Beachy Basket Makeover
Take a plain thrifted basket and turn it into pretty beachy basket using moulds and air dry clay.
I love how sturdy this basket is. But it really needs a facelift.
First I painted it white.
Now I have a good foundation color before adding the color that I really want on this basket.
This stiff stencil brush will help me to get the next color in all the crevasses. Instead of full coverage I want some of the white to show through.
Now I’m ready to make a mermaid out of air dry clay. When I dust the mould with cornstarch first it makes it much easier to remove the clay.
Using my thumb I remove the access clay around the rim of the cavity.
My clay was a little dry to begin with. So it will crack from the get go. This won’t happen if the clay is fresh. But no worries.
There are easy fixes for all of this.
A wet paint brush will smooth out all the edges very easily. Then I made a paste of clay and water and used that to fix the cracks.
Before she dries, I glue her to the basket with Titebond glue (thick & quick). At the last minute I added a little star fish on the bottom.
Next, let it dry over night.
Before the clay dries it’s a light grayish color. But it turns white when it dries. I did add some bright white paint to brighten it up. I also dry brushed more white paint on the basket. It gave all those straight edges more definition. Then I sealed everything with polycrylic.
Now here is where I go crazy. My brain was telling me she was too bright… too white. The nice thing about painted projects is that if you don’t like the results you can always paint over it.
Sooooo, I decided to add rose gold rub and buff. Add it lightly and then rub some off.
This is what I ended up with. My brain was still not happy. It’s nice but is it nice enough!
Soooo… I ended up taking the safe route and painted her the same blue. To make her stand out I used white wax. Apply it then rub some off with a dry cloth. Everything then needs to get sealed again with polycrylic.
I added a matching messy bow for an extra touch.
Which one if your favorite ?
Thanks for hanging out with me again.
Ill be back soon with a new project.
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That’s good to know. I’m sure I’ll be making more mermaids and I’ll follow your lead. Thanks
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Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
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