Wire Baskets and Metal Buckets

 Everyone knows I am wacky about wire baskets.  I picked these up yesterday on clearance at Hobby Lobby. Of course I plan to distress them.  I once bought 125 old gym locker baskets with the numbers attached for a quarter each.  The guy even delivered them to a parking lot near me.  His wife was so thankful I was taking them out of her yard that she kept insisting that he give them to me for free.  I assured her I thought it was a fair deal.  The catch (you know quarter vintage gym baskets had to come with a catch!) - they were stuck together in bunches of ten or twelve - really, really stuck.  I had to drive home with some of them hanging out the back of my Blazer.  When I arrived home, Chucks just shook his head and gave me this advice:  spray'em down with WD40 and carefully pry around them with a long screwdriver.  It worked - it took me several days, but it worked.  I sold them for $8 each - at that time a great price.  I wish I could have them back to sell at today's prices!

I am also mad about metal buckets.  Any kind of metal bucket makes me happy.  These cute rooster buckets came from the sale aisle of Hobby Lobby.  I have purchased a number of these.  They feel like they have an oily finish on them, so I first wash with ammonia water and dry well before painting.  

On both the wire baskets and the buckets I have used whatever paint is handy: latex, enamel, craft, and spray paint - they seem to do the job.

Here are some small buckets.  After cleaning them, I used craft paint in layers: dark green, turquoise, and white.  Then I rubbed off some with a cheap paper towel. (HINT: cheap paper towels are excellent for the final sanding or polishing of any piece - some times I will stick it in a knee high hose for extra roughness.)  I used a reverse Mod Podge treatment to transfer different French designs from Karen at The Graphics Fairy.  The last touch - a bow of torn calico ribbons.  (You had to know I would slip those in somewhere!)

 Hobby Lobby had these candle boxes in the same metal finish in sets of three sizes.  The top set I just sanded down the finish. The middle set I spray painted colonial red. The third set (you can see how they fit inside each other, though I sell them separately) I sprayed  white and then sanded down the finish.  The tags were created using graphics from Karen and tied with tulle or French seam binding. 

Old buckets (usually rusty inside) are given a fresh coat of paint outside and only to the soil line inside for porch plantings.  This one features PLANT in fuchsia StazOn ink with a hive and circling bees in sepia.  I do seal with a couple of coats of satin varnish.

 These wire baskets were given a slap and dash coat of turquoise craft paint, decorated with torn calico ribbons, and tagged with another label from The Graphics Fairy's huge collection.

All the baskets in this collection were painted with a buttery yellow and distressed with a dry brush of off-white.  I tore tulle into strips for the ribbons, added a yellow spray-painted key, and tagged it with a French label (TGF).

 This section of today's post is just a big, old "Thank You" to Karen over at The Graphics Fairy for her wonderful images inspiring people daily.  Just take the time to visit on Brag Monday to view the creations posted.

Parks and Tate label on a turquoise ribbon.

 

Blue hydrangea tags over-stamped with French script with blue French seam binding ribbons.

Marie Antoinette stamped with a crown with an adhesive textured backing.  I include hemp ties, but one customer made a French vocabulary game for her children from these! 

I love these Victorian-looking Merit tags.  I attach a small version to a larger version with mini-jute tied around.

Found this metal tile with an ugly flower painted on it.  I painted it yellow and distressed it.  Using reverse Mod Podge transfer, I added the sepia-toned topiary urn.

I took this dress form, added a skirt of pink tulle, stamped a crown on it, and tied with pink French seam binding.  I tend to use this one for many things - here it is attached to one of the candle boxes.

Turquoise wire basket, pink torn calico ribbon, pink rose label - perfect companions!

I loved this Wake Up America label and placed it on a backing of geometric red paper,  It is tied with navy ribbon on a red candle box.  I have more ideas for this particular label in the coming months!

This has absolutely nothing to do with wire baskets or metal buckets or images from The Graphics Fairy, but I was cleaning out my booth and this just caught my eye.  Just a happy, turquoise-y way to end this post!  Well,  the stars are metal and I distressed all of them so they sort of fit in.

See Y'all!

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