Create a pet basket

Give an old laundry basket new purpose by upcycling it into a cute and quirky pet basket.

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 51

Finished project

You will need

Hand saw or coping saw, testpot brushes and a small piece of sandpaper
Small plastic cable ties (black), chalk, and a small piece of balsa wood
Resene testpots - Sarah chose 3 Resene Noir testpots and 1 Resene Charlotte testpot
Resene Blackboard Paint

Before

Finished project

Instructions

Top tip: Use this as a family project and get young and old involved. Try using Resene FX Metallic testpots for extra bling.

Step one
Make sure the basket is clean and suitable for modifying. i.e. It won’t collapse when you cut an opening into it! Carefully mark out where your opening will be for a small dog or cat to be able to climb into the basket. Then carefully cut with a hand saw (or coping saw if you have access to one).

Step one contd.
To prevent the open ends of this basket from coming loose, use a few small plastic cable ties to hold the weaker areas together and trim the lengths off with scissors.

Step two
Give some of the freshly cut edges a gentle sand to smooth them off and remove any sharp splinters. Apply two coats of your chosen paint colour. Sarah chose Resene Noir and applied the paint with a testpot brush. You don’t have to be very neat or careful when painting a woven surface like this, it’s all about coverage! Sarah needed three testpots to be able to sufficiently cover the whole basket.

Step three
Once your main colour is dry, add an accent colour if you wish. Sarah decided to add a bright pop of colour around the edge of the basket using a small paintbrush and a two coats of Resene Charlotte.

Step four
To make a sign for the pet basket, cut a small piece of balsa wood to fit along the front of the basket under the opening. Paint with two coats of Resene Blackboard Paint. Once the paint is dry, pop a couple of holes in the balsa for hanging with a final two cable ties.

Step four contd.
Sarah added a couple of cute hand-painted paw prints in Resene Charlotte to match the basket trim.

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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