How to Update Old Baskets with Driftwood Stain Or Other Gray Stain

Do you have old baskets that need some love? Read on to see how to update old baskets with driftwood stain, gray wood stain, or gray craft paint!

I’ve mentioned it more times than I can count , but I’m slowly getting rid of lots of dark brown decor in my home to lighten things up. Many of you have indicated you can relate!

Some of our home updating projects include:

• How to Paint a Stone Fireplace
• Painting Candlesticks and Other Household Items
• How to Paint Cabinets Without Priming

My latest projects are mostly focused on our basement.  It was so dark it almost looked like a dungeon.

This simple DIY was fast and easy – my favorite!

As a matter of fact, after I completed this basket makeover, I’ve gone on a search in closets for more to update. Gray was my focus for this basket, but I’m anxious to try it with white, tan, and a mix of all of the above.

Gather up your supplies and let’s get started!

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SUPPLIES for painting baskets with wood stain:

• An old basket to update!
• Rust-Oleum Driftwood Stain (I’m not able to find it anymore so I linked to some similar options), Minwax Classic Gray Stain, or gray craft paint
• Small Craft paint brush.  I had several from previous projects that I used, but these look awesome!
• Towels or drop clothes

STEPS TO UPDATE OLD BASKETS WITH WOOD STAIN

1. Grab an old basket that no longer fits in your decor style or color scheme.

This brown basket of mine is definitely in need of some updating. You can see the chaos in the background from all of my basement projects.  Painting the fireplace is done, but I have lots left to go!

I love decorating with baskets, especially tray style baskets. Trays are a great way to group things together in a fun little vignette.  If you want some ideas on grouping decor items, check out this post.

2. Start painting!

Grab an inexpensive craft brush, dip it into your stirred can of wood stain, and get started.  Be sure to complete this project on an old towel as the stain is thin and will likely drip.

I promise, there is no real science involved with this.  Paint a very light coat of stain, occasionally wiping away areas you feel are too heavy.  My goal was to have some of the original color peeking through, so I went very light on the stain.

Painting the entire basket probably took me 10 minutes.  The can of stain indicated a dry time of 1 hour, but my basket was still sticky at that point.  I would let it dry at least over night before using.

Such a subtle difference, but SO much better!  Now to decide where I will put it!

For this picture, I put it on our outdoor table with my new air plant.  I’m still really loving our updated outdoor space and string lights.  It’s the little things, you guys!

Do you have any old baskets you were considering trashing? Give this a try first! You might just love it.

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