Boring Baskets Be Gone: My Basket Makeover

Yesterday, we chatted about the unique treatments that can enhance a plain and simple basket. I teased that I had completed my own basket transformation and, now, here it is!

My 50¢ thrift store basket, despite its humble origins, became an understated plaster cachepot that could have easily been purchased at an antique shop. I'm in love and that's all there is to it.

For this transformation, I started by gathering the following supplies:

(a bucket, trash bag, Plaster of Paris, pushpins, wax paper and a basket)

I started by lining my bucket with a trash bag. This would allow for quick and easy clean up of the remaining plaster. In went the plaster, mixed with water according to the box's instructions.

Next, I dunked the basket in the plaster mixture.
I took the trash bag of wet plaster out of the bucket and moved the contents all around and inside the basket for full coverage. Then, I took out the basket and placed 4 push pins in the bottom of the basket for it to rest on while it dried on a sheet of wax paper draped over a cookie sheet (again, for easy clean up). Then, I smoothed out any obvious bumps or bubbles on the plaster-covered basket with my hands.

As you can see, some of the original basket coloring and weave is peeking out from the plaster. It was my intention to keep it that way so that the final product felt handmade, a little imperfect, a little rustic. I let the basket dry for the afternoon.

Once dry, I took some fine grit sandpaper to smooth out the edges.
Sanding also helped define the weave pattern so it didn't get lost in the plaster.
And, now, here it is: my new 50¢ basket-turned-plaster-cachepot!

What do you think? Did I transform this humble basket or what?