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Home » DIY & Crafts » DIY Modern Magazine Basket – Thrift Store Makeover #swapitlikeitshot

10/09/2015 · 16 Comments

DIY Modern Magazine Basket – Thrift Store Makeover #swapitlikeitshot

DIY & Crafts

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What would you say if someone wanted to send you a box of miscellaneous thrift store purchases of their choosing? Then said that you have to revamp whatever you get into something that actually works in your home? Probably, “Um, no, that’s crazy”.  But that’s how the game of #swapitlikeitshot is played, and I have trouble turning down a fun challenge.

Swap itCharlotte from Ciburbanity came up with this insanity and recruited 40 bloggers to join in this time. Each of us went shopping for $10 worth of thrift store goodies, and shipped them off to our assigned victim..err..blogging friend. And we each received a box from our new enemy….err…blogging friend.

Let’s start with what I received in the mail from Corinna, who blogs at A Designer At Home. And if you’re visiting from Corinna’s blog, WELCOME! You can read a little more about me here in a fun interview or here on my legit about me page. 

I was seriously nervous waiting for my box of goodies from Corinna. What if I had NO ideas? What if she sent me something insane to work with, like a shrunken head? I mean, I’ve seen some crazy stuff in thrift stores!

When I tore into my box, she gave me ALOT to work with! Three baskets, two glass candle holders, and a set of metal napkin rings. Wow!

What was I going to do with all this stuff? #swapitlikeitshot

If I had unlimited time, and a green thumb, I would have macramaed the smaller round basket and the tall basket together into a two tiered hanging planter. Wouldn’t that have been cool? But, since I didn’t have time to learn a new skill, and I am known to kill plants, I needed a different plan.

Sometimes you just get lucky and inspiration strikes.

I decided to work with the tall basket, and weave chunky yarn between all the diagonal sections to add a little softness and fun. Before I started, I painted the whole thing white.

Then I sat down in front of  Jimmy Fallon to see if my idea would actually work. On the TV, he wasn’t in the living room. That would have been a way better story.

Lookie here, progress!

Thrift store basket transformed. Paint and chunky weight yarn give this old basket a fresh new look.

Once I figured out the best way to get the yarn woven through the basket, it actually went quicker than I expected.

I cut a long piece of yarn, enough for three rows. Otherwise I would have been pulling the whole skein through each gap.

Then I just used my vinyl weeding hook to push and pull the yarn through. I wanted more yarn to show, so I went with a pattern of going over two rows, under one, over two, etc.

Don’t stab your other hand that’s probably inside the basket when you put your hook through to grab the yarn. It hurts.
Thrift store basket transformed. Paint and chunky weight yarn give this old basket a fresh new look.

I used the flat back of the hook when I needed to start pushing the yard through to the inside of the basket. Once I got some through, I could pull the rest of the tail with my hands.

Thrift store basket transformed. Paint and chunky weight yarn give this old basket a fresh new look.

When I was done, I decided the rim of the basket needed an accent color. It would have been easier to decide that before the yarn, but I was still able to tape it off and paint the rim with copper metallic spray paint.

When the paint was dry, I had a new place to store magazines!

Thrift store basket transformed. Paint and chunky weight yarn give this old basket a fresh new look.

Leaving the rim the original wood would have been a nice touch in retrospect. But overall, I think it turned into a pretty cool transformation!

I think I’ve got a plan for the napkin rings Corinna sent too, but I’ll get back to those after the One Room Challenge (don’t know what I’m talking about – check THIS out!)

Now don’t forget, I had to go shopping for thrift store items to ship too! It was extra fun for me because my items happened to be going to Angela from Blue i Style. We are real life friends (seperated by 700 miles)! In fact, we had just met Charlotte (the #swapitlikeitshot host) together on a trip to New York City.

DIYBasketWeaving-2

Anyways…I found this granny peeling apples art and became obsessed with the frame. It had some fun potential. I kinda wanted to keep it and use mirror paint on the glass to turn it in jewelry tray. I also scored a crisp legal size clipboard, perfect for a blogger who is as obsessed with organization as I am. I wanted something blue to keep up with Angela’s Blue i Style name, and lucked into some blue fabric.

Click here to see what Angela made. I might have already seen it and know it’s brilliant.

 

Baskets are an easy thrift store find and are great for organizing, but what if they aren't your style? Think outside the box (basket?) by weaving an accent color and adding paint. Love the tip for how to weave the yarn in this tutorial! Search the hashtag #swapitlikeitshot on social media to follow along with all the fun or check out our Pinterest Board. Here’s the full list of participants!

MONDAY

That’s My Letter / DIY On the Cheap / Run To Radiance / The Gathered Home

Two Thirty Five Designs / Chaotically Creative / Decor Adventures / Homemade By Carmona

TUESDAY

Thoughts From Alice / Reinvented / Confessions Of A Serial Do-It-Yourselfer / Restoration Redoux

Always Never Done / I Am a Homemaker / Black and White Obsession / Windgate Lane

WEDNESDAY

Town and Country Living / brepurposed / The Charming Farmer / 58 Water Street

Designer Trapped In A Lawyer’s Body / Year of Serendipity / White House Black Shutters / Desert Domicile

THURSDAY

Two Purple Couches / Like A Saturday / Finding Silver Pennies / Artsy Chicks Rule

Something to Be Found / Shades of Blue Interiors / Simple Designing / Our Southern Home

FRIDAY

Evey’s Creations / Dragonfly and Lilypads / Weekend Craft / Ciburbanity

A Designer At Home / Polished Habitat / Blue i Style / Addicted 2 DIY

Post shared at: Remodelaholic

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melissa

Melissa George

In 2013, Melissa founded Polished Habitat to share her passion for intersecting style and function to make everyday life more beautiful and less stressful. She does this by sharing easy home organization tips, home decor tutorials, and creative ideas to help readers think outside the box, no matter their budget. Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more. In 2018 & 2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, Polished Habitat was shortlisted for the Amara Blog Awards Best Interior Styling Blog - International. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Brynne@TheGatheredHome says

    10/09/2015 at 7:49 am

    That basket is amazing, Melissa! I adore the black yarn pattern – such a genius idea!

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      10/09/2015 at 6:56 pm

      Thank you Brynne, sometimes you get lucky and a unqiue idea comes out of nowhere!

      Reply
  2. Corinna - A Designer At Home says

    10/09/2015 at 8:40 am

    I love the transformation so much! Your other idea would have been very cool, but I love this, too!

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      10/09/2015 at 6:55 pm

      Thank you Corinna, it was so fun!

      Reply
  3. Bee says

    10/09/2015 at 8:59 am

    That looks so awesome! Great job!

    Reply
  4. Charlotte @ Ciburbanity says

    10/09/2015 at 9:21 am

    I love this basket! What a fun and simple way to totally transform something that I see at the thrift store ALL the time! The wool is killer, by the way! Thanks for being part of #swap! So clever!!

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      10/09/2015 at 6:28 pm

      Thanks Charlotte, so glad we met you and ended up playing along. So fun!

      Reply
  5. Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says

    10/09/2015 at 9:38 am

    Wow!! That looks amazing! What a great idea!
    Nancy

    Reply
  6. Angela, Blue i Style says

    10/09/2015 at 6:19 pm

    I just love the way the basket looks with the yarn woven through! So much more modern!

    Reply
  7. Jillian says

    10/12/2015 at 8:12 pm

    Wow what a difference the yarn makes!!!!! Looks awesome!

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      10/12/2015 at 8:28 pm

      Thank you Jillian!

      Reply
  8. Emily @ Two Purple Couches says

    10/12/2015 at 10:24 pm

    It’s amazing what some spray paint and yarn can do – wow!!! This looks like a cool Target find!!

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      10/15/2015 at 9:01 am

      Wow – thanks Emily!

      Reply
  9. Trisha D. @Black and White Obsession says

    10/16/2015 at 3:37 pm

    I really like the colors you chose Melissa. Such a sweet touch to add that thick grey yarn!

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      10/16/2015 at 8:40 pm

      Thanks so much Trisha!

      Reply
  10. Jessica @ Decor Adventures says

    10/28/2015 at 1:18 pm

    Hi Melissa,

    What a great makeover and I love that you used yarn! I’m an occasionally knitter and just got some supplies to start weaving. Maybe when I have time!

    Now I have more ideas for makeovers from this! Glad to be on the Swap with you 🙂

    Reply

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Welcome!

In 2013, Melissa started Polished Habitat to share her skill of mixing decor & organization to add style & function to everyday life at home.

Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more.

In 2018 &  2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, she was also short-listed by the Amara Blog Awards for Interior Styling, International Division.

Need to reach Melissa?
Email: Melissa @ PolishedHabitat.com

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