I found this wooden tote (or basket), whatever you want to call it, at my thrift store and I thought it would be an easy upcycle project. I wasn’t sure at the time what I would do to it, but for $2, it was a bargain and I’d figure out what to do with it. Then I thought: since this week turned out to be “washi tape week” I knew exactly how I would upcycle this wooden tote. I would upcycle with spray paint and washi tape.
My collection of washi tape was already out, so I quickly looked through them settled on two rolls that I liked for this project.
The first thing I did with this old tote was give it a good scrubbing with a degreaser and a scrub brush. It was an unseasonably warm day so I took advantage of the weather and let the tote dry outside in the warm sun.
Then I gave it several light coats of spray paint. While the paint was drying I went for a nice, long bike ride. It was 82 degrees today – very unusual weather for February in Pennsylvania and I took advantage of it!
I came home to a completely dry tote and it was time to apply the strips of washi tape. As luck would have it, the slats on the front and back of the tote are the same width as the washi tape that I picked out so it was an easy process to just unroll and apply the strips of washi tape to each slat. No rocket science here.
I think I’m going to use this tote for my granddaughter’s Easter Basket. It will hold a lot of candy and other goodies. It could also be used for flowers as shown here.
Another way it could be used is as a “gift basket”. With the pink washi tape, it would be adorable for a baby girl shower gift tote.
So the next time you’re at the thrift store, look at those 80’s decor items and ask yourself if it can be updated with spray paint and washi tape!
Jenny says
This basket is so cute! It can be used for so many things. I thought of my little girl as soon as I saw it. I need to use washi tape more often. Pinning!
Amanda at Domestically Creative says
Very cute! I think this little basket would make a great Easter basket for your granddaughter.
Victoria @DazzleWhileFrazzled says
Cute! I’m pretty sure my mom had one of those country baskets in our home growing up, LOL. Visiting from Thrift Store Challenge.
Deborah says
Oh that basket is aborable. So so pretty
DIY Home Sweet Home says
What a fun thrift store find!! love the makeover.
Michelle James says
I love this. It is so festive. I can’t believe you didn’t want to keep the birds and hearts on the sides. LOL! What a difference! Wow! It really is pretty.
Habiba says
Woah, in the beginning I thought you painted all those rose polka dots yourself. But then I saw your nifty wash tape trick. I really loved how this little upcycle project turned out. Thank you for sharing it.
Michelle James says
So pretty! I thought you painted the pink polka dots on. Washi tape is so much easier! It looks great and perfect for an Easter basket!
Debrashoppeno5 says
So cute! And these baskets are in all of the thrift stores. Or they were until everyone saw this adorable idea.
Angela @ Simply Beautiful By Angela says
What a cute little tote! Perfect for spring 🙂
Chelsea @ Making Manzanita says
I love how this turned out!! Gotta love Washi Tape 🙂 It’s one of my favorite crafting supplies. This would also be a super cute Easter basket 🙂
Sara @ Magical Mama Blog says
This is so precious! I couldn’t even tell it was washi tape! Thought you painted it! This is great because you can switch it out for other seasons and continue to use it as an accent piece of table centerpiece! Thanks for sharing on #ArtsyFartsy
Beverly says
The new look for the basket looks great! Using Washi tape to dress it up is such a clever way to go. My Washi tape collection keeps growing. I love using it on lots of items. Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle Party. We’ll be featuring this at today’s party. Hope to see you there.
Theresa Huse says
This is so cute! & perfect for spring, and Easter. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & sharing.
Sherry says
That is a cute look! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Leon says
Awesome! That is very creative, thanks for sharing
Niko Stern says
Your blog posts are always top-notch. Thanks for this one. Solar