DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light - Thrift Shop Flip

19 October

Yes, you read that title right... I bleached a basket!


I'm not sure if this has been done before but I did do a quick Google search and couldn't find anything. I did see where someone used paint to create a driftwood appearance on some light-colored baskets so I suppose that's another option.


I have had this little basket listed in my Etsy shop for seriously, like a year and a half and it hasn't sold!! I guess no one could see its potential... poor little basket 😞


I always thought it was pretty cute but it was a weird shape and it didn't stand up very well, it was quite wobbly because the bottom was bulky and uneven.


I decided it was perfect to become a pendant light though. Yay for the forlorn little basket 😁


DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light


DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light

So, not only was the basket a weird shape and wobbly, the color was not appealing to me. It was too orange. Poor little basket.


I decided to try bleaching it. 


What did I have to lose anyway? Just the original thrift store price of $1.99, the listing fees for the time it was listed in my Etsy shop, 80 cents. and the price of a little bottle of bleach from the Dollar Store. A grand total of $3.79 potential loss... I could live with that, lol.


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Supplies Needed to Try Your Own


Step 1: Bleach the basket

You'll just need a container large enough to hold the basket, I used a large plastic bucket I had to mix up a big bucket of bleach water and I used a whole small, Dollar Store size container of bleach.

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

I let the basket soak in the bleach water for about 20 minutes per side.

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

Note: It's very hard to tell if the process is even working when the basket is wet. In fact, I thought it wasn't working so I took the basket out after one side soaked and let it dry thinking my idea was a bust.


When I went to check on it to see if it had dried, I was shocked at the difference. 


It worked!

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip
Source: Screenrant



So I put it back to soak the other side. Here is the difference! (Note: the background in the before pictures looks much more yellow but I promise, this is the true difference in the basket)

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip
DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip
Step 2: Remove handles


If your basket has handles, you'll probably want to remove them, although you don't have to. To do this, find the part of the basket that is holding the handles on and snip that with scissors.

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

The handles should pull out. If your basket has handles that are built into the sides like newer baskets you see in the stores, you'll have to figure something else out. I just watched a Youtube video where the creator covered them with raffia that hung down like fringe along the edge of the basket.

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

You'll be left with a little piece that you can just tuck back into the side of the basket. Tack with a bit of glue if needed.

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

Step 3: Mark and cut the hole for the light


Next, you'll cut the hole in the bottom of the basket. Trace around the portion of the pendant light that will go through the basket.

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

Cut the hole in the bottom of your basket. You can see that my basket is pretty substantial on the bottom with very thick pieces so I needed to use my hole saw to cut the hole. Your's may not be like this and you'll be able to cut it with scissors.

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

If you need a hole saw, they are pretty cool. They come with different hole size options and they attach to your drill. It worked really well for this job!

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

Step 4: Install the pendant light


The pendant light will have a large nut that you will remove and then reinstall on the inside of the basket once you put the light socket through, this is what keeps the basket attached to the light... like a sandwich 😄

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

Step 5: Hang and enjoy!


I made this with a pendant light that I already had hanging in my living room. You can see how I made the bracket here: DIY Bracket Wall Sconce Light

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

If you saw the Front Entry Reveal from my boyfriend's house though, you may recognize this light... yep! I moved this (bracket and all) over to his house!

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

And P.S., if you haven't seen his new front entry, you've gotta check that post out, it turned out SO GOOD!

DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip

So, since I already had the actual pendant light and I made the wooden bracket hanger, this project only cost $3.79! If you need to make one and don't have these things, there are pendants and some cool brackets linked in the supply box at the top of this post and it would cost around $20!


I hope you liked this thrift shop flip project and if you do, please PIN!


PIN ME!
DIY Bleached Basket Pendant Light Thrift Shop Flip
Up next is this bundle of wood shims that I picked up for $1.99 😏

thrift shop flips



Posted by: at 19 October Tag:

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  1. The basket makes a much better light shade than a container! Very cute and bleaching it was the perfect fix to brighten it up a bit!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's a Cinderella basket--from poor little basket, to lucky little basket! Good job.

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  3. I noticed this fab boho pendant light in the entry reveal post and thought it looked so good. I'll remember this great tip for bleaching baskets. Love the DIY lamp, especially against that fabulous wood wall!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, now I want all my wicker baskets turned into lights, and thanks to you, I just may whip up a couple! This is a wonderful tutorial and the outcome is so farmhouse chic! Lovely!

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