Cute Washi Tape Basket

Last week when I was digging through my baskets for the thrift store basket with leather belt, I remembered this great idea for a cute washi tape basket  idea from my friend Jeanie at Create & Babble. She left her basket au natural, but I decided to paint my basket. After spray painting the last basket, I opted to paint this cute basket by hand.

Materials for Cute Washi Tape Basket

Here’s what you will need to make a cute washi tape basket.

• Thrift Store Basket
• Paint
• Chip Brush
• Washi Tape
• Scissors

I love this set of washi tape, and thought it would be perfect for that basket.

Paint Basket Pink

When I went looking for pink paint on my craft paint shelf, I reached for this Milk Paint instead of acrylic paint. I’m really glad I did. Although it is a really flat paint, it’s thin and it was perfect to use with this chip brush.

While painting, check for runs that may be going through to the other side.

Related Content: Decoupage Basket

Place Brush in Baggie

First, I painted the bottom of the basket and all the sides, then I painted the inside. After the first coat, I put my brush in a small snack baggie and waited for the paint to dry.

In order to make it dry faster, I rested the painted basket on some small paper cups and turned on the ceiling fan in the kitchen. Who else is an impatient crafter like me? I was so excited to get going on the taping, I could barely wait for the paint to dry! Maybe that’s why Jeanie didn’t paint her wicker basket before putting washi tape on it.

Examine Wicker for Bare Spaces Where Paint Didn’t Cover

So, after the first coat dried, I turned the basket upside down again to get any spaces I may have missed with the first coat.

Sanding With Brown Craft Paper

Because the paint is very flat, the directions say to seal it. I didn’t want to do that because I was afraid the Washi tape may not stick to the basket (sealer). Instead, I used my favorite trick of burnishing (sanding) with brown craft paper. It seemed to remove most of the residue that was wanting to rub off onto my hands.

Pretty Pink Washi Tape

Now, I have to decide which patterns of Washi Tape to use.

There were two wide patterns, so I opted for the polka dots. Here, I’m just testing to see how it will lay.

So, these are the three washi tape patterns I decide on.

Adding Washi Tape to Wicker Basket

I just jumped right in and started with the tape, alternating stripes and polka-dots.

These were the first few strips I put in. I actually removed these pieces once I figured out a good way to cut the tape. But I did continue to use a toothpick to tuck the tape under the vertical band.

I had been using a craft knife, but switched to scissors and that worked a lot better. So,I cut each strip of tape about ¼” of an inch longer, and tucked in ⅛ on each side. I did NOT measure the tape. For each piece, I placed it on the horizontal band, leaving about ⅛” on one side, then cutting the other side leaving about the same length.

After placing the washi tape, I lightly pushed down on one side, allowing the tape to slide under the vertical band. Then I would use the toothpick to completely tuck the end under the band.

Looking at the time stamps on the pictures it took less than 1 ½ hours to complete the process. I moved to the living room, put a kitchen towel on my lap and worked on it while I watched T.V.

How To Washi Tape Basket

This is the end result of all my hard work while watching t.v. Now it was time to add the wider Washi tape to the top of the basket.

Add Wide Tape to Band

To add the wider polka dot tape, I started on the back. I left a little “tab” of tape overhanging and worked my way to the right around the basket. When I got back around, I trimmed the tape leaving another small “tab” of tape. I used a craft knife to tuck the right side over and under the band. Then I tucked the left side under the band where the nails are. It gives a really clean look, don’t you think?

How Much Washi Tape Did It Take?

That’s a good question, I was very curious. At the beginning of this project, I had no idea how far the Washi tape would go. This is the roll of polka dot tape on top of another roll of tape that I didn’t use.

You can see there is still a LOT of tape left on the roll of polka dot Washi tape.

After I took this picture, I did some tweaking, removing that really wrinkled piece of striped tape. It was simple to replace with a new piece that wasn’t wrinkled. You can see the difference in the image below.

Isn't this the cutest thing ever? It's perfect for a baby girl's room, don't you agree?

I think my favorite part is how cute the wider washi tape looks around the rim of the wicker basket.

Everyone needs a cute little basket on a dresser to hold diapers for an easy grab! Here, it's staged on a gray dresser makeover I did a while back.

I'd love for you to Save & Share this cute washi tape basket on Pinterest!

I have to say this is my favorite Washi Tape Basket project ever . . . okay--maybe it's my first ever washi tape project.

What do YOU use Washi Tape for?

gail