Hello, beautiful friends! I’m continuing through my current haul today with a Longaberger basket makeover! I found this basket at the thrift store for $6.98:
The geese stenciled on the top were an unfortunate addition probably in the eighties, or as my kids would say…in the 1900’s lol.
Clean
When cleaning baskets, I usually just give them a good vacuuming with my shop vac…
You don’t want any stray cobwebs to end up in your paint, and this one had quite a few on the bottom.
Sand
The next thing I did was sand the the top smooth in prep for paint, using 220 grit sandpaper:
You don’t have to sand it down to the bare wood, but just enough so that the surface feels smooth to the touch.
Paint
I then painted the entire exterior of the basket in Fluff by Dixie Belle, using my Best Dang Brush:
Painting baskets is much easier with a large flat round brush like this one.
UH OH
I thought I might get some bleeding where I sanded on the top, and I sure did! So, I added a coat of Bonding BOSS and let it sit for 24 hours:
The next day, I painted it with no more bleed through!
Sitting on it overnight also gave me time to change my mind ha ha!
I had originally planned to use one of our new transfers, but I ended up choosing a different one, this gorgeous Indigo Petals transfer instead:
This one is new too! That meant a change of plans for the top of this basket also.
You can see below that I ended up using Vintage Duck Egg Blue and then blended in some Fluff in the center:
You can see how I blend paint on this pretty makeover HERE.
I sanded the top lightly and wiped it down with a clean cloth before applying my transfer.
And then I continued to add pieces until I was happy…
Seal
I just sealed the top on this one using Best Dang Wax which I applied with my La Petite brush:
Then, I used a clean, soft cloth to remove the excess wax and buff the surface:
Longaberger Basket Makeover Reveal
Here is how this once-prized basket looks now!
I kept the bottom a simple white (one coat of Fluff) which I sanded liberally with 220 grit sandpaper to reveal some of the wood beneath…
And here is how the top turned out:
The soft blending on the top really adds so much.
And this Vintage Duck Egg Blue softened with the Fluff in the center worked so nicely as a backdrop for this gorgeous Indigo Petals transfer!
I even painted the leather cording that holds the closure…
The Inside
And what about the inside? I left the interior unpainted, but I did paint the underside of the lid:
This is Vintage Duck Egg Blue full strength with no blending…
Still pretty!
Simple changes really gave this dated piece from the 1900’s a lot more life!
Remember my table top turned shelf I shared back in November??
I decided to keep it to stage with!
You can visit that makeover HERE if you missed it.
That’s another piece done!
Did you see the Longaberger basket just like this one that I redid for my mom in 2021?
Her painting on the top was much prettier than this one, but she was ready for a change.
See what I did with her basket HERE.
I love crossing projects off my to-do list!
See anything you may have missed at the links below:
Bunny Rocker Makeover
Small Glass Door Cabinet Makeover
Estate Sale Dresser Makeover
HUGE Estate Sale Tool Box
Estate Sale Mirror Makeover
$5 Yard Sale Night Table Makeover
Update a Thrifted Box for the Holidays
Black Painted Antique China Cabinet
Turn Old Frames into New Holiday Decor
How to Upholster a Louis XVI Armchair
How to Repurpose a Table Top (&bonus…see what I did with the rest HERE.)
Dated Bar Stool Makeover
Update a Yard Sale Tote for the Holidays
Painting the Smalls #31 (the dollar edition)
IKEA Bookcase Makeover
$5 Yard Sale Night Table Makeover
I’ll get to cross a bunch off with this round of smalls I’ll be sharing on Thursday:
Woohoo!
UPDATE: See this fun bunch HERE now!
Hope to see y’all then!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Karen says
Absolutely lovely makeover of this basket. Color choice is excellent , and so are the transfers used. Inspiring !
Christy says
Thank you so much, Karen! XOXO
Mary Kaiser says
Wow, so pretty! Amazing that you can take something from the “1900’s” and make it beautiful! LOL your kids sound like mine! I just tell them I am keeping stuff from ending up in the land fill for them and their children! Love the transfer you used!
Christy says
Ha ha that’s so funny! They like to tell me I’m old lol. Thank you so much, my friend! XOXO
Janice Redden says
Christy, what a beautiful difference! Boy, how many 80’s era “motifs” haunt us!!! I have that same LB basket, sans the geese, and every time I look at it I think about redoing it…maybe now I will … love your mom’s basket redo, too.
Looking forward to your “small haul” on Thursday; just noticed you gathered a lot of wooden tool boxes/totes this haul…they are so handy…
Christy says
Thank you so much, Janice! What were we thinking in the 80s?? It was good for a laugh! I also had an americana theme lol. This is a great style of basket to redo with a hard top. Yes, I had several toolboxes this round. Isn’t that funny? I always grab them when I see them! See you Thursday, my friend! XOXO
Kathy W says
Hi Christy – The basket is so pretty. I love the Vintage Duck Egg Blue (perfect for a 1900’s basket ????) with the Indigo Petals transfer and the blending DOES make such a difference!! I have a question about DB’s Silk-All-In-One paint (one of my favorite DB paint). Since it has a top coat built in, would transfers work on top of the paint?
Thank you for sharing the basket makeover!! Luckily, I have a similar basket…now I know what to do with it (thanks to you!!). Woo-hoo, smalls on Thursday!!!!!
Kathy W
oxox
Christy says
Hi Kathy! Thank you! I love this new transfer against the Duck Egg Blue with the blending. Transfers work beautifully on top of Silk paint. You would probably want to add an additional topcoat to protect the transfer though, just on the areas where the transfers are. And I’m so glad this post gave you a little inspo! See you Thursday! XOXO
Cecilia says
lol, the 1900’s…put that way, it sounds long time ago but then I keep thinking the 90’s were like ten years ago, lol. Then I remember how old my daughter is (she was born in 1990). Ha. I remember the geese and French blue/mauve trend. Yikes. And I remember people talking about how they wish they could buy a Longaberger basket. Haha, lots of memories.
Love the blending on the basket top! Perfect backdrop for the gorgeous transfer. Looking forward to the smalls makeovers. Always fun .
Christy says
Ha ha right?? My boys call it the 1900’s all the time…makes it seem so long ago for sure when it really doesn’t seem that long ago! I remember Longaberger baskets were so coveted! Thanks, Cecilia! XOXO
Karen H says
The basket turned out beautiful! I love the decals you chose! I have a similar Longaberger basket I bought back “in the 1900s,” but mine doesn’t have the lid or feet. I didn’t know what to do with it, but painting it and putting towels in it is a great idea! I assume you also painted the inside? Nice job, Christy!
Christy says
Thank you, Karen! Ha ha! You could use it for extra TP too! I did not paint the inside…just the underside of the lid, but if I were to, I would probably spray prime with Rustoleum spray primer, and then spray paint the interior, since it would be hard to get it good with a brush. XOXO
KarenHKarenHKaren Haskins says
Thank you for the tip! That’s exactly how I’ll paint it! Xoxo
Christy says
My pleasure! XO
Lorri says
I like the color that you painted the basket but I have to say that I dont like this transfer.. I dont know if it is the flowers I dont like or the color. For me this is a miss but your staging is top notch as always!!! Love your shelf.????
Christy says
I appreciate your honest feedback, Lorri! Thank you! I do love this one, but I get that blue isn’t for everyone! XOXO
Rhonda Dunaway says
Thanks for sharing — the basket is utterly gorgeous! Those transfers are in a package that will be arriving on my doorstep any day now. Now I’m even more excited to get my hands on them.
Christy says
Thanks so much, Rhonda! Oh yay! I love this transfer so much!! Have fun with yours! XOXO
Charleen says
How lovely!! Much better than the geese. I had guessed wall border in my kitchen with blue gingham wallpaper. It was pretty and a bit expensive. I did the work my self. Love your choices in this ????. Take care.
Christy says
Thank you, Charleen! I can totally picture your kitchen…I bet you were the envy of your friends! We all wanted that look lol! XOXO
Cyndi says
That’s SO much better. So pretty! (And I would have kept that shelf too if I were you. 🙂 )
Christy says
Thank you, Cyndi! I had to keep the shelf, and I am so glad I did! It’s hard to let go sometimes ha ha! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
OMG, Christy, the 1900s! My niece once asked me if they had cobblestone streets when I was a kid in the 1900s ???? Yeah, I wasn’t so amused.
Anyway, the basket is beautiful now. With all the choices you have, I don’t know how you decide which transfer to use! This combination is definitely a winner, I don’t see it sticking around the booth for long.
Christy says
OH EM GEE ha ha that is hilarious! Thank you! It was not easy to choose for sure! XOXO
Michele M. says
Oh isn’t that gorgeous now?????? Never thought we’d paint the pricey-back-then Longaberger baskets, did we? But look at the magic you created.
I absolutely adore that Vintage Duck Egg Blue. It is such a nice color.
Christy says
Thank you, Michele! We would have died if someone painted their coveted Longaberger back then! The sheer cost people paid still has them afraid to paint them today, I’m sure! They do paint up so nicely though. And I adore Duck Egg Blue too! XOXO
Sandra W Magle says
Hi, Christy. One of the things you do the best…is change your mind, LOL. Adding the darker color on top with fluff in the middle added some depth to the otherwise boring surface. Just one of those little extras that ‘artsy’ people do in midstream when they chan ge their minds. Having taught all sorts of painting classes—getting students to ‘risk’, ‘experiment’ and ‘break away’ from the expected was always the biggest challenge! Sandi
Christy says
Hi Sandi! Aww thank you so much! It’s funny how plan B works out better sometimes! I always think to myself that it’s just paint and can easily be sanded away, but I can see how it might be difficult to take risks! XOXO
p says
So fresh and pretty now .
No more 1900’s….. ooooo ! (those crazy kids)
Christy says
Thank you, P! Ha ha they are so silly! XOXO
Catherine says
Great makeover!! Love the colors and transfer!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Catherine! XOXO
Nana Diana says
Very lovely. I love the shaded effect on the lid. It’s beautiful. xo Diana
Christy says
Thank you, Diana! I’m so glad you like it! XOXO
Shelley says
Love the basket! Just because I like liners in baskets -from drop in liners to padded liners that are attached- I probably would do that just for fun making sure what I put in did not detract from the transfer which I love. I agree with others – it was a great choice.
It amazes me that you find things in such good condition. Everything I come across takes so much work to get it repaired and prepped – I shudder to contemplate. Would love to find a vintage sewing box with legs and fold out drawer hinges that is good enough to refurbish!
Great job!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Shelley! I do also enjoy seeing baskets lined. I was so happy that the paint didn’t come through at all and the inside was in such great shape, that I left it this time. A liner is always pretty and unexpected though! I do get lucky finding things in pretty nice condition. This was in great shape aside from the geese. Best of luck in your search for a vintage sewing box! XOXO
Robin says
You always reimagine baskets in a cute fashion, Christy!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Robin! XOXO