20 Ways to Upcycle Easter Baskets

Don't throw away your basket after Easter festivities this year. Spruce it up with our easy tips, and use it for storage instead.

By: Jennifer Perkins

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Photo By: Jennifer Perkins

Photo By: Jennifer M Ramos

Photo By: Jennifer Perkins

Weaving Beauty

Weave up something clever by embellishing your basket with ribbon. Cut away the horizontal weaving in the basket, and weave in decorative ribbon in its place.

Wood-Burned Basket

Give a wooden basket a boho makeover with a few abstract wood-burned designs. Remove and discard the basket handle, and use a wood-burning tool to add random designs. It'll transform the basket from Easter to earthy.

Laundry Cord Makeover

Let the kids keep their Easter basket all year long with this clever makeover. Remove the handle, and wrap the plastic basket in cotton laundry cord using a hot glue gun on the lowest setting. Cut out and attach circles from sticky-back foam, and spray with blue fabric paint. Once dry, remove the stickers and place them back on in a different pattern, and spray with hot pink paint. Allow to dry before removing the circles.

Rainbow Revamp

Just by removing the handle, some Easter baskets can quickly become year-round decor. Get creative with craft paint and a design that lends itself to the shape of the basket, like a rainbow.

Upcycled Shelving

Mount square baskets to the wall, and display plants, pictures and trinkets. To do this, remove the handles, and fasten a picture hanger to the backside.

Fabric Dye Basket

Fabric dye also works on raw wood, not just fabric. Follow the instructions on the dye packaging, and paint dye onto the raw wood basket to create an ombre effect. If you prefer a solid color, you can also submerge in a dye bath.

Tater Tote Bag

Ask the Easter bunny for a multifunctional tote bag in lieu of a basket. You can use the bag all summer long by potato stamping a summer-friendly design onto the bag.

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Metallic Coil Basket

Add some shine to a plain coil basket with gilded fabric paint in your favorite pattern. Store fabric scraps or wrapping paper inside to keep clutter at bay.

Stitched Basket

Plastic baskets with holes are perfect for stitching. Stitch starburst patterns with yarn, and use the basket to store books and movies.

Rainbow Basket

Color-blocking, color-dipping or ombre — paint is one of the easiest ways to update a plain basket. To get this look, paint a rattan basket in three different colors with fabric spray paint.

DIY Tassel Basket

Tassels are an easy way to add color to virtually anything. Add tassels in various shades in the same hue to a ready-made basket to give it an entirely new look. Make your own tassels following our easy instructions>>

Fabric-Wrapped Wire Basket

A wire basket looks cold and uninviting, but it is practical if you want the contents inside to be visible. Add color and texture, by wrapping the basket with fabric. To make, cut strips of fabric, wrap around the wire and hot glue often to secure.

Serape Basket

A serape, a traditional Mexican textile, isn't just for wearing. Cover a plain wooden basket, and attach decorative trim or ribbon around the top edge. Fill with colorful flowers to make a festive centerpiece.

Embellished Beach Bag

Give a basket that will work all spring and summer by embellishing a bag with retro flower looms, pom-poms and trim.

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Spice Up Your Stitches

Try some intricate stitches and pom-poms to easily upgrade a plain plastic basket into colorful year-round storage.

Woven Basket

Who needs a loom when you have a basket? If you're an expert weaver or even if you're new to it, you can embellish a rattan basket using yarn and a large needle. Create the warp of your weaving (vertical), and use different types of yarn as your weft (horizontal).

Doily Basket

Attach colorful doilies (dye them if you can only find white ones), and attach to a plain basket with craft glue.

Hexagon Fabric Basket

Use fabric scraps, a die cutting machine and decoupage medium to spice up boring storage bins.

Embroidered Basket

Use a large needle and crewel yarn to embroider a simple design on a plain basket. Glue pom poms for an extra playful touch.

Try Terrazzo

Try out the terrazzo trend by wrapping a sheet of speckled air-dry clay onto a basket. Cinch and trim edges then allow to dry completely.

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