The Spring season seems to be inspiring a lot of us into making happy colorful things. This Friday I’ll have for you one of those Spring-y projects that will make even the  ”Grouchiest” one smile. Today I’ve decided that, although not colorful inspired; I’ll give a new look to my rattan planter. This accessory has been with me for years and it literally had ran from corner to corner around my house. Nevertheless, it has always fulfill each of those corners by adding an accent. But the time has come for it to transform into something a little more update.

Before I start I have some great ideas on how to transform any natural fiber basket (in my case, a planter) with just a little paint an a lot of creativity. Some examples are from well-know stores, but are here to spark your imagination.

  

Photo via West Elm

Photo via Martha Stewart

Photo via West Elm

Photo via Little Green Notebook

1.2.3 Photo via Connected Goods

From blagh to dang!!!

Originally, my rattan planter was a dark brown color. I’ve decided that it needed to add clarity wherever I put it so, in comes my preferred color “Dolphin Fin” from Behr. Because it was so dark, I gave it three coats of paint. I have to say that I left those crannies and nooks between each branch on purpose and ended up loving that look.

      

After all the paint was dried, I used ScotchBlue Painter’s tape to make my design. Because of its cylindrical form, the design was a simple one. The color used for this was the Martha Stewart chalkboard paint in gray. I love how this color goes with almost everything around my house.

  

The final touches were given with a soft sandpaper for an old look.

   

The extra

This planter has always carried some sort of branch or dried plant. The latest were from Ikea. I really loved their color and how they naturally twisted. So I decided to add a little something to give them a new look. For this, I used a thin rope twirled around each one of them with a E-6000 glue. The trick was to add spaces of rope to fill in blank spots on each branch. I did not want to cover long areas at once, so I varied how long I wanted each to be. Some ended up cover 5”, others 1”. You can play with this. The idea is to create a balanced look between the branches. To secured each end, I placed some needles and waited for the rope to be completely dried.

  

The completed new look deserves a spotlight corner in my house. I’m very happy with the end result! Have you painted lately any old item that’s been mingling around your house? If so, let us know. Visit my Facebook page and comment on this project and share with us yours. Hope to see you around.