Rustic Basket Makeover (How to Stain a Basket)

Learn how to stain a basket with this simple tutorial. Instead of tossing boring baskets, create a stylish, rustic basket in minutes!

It’s hard for me to skip purchasing a perfectly good basket in a thrift shop. Even if it is not the prettiest basket, it can still be used in cabinets and closets to organize and store items. However, there’s no reason to even be limited by that, because you can make a basic basket look like something you would buy in a store.

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Supplies: DIY Rustic Basket

Basket
Stain {I like Minwax in Provincial}
White Paint {water based paint only}
2 Foam Brushes
Paper Towels
Water
Enamel Tag
Twine

Instructions: DIY Rustic Basket

Begin by applying stain to the basket with a foam brush. The stain will apply to the basket easily since it is watery and not thick. I started with the bottom of the basket to check the color and get a feel for how much to apply at once.

Not all of the basket material took the stain the same, as you can see in the next image. The top half of the basket resulted in a darker stain than the bottom half. Even with the variation in color, I really liked how it looked. It’s not that clear in the photos, but the color of the basket felt rich and warm compared to the original.

While the stain is wet, use a paper towel to wipe off excess, similar to how you would stain wood. Let the stain dry before moving onto the next step.

Once dry, prepare a whitewash. I used Valspar Chalky Finish Paint in Kid Gloves mixed with a little bit of water. If you don’t mix in water, it will be difficult to get even coverage of the paint. There are too many nooks and crevices in the basket weave to apply a thick paint evenly. By mixing in water, it applies easily, similar to the stain.

Of course, the whitewash will be semi-transparent and not full coverage. For a rustic, farmhouse style, that was my goal. I wanted the warmth of the stain to show through a light coat of white paint.

To make the basket feel a bit more custom, I added an enamel tag with twine. It’s a simple detail that really adds to the farmhouse style. I tucked in a faux plant from Ikea to make the basket look like a planter, but it could also hold utensils, art supplies, etc.

And now for more thrifty goodness!

This post is part of a Thrifty Upcycle series. Check out what my fellow up-cyclers created, below!