Tips on Restoring Old Baskets

With the holidays having arrived, the one thing many of us have in common is gift baskets.

We have been recipients of as well as bestowed gift baskets ourselves upon friends and family.

Have you looked in your closet, or wherever you keep all your holiday and craft items, and actually counted the number of baskets you have?

What are you planning on doing with them?

Are you planning to use them again this year?

That is wonderful. However, do they still look like new? On the other hand, have they seen better days?

Tips on how to facelift baskets- hide it

Yes, hide the wear and tear on the inside with a fabric lining. Pick a remnant that you have lying around and cut to fit. Hot glue the edges down around at the corners. No one will ever be the wiser as to how scratched the basket was before.

Tips on how to facelift baskets- bring in reinforcements

Wrap the basket in raffia to reinforce the weak spots from repeated use and normal wear and tear. Raffia comes in natural as well as several different colored packs so chose the one that best matches your basket. Tie off at the top with a pretty raffia bow. Hot glue the ends to the basket.

Tips on how to facelift baskets- fix it like a 'do

Take your hairdryer to it. Blow-dry the corners and the edges to dislodge any particles that remain and then hold upside down and pat the bottom. Particles will no longer be visible and the basket can be used for whatever use you deem it appropriate.

Tips on how to facelift baskets- think like your kitchen sink

Clean the basket. Mix a quart of soapy water, with a quarter cup of bleach or vinegar. Wet a scrubber or scrub brush and scrub clean the basket. Either let it dry in a dish drainer or let air dry outside in the sun. Spritz a little citrus or holiday fragrance spray along the bottom and the inside edges and you are good to go with a like new basket to repurpose.

Tips on how to facelift baskets- rainbows are nice

Is the basket a dreary and dingy blue? Moreover is it a- does- not- match- anything- orange color? Is it too a bright yellow or too dark purple? Take the basket outside, along with some newspaper and some spray paint and give the basket a facelift with color. Go with water based spray paint, as there are fewer fumes to inhale.

Enjoy the pleasure of giving this season. Rest assured you would not be out of baskets once you have provided them all with facelifts. Someone will present one to you this year. After all, is that not how you ended up with most of yours in the first place?