Monday, April 16, 2012

Not So Vintage Market Basket

When I visited Mary Carol Garrity's fall open house last year, I noticed she had a large market basket tucked under a sideboard, and it was filled with empty wine bottles.  Being known to tip back a glass (or two...nevermind, just give me the whole bottle), I loved the look.

(By the way, Mary Carol's spring open house is less than a month away!)

And who doesn't love a great vintage market basket?  But I'm way too cheap to buy the real thing.

But I do have one of these at the back of the closet that's doing nothing better than holding socks whose partners are l-o-n-g gone.  It's about 15 years old and it has seen lot of use hauling laundry up and down the stairs until it started to unravel at the top, which is when it was retired to become the gathering place of the Lonely Sock Club.


The size is perfect.  But that color is so 1990s.

Vintage = good
Dated = bad

Let's gather some supplies.


I evicted the singles club of socks and their tag-alongs, the dust bunnies, then sprayed the basket with oil rubbed bronze paint, which improved the look immediately.  But the color was a one-dimensional, so I gently brushed it with the Brunt Umber craft paint with one of my favorite tools, a chip brush.

After letting it dry, I hit the high points in the weave with the Pinecone Brown craft paint, blending it into the weave.  Finally I sealed it with a clear spray.

There are always plenty of wine bottles in the recycling bin, but eventually I'll fill it only with the bottles which were part of special occasions.


The best part?  It cost me NOTHING.  I love the subtle colors on the handles.


It's so fun to find ways to get "the look" for less!



I'm linking up...

4 comments:

  1. I was given a basket like yours a few days ago. I am so glad I came across this post through Savvy Southern Style. I will definitely paint mine now :)
    Eilis
    my-heart-lives-here.blogspot.com

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  2. Hi Heather, I think we all have one of these. Love how you totally changed it's look! I'm sure it's much happier now holding wine bottles than orphan socks! LOL!!

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  3. You've given your basket a whole new look and a prettier one too. Looks great with the wine bottles.
    Cindy

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  4. I have an old white basket like this in the garage - and I've been shopping for a taller narrower basket at the store - but this just might work for mine too. I wonder if I have a can of bronze spray paint....

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