Sunday, July 12, 2020

How to Use Baskets and Crates in Vintage Decor


Hi Friends, I'm excited today to be joining in on a Hop with a great group of talented gals created by Cindy from County Road 407. She's put together this fun gathering for those of us that are lovers of farmhouse and vintage decor. This month we're sharing our ideas for using baskets and crates in our vintage decor, vignettes and hopefully gaining some much needed storage.

 If you're coming from visiting our friend Amber
 at Follow the Yellow Brick Home welcome, I'm so glad that you are here. 
Thank you Cindy for such a fun gathering!










This is a very photo heavy post, since I have baskets in use constantly all over the house. Instead of just taking current photos of my baskets and crates I thought I would share photos of them throughout the seasons and holidays. I tend to think of my baskets as "staples" in my decor, so they usually are included in whatever seasonal decor I create. Many times they have a designated spot and they tend to stay there, and I just decorate around them.





I've collected food hampers and lunch baskets for a long time and had them stacked in my hallway 2 houses ago. When we moved to this house I took out my magic white paintbrush and gave them all a good couple of coats of chalk paint. Most of my furniture in the Hearth Room, Kitchen and Garden Room is white so they looked better and went with the flow, all being white. I use these to store my dried hydrangeas, velvet pumpkins, and some holiday ribbon.




Another basket that is in constant use is more like a basket/tray. I keep it on the baker's rack as a catch-all for odds and ends; flower and peat pots and vintage garden goods. Here it is holding my grandmother's set of Homer Laughlin china. When I bought this basket years ago it had a dark green wash, but I repainted it with a French gray to have it blend in with my other decor.




Here it is in the Garden Room on the baker's rack bottom shelf.
As you can see it's filled with garden related items and tends
to be a bit of a catch-all.




At our previous home in the Fall kitchen sitting area...







Another way I use baskets is on a cupboard top to add a little interest,
and to move the eye upward.



I don't add a lot of decor up there, but sometimes a few floral pieces
 or vines that are seasonal. I recently added an old vintage flag
for some patriotic drama in the Hearth Room.




It's a large antique laundry basket
that has it's natural time worn patina.




I have two cupboards in the Garden Room,
where I use a basket on the top.



At this new place I was able to actually use this old pie safe in the Garden Room.
It had been used as storage in our last house, 
so it was nice to be able to use and decorate it. 
This basket is newer and had a natural wicker/wood finish.
It was white washed years ago.




This is a dish cabinet in the casual Dining Area of the Garden Room.
The Garden Room/ Sun Room has a vaulted ceiling so the cupboards
definitely needed something on top to help fill visual space.



This basket is really old and once had a whitewash,
but over time has worn away. 



At our previous home I used one of the gray washed laundry baskets
tipped on it's side so that I could add in some seasonal pieces.



It made a perfect backdrop for all the seasonal decor.

Christmas


Fall



I also keep an antique basket under my Dining Room buffet 
which often is filled with hydrangeas.
Sometimes it makes it's way to the Dining Room table
as a centerpiece filled with vines and seasonal flowers.





Another basket in constant use is my
 rolling market basket which is always filled with seasonal flowers,
and has been hanging out in the Hearth Room.




A few years ago I found a few of these large fishing creels at the vintage markets.
I didn't realize these were actually fish baskets, (yuck) but have 3 of them now
that I sometimes stack. I use these in the formal living room for decor storage.



I think the smaller basket on top is a lunch hamper.



This larger one was dried out and brittle when I found it.
I used a wood stain and wood polish combination to bring it back to life.



(before pic)



Last summer I located a reproduction fishing creel
to replace a vintage one that had finally bit the dust.
It's obvious it's a reproduction, but it's still fun and easily decorated.




I love anything "twiggy" and found a few of these grapevine
baskets a few years ago that I like to use with Ivy and for seasonal vignettes.



Here's another one that I put together permanently with a rabbit for Easter.




I have a small collection of wicker funeral baskets that I love using, especially for Spring.
This one is a fun "Easter Basket".



...and this green metal one that I put together for Autumn.




This new metal Italian wire basket sits on my Dining Room table
most of the time. A few years ago I painted it French Gray from
it's original black finish.
It makes for one huge arrangement that covers
a lot of real estate on my table.




I have a few crates that I use constantly, and the one I go to most of the time is this white crate probably from the 60's. I used it this way with the red logo, but 2 years ago I decided it was more versatile if I would give it a coat of white chalk paint. I'm so glad I did because now I can use it any time or season. I like having a base to corral items for a centerpiece or vignette.












Here it is in the Garden Room this Spring.



...and holding a collection of ivy china.




...then a January candle vignette.




I have a few French wine crates that I've found at fleas or vintage markets,
that are easy for gathering decor and creating a focal point.



I keep another one on the bottom of the etagere in the Garden Room. 
It's another place to keep flower pots and saucers.








Another wine crate holds cookbooks in the old "cookbook nook".




I don't want to forget metal lunch hampers
and all the fun designs they have.




These next 2 small wicker baskets get used throughout the year
 for plants and seasonal displays.









I also have a few wire baskets that are great for seasonal decor.
Here's one on the hearth last Christmas.



I have a love for lambs and sheep, so when I found this crate several years ago it had to come home with me. Right now I'm using it in my Garden Room to hold bags of birdseed. I tend to be a bit messy, so anything I can use to help keep all my "stuff" corralled really helps.




Another fun find is this Arra Apple crate which is perfect for summer vignettes.




And one more basket staple is my Gray wash door basket 
which can usually be found on the front porch or door for most seasons and holidays. 
I love using a basket because it's super easy
to get a large variegated bouquet together in it.





Here it is on the door last Christmas.




And a few years ago for Fall.




Don't you just love this old illustration of baskets?

Thanks so much for coming by.
I hope you'll visit Michelle from The Painted Hinge, next,
to see her wonderful collections of baskets with her vintage decor.
Just click on the links below to catch any of the posts you might have missed.







You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter



Hope you'll join us Monday Evening!




joining in here:

All About Home at Common Ground and Follow the Yellow Brick Home
Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
 Celebrate Your Story at The Zucchini Sisters,  Create Bake, Make at Across the Blvd
Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda,  LouLouGirls Fabulous Party
Tips and Tutorials at Home Stories A to Z,  Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Party in Your PJ's at Apple Street Cottage
  Keep in Touch at Let's Add Sprinkles  
Turnabout Tuesday at My Wee Abode,  Share Your Style at French Ethereal
Charming Homes and Gardens at Shiplap and Shells
Vintage Charm at Our Hopeful Home,  Wonderful Wednesday at LeCultivateur 
Thursday Favorite Things at Follow the Yellow Brick Home,  Grace at Home at Imparting Grace
 Create, Bake, and Grow at Shabby Art Boutique, Farmhouse Friday at The Painted Hinge



18 comments:

  1. This is such a great post, Debra! I love how you showed your baskets and crates throughout the seasons. They're all really pretty. I can hardly believe it's already time to start thinking about Fall and the holidays. It will be here before we know it and if there was ever a year to celebrate it's this one! Hope you're having a happy summer so far, hugs, CoCo

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  2. I always enjoy visiting your blog and admire your mastery at creating a vignette and styling shelves in a cabinet. I so much enjoyed seeing all of your basket and crate ideas and I liked seeing how you use the same pieces in various seasons. If I was to ever visit your home in person, it would take me a long time to tour it as I would have to admire all of your beautiful decor.

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  3. So many cute displays! I love baskets and crates but I tend to use them in more practical ways. You make me want to do up a few for fun! You have a wonderful collection of decor to work with. Anyway it's all just so cheery. I found myself really drawn to your fall displays. Wonderful! Happy Saturday! Hope you're doing well.

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  4. Debra I knew your post would be full of the amazing baskets and crates I have admired over the years on your blog. They are all wonderful and so beautifully displayed. I am still on the hunt for some basket hampers like the ones you painted and I love your funeral baskets too.

    Every photo is delightful!

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  5. They are all wonderful and so beautifully displayed. I am still on the hunt for some basket hampers like the ones you painted and I love your funeral baskets too.

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  6. So many wonderful baskets Debra. I love all your vignettes you made with them. Beautiful.
    Happy Saturday.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  7. Debra you have a gorgeous collection of baskets! I love all the ways you use them and your crates.

    Cindy

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  8. Debra you have so many wonderful ideas collected together I think I may have broken my "pin it" button! LOL Happy Weekend!

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  9. Wow. So fun. I loved looking through all these photos. Your collection and styling are perfection.

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  10. Debra, So fun to see how you use your beautiful collection of baskets all through the seasons. I've always been fond of placing a large basket on the top of a big wood cupboard; so classic country. I'm drooling over your wheeled market basket; would love to find one for myself someday. And your ivy set of dishes is divine. We do love our pretty vintage things, don't we? :)

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  11. I love all your gorgeous basket and crate ideas Debra! I especially love the ones you painted!

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  12. Wow! Wonderful ideas and great decorating ideas !

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  13. Great ideas, Debra. We can't have too many baskets and crates.Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About Link Party.

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  14. I so enjoy your beautiful posts Debra! I am a basket and crate enthusiast! Thank you for sharing with Charming Homes and Gardens! Pinned!

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  15. I loved all the different ways you have used your baskets and crates. I have collected several picnic baskets in the last 2 years and love them for storage. A lot of my basket collection lives on top of the beams in my bedroom with the cathedral ceiling; present, visible, but out of the way!

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  16. Debra,
    I love all of your baskets. I must admit I love them too and always seem to be bringing one home with me. Congratulations, you are being featured at Thursday Favorite Thing. I hope you stop by. https://www.eclecticredbarn.com/2020/07/thursday-favorite-things_22.html
    Hugs,
    Bev

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  17. You've got a great collection of baskets and crates! Love them all and I learn a lot of decorating ideas when I study how you use each of them, Debra. <3 I am having buffet envy... The dining room we have here really is too small to have a buffet AND the small country style stepback cabinet we have, but a girl can dream... <3

    Glad you enjoyed your feature this week at SYS #250,
    Hugs and Happy weekend,
    Barb :)

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  18. Hi Debra,

    Love your collections of basket and how you use them. I have a few collections of baskets but not as interesting as yours. Its my first time here and I'm already loving it. Where can I possibly get a copy of the baskets illustration. I found it very interesting.

    Thanks,
    Mel

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