Welcome to Day 6 of my 12 Days of Christmas crafting celebration!
Wheww… now I know how the elves feel, trying to get so many things made for Christmas! They are probably smart, and start in January, instead of waiting until November to think, “maybe we should start working on Christmas projects now.” I think I work better at the last minute than I do starting months in advance, anyway though.
Today’s project involves this old bushel basket I got a while ago – probably at an auction. It had been well used, and some of the wood slats are breaking. Somehow, it ended up sitting outside my workshop, instead of inside it – getting even more weathered. My in-laws are arriving to celebrate Thanksgiving with us, so in an effort to de-junkify my yard, I picked up the basket to hide it, so they won’t know just what a disaster it usually is around my house. My workshop is a little like the Land of Misfit toys. It is overflowing with junk that eventually I hope to do something with, but if I worked every day for a year straight, I would be lucky to make my way through half of all that is in there. I looked down at the basket, and decided not to banish it with the rest of the misfits. I would just pretty it up for Christmas instead.
Since I still had the red paint out, from making the Mrs. Claus sign I made for Day 5, so it was quick and easy to just paint all the vertical slats red. I used off-white paint on the 2 bands around the basket.
The white looked a little too bright and new, so I used the same antiquing powder and wax that I used on the sign to “age” the paint. I love how the powder settles down into the cracks, so it looks like years worth of dust has settled there. I don’t dust often, so a lot of the things in my house have that look, so the basket fits right in!
All that was left was to add a festive vintage label, and it’s ready to go on display for the holidays!
See…there’s even hope for misfits! That’s 6 projects down, with 6 left to go, so I’m off to finish up my project for day 7 now. There’s no rest for this weary elf!
{Click HERE to see all of the 12 Days of Christmas projects and printables – the link will be updated each day!}
It looks so festive and not overdone. I just got my whiskey barrels decorated and wish it would snow a little before I do pics.
Love this project. I have many of these out in the shed, I use them with my garden when I think to dig them out. I probably have one I could re-use for something cute like this. In fact I think I have a red one, so maybe I could just paint the white on the horizontal strips. Oh fun. Knowing me though, it won’t happen this year. I’ll just store this idea away for another time, with all the other bazillion ideas I have in my head – which probably looks like your workshop.
Your comment on dusting made me smile. I am traveling the next two days, then will have a big dinner at our house on Saturday. When I will have time to dust I am not sure, hoping I can remember to knock down the cobwebs from the ceiling fan though. Have a great time with your family! Keep the ideas coming, very inspiring!
Love this project-the red looks great!
Love this project. Market baskets are so great for Fall decorations.
Happy Thanksgiving Angie.
Hugs,
Audrey Z.
I haven’t heard from you quite a while, hope everything is okay.
Marlene, I suffered a stroke, so I’m getting therapy now and hope to be back on my feet soon.
I haven’t been receiving your posts in about a month. I hope all is fine.
This is such a great makeover! I will be on the lookout for one to make this.Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week! Pinned!
Kim
I love how painting something makes it look brand new. Maybe brand old new. However we say it, it looks great.