French Basket Tray (thrifty makeover with Prima Transfers)
Baskets are just one of those things that can always be found at the thrift store…and in abundance too! I love making them over. I’ve turned this one into a pretty French basket tray.
Hello beautiful friends! I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend. I spent mine working on several small projects.
This French basket tray is just one of them. If you follow along with me over on Instagram, you might have seen what else I was working on in my stories.
I love to share over there as I’m in the process of a project, a snippet or two of my sweet Ryder boy or just any other random thing going on in life.
(while working up the nerve to get in front of the camera more often…lol…one day! ;) ) Anyway, follow along with me over there if you don’t already!
It’s more “live and in the moment”. Instagram has always been my favorite platform. Sure wish they hadn’t messed with the algorithm though. I miss seeing in real-time on the feed. That’s why I love stories so much, they are real-time and up to date.
Anyway, let’s talk this pretty French basket tray here.
French Basket Tray (thrift store makeover)
I actually also Instagrammed this photo in my stories the day I found my project today. I was over running errands for my Dad and stopped in at the thrift store over by him. I found all of these…
Pretty good little haul.
Today’s project is that pretty orange plaid basket tray…
Hee hee…well, it’s ready for some reloving, that’s for sure. And I got 2 of the items I bought that day half off so this basket was only $2.
That orange plaid paper is really something like shelf liner. Quite odd as I’m not sure how they got it on there the way the basket it overlapping.
I’m guessing when it was made?
Sorry for the blurry photo. I didn’t realize I had focused in on my pretty new countertops instead. ;)
Anyway, hopefully you can see what I mean about that liner paper wrapped around the board like so.
I managed to get it off really easily though. It was loose so came right off..mostly.
I did have to tug and pull around some of the basket area.
As you can see above, I painted the basket with Dixie Belle Sea Glass.
Such a gorgeous color. I also used it on this project >>> Nautical End Table Makeover
MATERIALS LIST
Then I painted the wood base in white chalk style paint.
And then decided to dry brush some white over the Sea Glass blue to soften it a touch.
Yes, much better.
Want to know how to dry brush?? Visit this post and video >>> here.
Next, I measured for the center for some grain sack lines in the middle and each side.
I taped it off with my favorite, Frog tape and painted it in with Sea Glass.
Once that stripe was dry, I went back on either side and taped off and painted in the smaller stripes.
Want more detail on the stripes application?? Check out this post here >>> Paint Fabric Instead of Replacing It
Once they were all dry, I lightly sanded over them to give them a bit of a worn look.
Then I used this Prima Marketing Redesign Transfer over that. Well, part of it anyway.
I love these transfers because they make things SO easy.
A lot of them are on the larger side and I don’t always do large pieces of furniture so I have found that you can sometimes use them in parts as I did on this coffee table recently. This one I’m using today is in 3 parts.
Let me state that yes, it can make the French sayings not make sense completely sometimes but I’m okay with that.
This particular transfer in full says something like, “life is a flower, love is the honey”. So my basket says, “life is a flower, love”.
I suppose I will use the part that says “is the honey” on something at some point. Maybe I will add the word “l’amour” above it, just hand-painted in to match instead.
That’s always an option!
So, as I mentioned, I only used one part of it for this project. I actually used the flower part of this transfer for one of the other items in the photo of my thrift store haul above. ;) Stay tuned for that one!
I was thrilled to see this part of the transfer fit perfectly on my sweet little French basket tray.
Simply rub it on with the wood stick that comes with it.
Be slow and methodical about it. Rub and lift as you go.
If you find that not all of the transfer has transferred, or maybe it has even ripped. No worries, just lay it back down and rub again.
Most times you won’t even be able to tell it’s been ripped. (if that is the case)
And done!
Simple as that.
Well almost.
I did seal the entire thing up with one coat of top coat sealer.
So sweet.
I love how it looks here with my teal throw and pink and teal pillows along with those pretty pink flowers.
Those might be my favorite colors. :) Teal and pink, aqua and pink.
I don’t know what it is about those colors together but I just love them.
This turned out much better than I originally thought it would! Love when that happens.
I really think that Prima transfer is the star of this French basket makeover show.
Although it’s been a pretty good while since I’ve done grain sack stripes and I’m kinda loving those too. :)
I hope y’all enjoyed this makeover today. That old orange plaid tray was nothing much to look at before.
It definitely would’ve been easily passed up at the thrift store. But now it’s all ready to be reloved.
PIN it to save it for later!
See you back here later this week with this!
UPDATE!! See it now, here!!
xoxo
Ooo la la, what a lovely makeover! Love the colors, stripes and the transfer makes it perfectly charming. :) It is perfect where you placed it for taking photographs. Wonderful.
Have a great rest of the week!
Thanks, Christina! :) I’m loving those stripes and need more of those in my life! lol Hope you have a great week too! xo
My 2 new favorite things. The flour sack stripes and the transfers. Great ideas.
Yes, you and me both!! :) Thanks, Christina! xo
I love how this turned out!! A tray that’s also a basket? Love it!! Those transfers really are amazing!! xoxo
Thanks, Christy! :) The transfers are SO easy! xo
Belle…turned out very nice. The color scheme in the room is inviting and calming.
Thank you, Christina! :) xo
Beautiful transformation! (As always. :))
Awe, thanks so much, Kathy! :) xoxo
Love this! It looks amazing!
Thank you, Jayne! :) xo
Wow, what an amazing difference, it’s such a lovely woven tray now! I also love your blues and pinks in this room. They remind me of the “cotton candy” sunsets we see in New England.
OH my gosh, yes, Kaycee!! You are so right, it does look just like that. Love those sunsets here too…maybe that’s why I love these colors so much!! :) And thank you! xoxo
Nancy
Wonderful transfer of a backet!!!!! I love coral and acqua together. I’m not familiar with Prima transfers; where do you buy yours? I have a tray I could do this idea and I believe I would love it even better. I love your blog and when you go shopping with Christy!!! Ya’ll are a hoot together and love all you do. Thanks for sharing.
your blog friend,
jean
Where can I buy coastal design Prime transfers? I would lo vs to do.my Secretary desk that is painted I two-time coastal color s?
Hi Jean! Thank you! The Prima Transfers are so great and easy to use. You’ll love them!
I actually link all the products I use in my projects inside each post. The little gray box that says “Materials List” has the direct links to purchase anything I’ve used to create the project I’m sharing. I might have to change the header on that to “Source List” or something more descriptive as that might be a little confusing! :) And thank you also for the sweet comment! So happy you love the blog and Christy and my shenanigans! haha We do have fun on our outings! xoxo
Sorry for the spelling but I need a new keyboard in my tablet
No worries, Mary! :) And you will love the Prima Transfers! Hmm, when you say coastal, do you mean something with shells and such in the design? I am not sure I have seen any like that yet. Mostly flowers, French phrases, some fruit prints, etc. That is a good idea though! xo
Your tray is gorgeous! I just love the pale green paint and stencil. Love anything Parisian! Wonderful job!
Thank you, Barbara! :) These transfers are so much fun and make things so simple! xo
Easy Peasy! That’s what I love about your makeover projects! This little tray is lovely and the transfer just kicks it up a notch! BAM!
Aw, thanks Cecilia! :) I love easy ones too!!lol xoxo
Hi Nancy, I love what you did with that tray and ih have the exact tray. How do you get the small stripes for the grain sack look? Sea glass sure matches your decor. Thank you !
Thanks, Cheryl! Oh, I didn’t really photograph that part, did I?? Okay, so once the center line that I taped off and painted is dry, I simply did the same exact thing on either side of the center stripe. Only now you will tape a smaller line/stripe section and paint it off. Actually, I found another post where I DID show how to do the side stripes, check it out here >> https://www.artsychicksrule.com/painting-fabric-instead-of-replacing-it/
Hope that will help! :) xo
As soon as I saw the basket redo, I jumped over to see this tray, cause I’d missed it somehow. Was trying to see if they went together in any way. They’re both simple gorgeous. I would love that basket tho. I didn’t get to keep my grandmother’s sewing basket, but now I know how I’d have fixed it up if I did. WOW!!!
Lovely project, but can’t open any of your links – maybe because it’s asking m to subscribe? I already subscribe, but tried doing it again. Still no luck(:
Hi Deanne! Oh no, what links are you trying to open? If you can explain a little more detail, I can try to help. (I went over to the post and clicked all the links…they worked for me so wanted to find out specifically what you were trying to get to :) ) xo
Wow!!! Gorgeous!!!
Thank you, Lily! xo