DIY Color-Dipped Clothes Hamper

Don’t tell me I’m nesting. I’m not nesting okay?! I’m simply washing and scrubbing and prepping and DIYing my heart out because a feel like it. Not because a baby is on the way. 😉

Well now that we’ve got that settled, let’s talk baby clothes hampers. I remember getting Hank a hamper for his room and thinking, “How much could a baby really need a hamper of his own?” The answer? That kid’s hamper sees more action than you could imagine. So in planning for Baby Girl’s room, I was looking for a hamper from the get-go. I couldn’t really find one that I loved or that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. You see where we’re going here, yes? DIY it, baby! We’ve done a color-dipped basket project before, but I updated my technique a little bit after that version, to make this one much more simple and effective.

The best way to tackle this one is to hit up a craft store on a super sale day and get a big basket for a song. This one came from the Michaels basket aisle; it was already marked down and I happened to have a 50% off coupon that made it crazy affordable. After that, if you have a stash of paint your project is paid for!

Materials

• large basket
• painter’s tape
• craft paint
• soft bristle paintbrush

Make Time: 1 Hour (Plus Drying Time)

Step 1: Start by masking off the area that you’d like to paint. The basket I found had a block of dark blue paint around the bottom and I knew I wanted to cover that, so I just masked that area. Apply the painter’s tape in sections, eventually completing a ring around the entire basket. Press and smooth the edges of the tape to get it to adhere as best you can.

Step 2: Use your soft bristle paintbrush to paint on a thick layer of paint. Start at the masked area, and paint down and away from the tape; this creates the cleanest line and the least opportunity for the paint to seep underneath the tape. Paint around the entire basket, leaving the bottom unpainted for now.

Step 3: Allow the first coat to dry and, if necessary, go back and apply a second coat for better coverage. Once the second coat is painted, remove the tape and flip the basket over.

Step 4: Paint the bottom of the basket using the same painting technique. Allow to dry and apply a second coat if necessary.

Step 5: Allow the paint to completely dry and cure (we recommend a couple of days for curing). If you’d like, apply a few furniture pads to the base of the hamper to protect your floors.

It’s totally surreal to me that in a couple of months this little basket will be filled with little girl clothes. Surely that’s a dream, right?! Oh and by the way, you can make this hamper basket for grownups too! Just find a basket in a size that will work for you and get your paint on. Have fun! xoxo