How to Paint White Wicker Baskets

Last Easter, my wife had to create dozen white wicker baskets filled with goodies to give away at a local charity event. She found these great wicker baskets at an auction that were perfect for the project. They were untreated and ready to be primed and painted. This is the point in the story where I became aware of the project, and its requirements…

Well, the good news was I didn’t have to do much to prep the wicker baskets. So let’s get started with the basics.

Step 1. On the side of the house next to the garage, I laid out a few drop cloths. They covered both the lawn and the section of fence against which I planed to paint. I also used six cardboard banana boxes from the local grocery store to create a semi-enclosed booth in which to hang each basket. At the top of each box, I pushed a hanger (from the drycleaners) through, forming a hook in the box to hang the basket and a handle on top of the box that I could turn as I painted the basket. It also helped that it was a clear cool day with no wind, which is important because I didn’t want the paint going anywhere else but on the baskets.

Step 2. Often wicker is treated with a coating of gloss that requires a liquid de-glosser to remove. These baskets were not treated, so I was able to go straight to priming them. Using compressor sprayer, I gave each basket two light coats of oil-based wood primer. Each coat was about 45 minutes to an hour apart. You will probably notice the second coat of paint is absorbed by the wicker pretty quickly. I should also note I used a protective safety mask and goggles. Ventilation was a concern, and that was the reason I decided to paint outside.

Step 3. I always get excited when it’s time to actually paint, and this time was no exception. All my prep was done, and I was ready to really make these baskets look sharp. With the compressor, I used a pure white, outdoor oil-based semi-gloss house paint to spray each basket. I sprayed each basket with two light coats of paint, leaving them gleaming.

Step 4. Inside the garage, I strung up a couple of lengths of cord and used clothesline pins to keep the hooks in place every few feet. There the baskets hung for a few days while the paint cured. In seeing this, my daughter wondered aloud to me if I thought the Easter bunny had elves like Santa. I could only agree with her because our garage certainly looked like an Easter workshop. I mean really, how could one bunny do it all alone?

The baskets turned out beautifully, and my wife was very happy with them. She packed each with chocolate and candy treasures on beds of plastic grass. Each masterpiece was wrapped in a thin protective layer of plastic, with a fancy ribbon on each handle. They were a hit at the event, and those that were lucky enough to win one remarked how great the basket would look in their home.

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How to Personalize a Wicker Basket with Fabric Lining

Do you have a great wicker basket you love and want to add that personal touch that makes it perfect? Fabric lining is a great way to do this. There are a myriad of fabric colors, patterns, and textures that you can use to help make it your own. Lined baskets are great for decorating or utility. In our home, we use large lined baskets for laundry and decorate the bathroom with smaller ones for holding washcloths next to the shower.

Liners are simple to make as well; it does not take an expert. If just used for decorating, often a little bit of glue and a few pins are all you need. For more durable solutions like a laundry basket, some sewing would be required – but don’t let that intimidate you.

In fact, here is how easy it is to decorate a basket with lining with some string, fabric, a ribbon, pinking shears, small tape measure and a glue gun:

1. Measure around a basket; this can easily be done by turning the basket upside down and laying a piece of string around the top of basket. Mark the edge of the string and measure it. You will want to add about 2 inches for a proper, and not too snug, fit.

2. Next, measure the depth of the basket and add about six inches. The excess will be used for the overhang on the basket and gluing the seams.

3. Finally, measure the length and width of the bottom of the basket and add two inches.

4. Don’t be shy about running through the previous steps once more. It’s often best to measure twice and cut once.

5. Now the fun begins. For this next part, it is best if a set of pinking shears are used instead of scissors. You can get a good pair for under 20 bucks at Amazon. Pinking shears are used to avoid fraying the fabric. Cut two pieces of fabric to the measurements you recorded.

6. The smaller piece will be used for lining the basket. Take the smaller piece and find the best fit in the bottom of the basket; it should go up the edges about an inch on each side. This is where you will want to apply glue to the fabric.

7. Now take the larger piece of fabric and wrap it along the inside edges of the basket. It should overlap the bottom piece about an inch, and glue it together. You will also want to overlap the seam of where the fabric comes together and apply some glue here as well.

8. Next, at the top, you should have about four to six inches overhanging the basket. Fold it under once or twice to your taste, and add a few dabs of glue to hold it in place. Try to leave about an inch between the top of the basket and the final fold.

9. The final step is to take your ribbon and wrap it around the basket using the inch of space between the top and final fold. Tie a nice bow with the ribbon and adjust its location until you are satisfied. Add a dab of glue to hold it in place.

Congratulations, you now have a customized basket you can proudly display in your home.

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