a DIY for your monday

Seriously, who doesn't love wire baskets? Those vintage holders that you could use for a plethora of things around the house to add a bit of rustic charm. If you don't, then this post isn't for you. You see, I adore wire baskets, just not their price. Even Goodwill was trying to rip me off with a $25 price tag. And what about this beauty with about the same price tag? Gorgeous, just not for the price. So I decided to make my own.

What you'll need:

any kind of metal basket

iron paint

small, flat paint brush

white (and optional black) craft paint

(optional Martha Stewart Antique Effect)

Start off with a clean metal basket (mine found at local thrift store). Use the iron paint (found at local Michael's), and give the basket a good two to three coats. This stuff is ahh-mazing. The texture and smell really give the basket an authentic iron look. Leave one hour dry time between each coat. So the basket wasn't ALL dark ALL over, I wanted to give it kinda of a white-wash. I used regular white craft paint, but added in some Martha Stewart's Antique Effect. This made the white have a watered down look so it wasn't as harsh against the dark iron paint. Using the paint brush, I VERY sparingly ran the brush all over the basket in different directions so I didn't make the same mark twice. I was a little hesitant about the antique effect, but from the little I used it, I loved it; I cannot wait to use it on bigger projects in the future! I did the same thing with black craft paint to ensure there was no harsh white spots. Let dry at least 12 hours before putting anything in it.

Tip: this project was a lot more time consuming than I originally thought. Between painting the inside and outside while also waiting for the coats of iron paint to dry along with the white-wash, it took me a few days to complete. But I am oh so happy about how it turned out!

Cost:

basket: $0.50

iron paint: $9.00

craft paint: previously owned

Martha Stewart's Antique Effect: $6.00

Total Amount: around $16.00

Not too shabby considering that I can make about a handful more baskets with the same supplies.

If you've ever used iron paint or Martha Stewart's Antique Effect I would love to know what projects you've used them for!

Happy Monday readers!