Picnic Basket Makeover

I have an obsession with picnic baskets. I think there is something so dreamy about a park, a tree with shade, a cozy blanket and a picnic basket! I love to take my boys on picnics. Getting ready for the picnic by packing the basket is always fun too! Some days you only go for a quick bite and so a smaller basket is fine and some days its a full on 5 course meal and you need a big ole basket! So I like to have one of each on hand. I think giving them as wedding gifts is a neat idea too because usually people forget things like this! So, I was out hunting for stuff on my normal Saturday morning garage selling adventure and I found 2 picnic baskets that were still in great shape but just needed some TLC on the whole design and look of them. 

Doesn't this look so dreamy? Found this pic on an AWESOME photo blog featherandbranch.com

http://featherandbranch.com/2011/05/pretty-as-a-picnicphotography/

I purchased both of them for like a dollar each. They were both the regular brown wicker color that baskets usually are. I was thinking that I needed to change that up first off. 

I had picked up some spray paint on my last Home Depot trip in springy colors. I had no idea what I was going to use them for but I just loved the colors so I had to get them.  Well I am glad I did! They are perfect for the basket makeovers. I started with the green as you can see below. 

I started out by taking off all of the straps and buckles. It was easy, they were only hooked on with brads that you bend on and off. 

I then started spray painting the basket. I started with the bottom of the basket, let that dry and did the top-inside.  I noticed that I needed to do another coat because not every nook and cranny was covered. I ended up spraying it about 4 times total. It dried nicely and looked great!

Next up I need to add some cuteness to the basket.... So to do this I went to the fabric store and picked up the 2.00 squares of fabric. I chose a fun springy pattern with spring colors. I measured the top of the basket and I cut a piece of this thin board that I had left over from another project. I then covered that with the fabric. I drilled a little tiny hole in each of the 4 corners. I then used brads to connect the board to the top of the basket. BACK PEDAL: I did also drill holes in the middle of the board for the handle to be attached. 

So top was done and looked so cute. It is a basket, so of course it was not a perfect match as far as the measurements or dimensions went. But that is what is great about this project, it does not need to be perfect! That is part of the character of the basket. 

The inside needed some love too. I had seen a few baskets at the store that had straps on the top of the inside of the lid. They were used to hold silver ware and plates or whatever. So I sewed elastic for these straps right onto the fabric that I then glued to the top of the inside of the lid. 

I added some utensils and that was that.... I think it turned out really cute! I realized that you could also use this as a sewing basket, make up holder, car kit box, the possibilities are endless really!

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