Whitewashing Wicker

My boys and I love the library. We typically raid something off every shelf while we're there. Non-fiction, fantasy, audiobook, you name it. Unfortunately those items easily scatter all over my house, and whenever I put them on my bookshelf they always looked cluttered. While I was at a yard-sale one week, I found this nifty piece of wicker.

It was a bout 2 x 1 feet, and had a reinforced lid. I loved the idea of having a covered place to put all the mix-matched titles. Plus it was only $4.00, so it was an easy yes. I brought it home and found the perfect spot to put it next to my bookshelves. The shelves are whitewashed from IKEA, and I absolute love them (Staging them is still a work in progress). So, as I was sitting there, admiring my clutter solution, I thought "I bet I could whitewash that". I looked up a great little video on how to clean and whitewash wicker.

I purchased a paintbrush and Minwax Wood Stain Whitewash Pickling and got to work.
(Click on the picture to be directed to an Amazon description.)

It only took me about two hours total and the project was finished! Now I absolutely love my library basket. I love the way the wood still shows through the whitewash, giving it warm undertones. It's also not a flat white, there are different hues of the whicker showing through. It's one of my favorite small decor pieces!  

It makes the area next to my selves so clean, cohesive, and bright. I love it. If you decide to try it out, let me know how your whitewash projects go in the comments below!