This is the third Tuesday in a row I’ve shared a small craft project. A few weeks back I made a fall wreath, then I stenciled a pillow using a metal grate, and this week I’m trying out a new mini-series idea that I’m calling “Weekly Crafty.” The plan is to share a simple, approachable craft most Tuesdays — though life sometimes interferes — and keep each project quick, inexpensive, and fun.
I’ve always enjoyed small, hands-on projects. They’re a good way to stay creative while we’re still in the less-glamorous phase of renovating this house (you know: wallpaper removal, painting trim, and all the repetitive prep work that has to happen before the fun decorating stage). Sometimes the projects will use things I already own, and sometimes I’ll pick up a few inexpensive supplies. They might be fabric- or paper-based, involve a little painting, or be something entirely different. This week I decided to play with painting woven baskets.
Basket painting has been popular for a while — designers, stores, and DIY enthusiasts have all experimented with dipped bottoms, painted rims, or patterned baskets. I wanted something bolder than a simple white dip: bright, playful colors with an obvious hand-painted look. I started with two plain woven baskets my mom had brought over; she didn’t have room for them and figured we could use them for toy storage or utility organization.
I gathered the craft paints I already owned and settled on a few complementary palettes. For one basket I chose a pearly cream (a metallic champagne), a soft tiffany blue, and a deeper metallic gold. For the other I went with a lively red and a bright pink. The family ended up joining in on painting — John and Clara did watercolors at the desk by the window while I worked on the baskets at our little white pedestal table in the office.
About thirty minutes later I had two cheerful painted baskets. I kept the designs simple: the blue-and-pearl basket features stripes of varying thicknesses with metallic highlights, while the red-and-pink basket uses a neon-leaning palette and small sideways-heart-like shapes across the middle. Once the paint dried, Clara recruited the baskets for her toys and they’ve fit nicely in her room.
You don’t need perfect brush control for this kind of project. Woven baskets are inherently textured and imperfect, so a little paint outside the “lines” looks natural and adds character. I didn’t mask the baskets with tape; I painted freehand to preserve that hand-painted, slightly organic feel instead of crisp, machine-perfect edges.
Because I used existing materials, this round of basket painting cost me nothing. If you’re starting from scratch, you could pick up a couple of basic baskets and a handful of craft paints at typical home and craft stores; I’d estimate about $14 for two baskets and around $10 for several tubes of paint. Using store coupons or shopping sales can easily bring the total down further.
I didn’t seal these particular baskets with a spray topcoat. Based on past experience, painted woven baskets tend to hold paint well without immediate sealing, especially for light-duty uses like toy storage. That said, if you expect heavy wear or frequent washing, a clear sealer would add durability — I’ll update if these end up needing one over time.
Small projects like this are ideal for testing color ideas, adding personality to simple storage, or involving kids in a safe, creative activity. They’re quick to complete, forgiving of mistakes, and allow you to turn ordinary household items into playful, customized accents.
Have you tried painting baskets or updating simple storage pieces recently? What seasonal crafts are you working on — pumpkins, wreaths, or autumn-themed decorations? I’m planning more small projects in the coming weeks, so I’d love to hear what you’d like to see next.
Psst — Want to know where something in our house came from or which paint color we used? Check our “shop our house” resource for details.
