Gray Paint Wash for Revamping Old Baskets

 

Over the last few months, I have been trying to come up with a way that I could revamp my old dated baskets without them looking “painted”.  I wanted to figure out something that would be more like a stain rather than paint.  I finally came up with a great gray paint wash recipe that’s really a combo of a paint wash and stain that I’m sharing today.

If you’re like me, you probably have a junk closet full of old baskets like this full of brown, red and gold tone baskets (I’m pretty sure the multiply in the closet):

 

 

I love baskets but now that I have transitioned to grays and cooler tones in my home, those yellow, gold and reddish baskets just don’t work anymore.  I prefer the darker gray baskets similar to these below:

In the past, I tried painting old baskets and I even tried paint washes but I just didn’t care for that painted chalky wash look.  I just really wanted more of stain/subtle look.  It hit me over the weekend that if I used acrylic paint mixed with water, I would get more of stain versus a chalky finish because acrylic has polymer (plastic) in it versus standard paint that has lime/chalk like base (I really need a paint intervention)(why does this fascinate me so?).   So… Long story short, my little stain wash worked beautifully:

 

 

See how the baskets look more stained than painted?  For some reason, they look super gray all picture together above but by themselves, you can see that they are just the right amount of gray below:

 

 

This basket above was originally a golden reddish brown color:

 

 

The recipe that I came up with is really easy to do and any acrylic paint will work.  I used the brand “Basics” acrylic found the art paint section at the craft store in the color “Neutral Gray”.  I tested out several different grays and this color of gray was not too light or too dark and if you want to use a different brand, you’ll want to find a color that is like a dolphin or elephant (a mid-tone true gray)

The best ratio that that I came up with for the stain/wash was- 1 part paint to 3 parts water.  I would mix up one tablespoon of paint with three tablespoons of water and mix thoroughly. This amount of mix will cover about 3 smaller baskets to give you an idea.   I used a plastic disposable cup for the mix:

 

 

Next, I held the basket over my sink and brushed the mix on with a foam brush really thick.  The goal is for the wash to get down into and around all of the wicker so the end finish is more even and doesn’t look “washed” on just the front.  When you brush on your mix, it will look like this:

 

 

 

Ok, stick with me here… If the basket is either really dark or really light in color, you’ll want to try and keep as much stain on the piece as possible.  However, it’s challenging because you don’t want it to run or gloop in the corners. So I used a dry foam brush to go over the piece lightly but just enough to keep it from running and glooping.  On pieces that are closer to your gray color, you’ll want to use a dry foam brush to remove more of the stain because the stain can be pretty strong.

Also, one more thing… As you do this wash, you’ll be thinking that there is no way that this is gonna look good.  Trust me, the stain absorbs into the wicker and basically dries over the existing color.  Again, trust me and walk away..  I swear, you will be amazed 30 minutes later how it basically dyes the piece.

Ok, just to give you a better idea, this is what the same large basket above looked like before I got started:

 

this is what the piece looked like this when I applied the mix and because it was so dark and golden, I tried to leave as much of the mix on as possible and only lightly went over with a dry brush (to just keep it from running):

 

 

and it looked like this 30 minutes later ( I did swipe it with a darker mix that I will explain in a second):

 

 

Because I needed to add just a little depth to contrast the wash/stain, when I was done with all of the baskets, I added a hint of black to my mix.  So what I did is I mixed up my same wash (1 tablespoon paint to 3 tablespoons water) and then I added about 1/4 tablespoon of black.  It made it more of a dark gray color.  I then took a smaller watercolor type brush and just swiped over the dried finish. If you look closely below, you can see where I swiped a little darker color. If you don’t add a hint of the darker color, you get a driftwood look, which is great too:

 

 

 

I think I made this process sound complicated but I really want to try and explain in great detail so I don’t leave you hanging over the sink.  This whole process can be done really quickly.   Just remember, you can always do it again after the mix has dried or you can add depth with the hint of black.  I’m also thinking this would be great to try in white or a fun color like indigo?  So many possibilities..

Ok friends, dig out those old ugly baskets and just try this.  They’re taking up too much space not to be used.

Thanks as always for hanging out with me today!

Cheers!

Cyndy