How to Paint a Swiss Cross Basket: A Wreath Alternative
I am so excited about the project I have to share with you today because it truly pushed me creatively, and I hope it encourages you see new possibility in old tired things. Earlier this spring, I excitedly signed up for several blog hops because I love joining in the community and knowing that I have to create something for each event. (Thank you so much to Krista for organizing this hop!) Of course, when I signed up, life was different as it was the pre-corona virus era and the kids were in school and we had a steady income. Times have changed and I contemplated bowing out of these hops as I was not able to purchase new supplies, but instead I decided to look around my house, check inside boxes, and see what I could come up with. Today’s DIY Swiss cross door basket is the result of unearthing a something I had forgotten about and rethinking its use and appearance. It was so easy to give this basket new a fresh new look, and today I am going to show you just how to do that. Be sure to visit all of the other blogs at the bottom of this post to check out their wreath projects as well. (This blog uses affiliate links, and I am also an Amazon associate. I earn a small commission through qualifying purchases, and I truly appreciate your support.)
Several years ago a friend gave me a box of stuff she was getting rid of, knowing how much I love other people’s junk. 😉 In that box was this old worn out wall basket. I honestly loved it as it was and couldn’t understand why she didn’t want it anymore, but you know what they say about one man’s trash. I used it on our porch at our old house right next to our door. You can see it right behind my chicken, Friendly.
The more rustic look of the basket suited that house well, but our porch here is much cleaner and more modern in style, and that old worn out look wasn’t going to work for me.
This porch is filled with black and white in various patterns, just like our house, and I wanted the basket to fall into place and suit this porch. I also knew I would be hanging it on the door, so I wanted it to really stand out against our blush pink paint.
I selected a black and white Swiss cross pattern for this basket because I knew it would work well on our porch, and it would be a relatively simple pattern to paint on the woven texture. Now I am going to take you through step by step how to paint a basket in a similar manner.
Materials Needed
- black flat or satin spray paint (I used this one)
- white acrylic paint (I used this one)
- a small flat paint brush (similar to the far left one in this set)
- drop cloth or cardboard
Instructions
- Prepare your basket. Using a bristle or wire brush, gently remove any dirt or debris from your basket. Do not clean with an oil-based cleaner, but you may wipe away dust with a damp rag if needed.
- Place the basket on a drop cloth or large piece of cardboard outside.
- Using your spray paint, spray all accessible surfaces of the basket, holding the can about a foot away.
- Allow it to dry, move the basket, and repeat until all of the surfaces of the basket are painted. You will have to keep rotating to make sure you don’t miss any spots. Baskets can be a little tricky with all of their crevices.
- Using your flad brush, start painting Swiss crosses, using the weave of the basket to create a designated cross area. You can see below, how I used the basket weave to paint mine. You can also see that I didn’t do a good job of cleaning my own basket, but you totally should 😉 .
- Repear the cross pattern in a way that makes sense on your basket. You can see how I created a repeat on mine below.
- Re-coat your crosses as needed, until they are solid white enough for you. I ended up applying three coats of white to my basket.
Once it’s done, you are ready to utilize your basket! As you can see, I hung mine on my door in place of a wreath. I’ve filled it with my favorite plant, pothos. I love pothos because they are so easy to grow, don’t need a lot of light or attention, and they are really easy to propagate meaning over time one plant turns into many. You just have to love a plant that fills your home so abundantly!
Pothos also has a beautiful cascading effect and looks so lush draping over shelves or the sides of baskets.
In our old home, I had a much more bohemian style because it suited the vibe of the home, and I didn’t have a toddler running around touching all the plants and things. This house has definitely gone in a less maximalist approach (I am reluctant to use minimalist because that is not me either!), but I love the bohemian touch that this basket adds to our door and porch.
Thank you so much for visiting and checking out my painted basket today! If you like it, I would love it if you’d share.
Today I’m joined by some of my blogging friends who are also sharing their summer wreath ideas! Just click the links below the images to be taken to their post…
DIY Dollar Store Lemon Wreath with Ferns at The Happy Housie
Blue Hydrangea Wreath at The Tattered Pew
DIY White Rose & Eucalyptus Wreath for Summer at Modern Glam
Summer Basket Wreath at Clean & Scentsible
Swiss Cross Door Basket at Cassie Bustamante
Foraged Wreath at Life is a Party
Minimalist Modern Summer Hoop Wreath at This is Simplicite
DIY Hydrangea Wreath at Dans le Lakehouse
Nautical Summer Cottage Wreath at Tatertots and Jello
DIY Floating Starfish Wreath at Finding Silver Pennies
DIY Easy Crafts Wreath Pillow at My 100 Year Old Home
Edible Fruit Salad Summer Wreath at My Sweet Savannah
Summer Vibes Wreath at Amidst the Chaos
Cheery Summer Yarn Wreath at a Pretty Life
Summer DIY Wreath at Joanna Anastasia
DIY Summer Wreath Idea at She Gave it a Go