ;)

Oh! Here is the inside…

It has a stand. Nice basket!

 

This is what I pulled together when I started. I thought I might paint the bottom half the Winchester shade to compliment the florals.

However, I decided against that.  (By the way, don’t mind my messy paint jars or brushes…lol…I’m a messy painter!)

Ruby Rose Transfer for the win though. Here I am laying out the design.

MIX WATER/PAINT – PAINT WASH

I lightly sanded over the top to make sure it was smooth where the stencil (ducks) were applied. Then I mixed my paint and water, about 50-50. (you can go heavier or lighter with the paint addition, it all depends on how sheer you want it)

Simply brush it on and let it soak in. It looks more opaque when it’s wet. But will dry more sheer.

Inside and out. (and the bottom too!)

I didn’t paint the wood edge, handles, or top with the paint wash.

PAINT LID & HANDLES (full-strength)

I used full-strength paint for the solid parts.

I decided on Raw Silk because it is a nice, creamy off-white shade that would go perfectly with the floral transfer I chose.
One coat covered very well. I thought for sure the ducks would show through. They did not.
I did do two coats though just in case.

APPLY THE TRANSFER

Once everything was dry, I laid out the first transfer and applied it to the top of the wood basket lid.

See how it’s spilling over the sides?? I love it when they flow naturally like that. One of my favorite things with these transfers, actually.

All attached and wrapped around the sides of the basket.

See how the paint wash on the sides looks more like a stain?? And how the grain shows through? It completely changed the look (and camouflaged the orange color) of the weave.

And the other side…

When I applied the other half of the rose section on the top, this side spilled over to the back.

I had to cut the stems there to get around the handle.

I did one bud and then ended up having to cut the other bud away and do it separately.

Sometimes you’ll have to cut them like this to get them in there properly.

I originally thought I’d use all of these on top and fill in the whole thing but…

…it was too much. I liked the small area of well, nothing. And how the rest spilled over the sides.

So instead, I put them elsewhere.

The little stand inside is where I added that Winchester pop of color.

I decided to make it even more fun by adding this gold Harlequin transfer to it.

And a little surprise when you open the lid, the finishing touch.

So instead of using those two extra pieces on top, I used one above and one below on the inside of the lid.

Isn’t that pretty?? I am so glad they went inside instead of on top!
**Okay, and also, in the following photos, the basket weave looks white like the top, etc. See the inside up above here? Well, it actually looks a little darker than normal too, but looks more ‘stained’!  But, keep in mind the basket weave area looks more like the photos above where I talked about the paint wash (more like a white stain, not white paint) than they do in the following photos. More of a ‘wash’. Unfortunately, when I lightened up the photos in editing, it made the base just look painted white, which it is not.

SEAL

I only sealed the top areas where the transfer was. Our Fusion Mineral Paint does not need a topcoat or sealer so I didn’t do the rest. If you are using a chalk paint type of paint wash, then I would use some sort of sealer over that, either poly or wax, etc.

I tried to leave a few photos darker so you could get a better, more accurate, view of the “stained” paint-washed basket.

The inside…

And that other little extra on the inside of the lid.

Sweet. I just love the colors in this transfer.

The inside without the tray.

This is very close to what the outside looks like in real person. (above and below)

You can so simply and easily paint wash a basket, any basket like this! And completely change its look.

You don’t have to use a creamy color like this, you can use blue, green, or whatever you like.

Here’s some other baskets I’ve painted/stained:

• Thrifted Basket Makeover Ideas
• Longaberger Basket Makeover
• Old Basket Makeover
• Basket Makeover For Spring (green!)
• French Basket Tray
• Dry Brushing Baskets

Have you painted baskets before? This paint wash style of makeover is super easy and keeps the “grain” if you like that look. I love it! And who doesn’t love a pretty transfer to top it off?

PIN it to save it!

Hope you have an amazing weekend, dear friends!!

xoxo