Easy Wicker-Look Waterproof Basket
© Stephie McCarthy
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Our waterproof basket is beautiful for the holidays, year round.
It was made from an ordinary plastic laundry basket into a durable garden beauty.
It was easy! We created this by weaving waterproof rope through the holes.
The final touch was these rope dog toys transformed with wood stain.
You can stil see a hint of color in the handles, but we love that!
The basket is so sturdy now, with 300 feet of rope woven through, it will not blow away in a strong wind.
We found the basket on the curb in our neighborhood. I could hardly wait 24 hours once we spotted it. Amazingly it was still there a day later and perfect for the project we had in mind.
Keep your eyes open for good thrifty finds like ours, OR you could use a new basket from the Dollar Store like the one on the left, or the metal one from Amazon on the right.
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Some of the basket will show through the rope, so be sure to pick a color that will blend in well with the wicker look like soft black, brown, tan, or gray.
The three types of rope we used for this project are shown above. You can buy them here …
The Promanila rope is quite stiff but still very workable and will accept stains although it will be a bit light.
The SGT Knots rope is flexible and comes in lots of colors.
We cut the rope into 15-foot lengths and put clear tape on the ends for ease in weaving.
Around and around, in and out, creating a kind of checkered pattern, this project came together quickly because the rope was 1/4" thick.
Much of this was woven while we watched Netflix and YouTube!
An inch from the top, we wrapped the rim with rope, leave a small gap where we could attach handles.
We found the dog toys on sale at PetSmart for $2 each. We removed the stuffed toy with nail scissors.
This is what we found inside on the right. We stained the nylon rope with ordinary wood stain in a hickory shade and let them to dry for 24 hours.
To cover that clear tape we found on the rope, we looped it with a plain nylon rope in a shade that would match the wicker look.
We attached the handles with loops of rope that go around the rim through the holes in the basket. We used 12 loops all together.
All our loose rope ends and knots are hidden inside.
We tinted the basket with redwood stain, let it dry for 24 hours, then lined the inside with a resin planter from Southern Patio / HomeDepot for just $8.00. We found one similar at Amazon that we think will work.
With a sturdy planter inside the basket and a drainage hole added to the bottom, we can plant anything in this from roses, to potatoes, to Spring bulbs without pesky voles eating from below.
This basket also looks great natural, or perhaps finished with white Waverly Wax (check out our supplies page here). Here is a good wood stain for tinting rope if you like the rustic look:
As the season change, this basket will keep looking great no matter the weather …
… and we think it will make a jolly Christmas tree holder!
Especially with a group of baskets of various sizes … weaving in summer evenings.
We think we'll be glad every time we use these.
Check out the video on our YouTube channel for more tips on how to make this craft …
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You may also enjoy our wicker tomato cage project here.
Repair Chippy Wicker with a Toothbrush and 'Wax Paint'
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