How to paint your own storage baskets

Don't settle for boring storage - here's how to paint your own storage baskets and easily add a creative flourish to your home.

To paint your own storage baskets you will need:

• Belly baskets
• Masking tape
• Paintbrushes
• Paint palette
• Circular foam brush
• Chalk paint in pink, blue and green
• Cloth

Stockists Rust-Oleum chalky finish furniture paint in Chine rose and powder blue, £5 for 125ml, available from B&Q. Chalk paint in lem lem, £5.95 for 120ml, Annie Sloan. Flådis basket, £13 each, Ikea.

How to paint your own storage baskets:

1. Brush down the baskets with a slightly damp cloth to remove any dust. Allow to dry fully.
2. For the polka-dot basket, use a circular foam brush and dip it into the blue paint, making sure the foam pad has an even coverage. Make sure to pour a small amount of blue paint onto a palette to make it easier to load up the foam brush. Press the foam brush onto the basket and gently lift away to reveal the dot. Fill in any patches later with a paintbrush. Continue dotting the brush all over the basket in a random pattern.
3. For the swishes basket, use a medium-size flat brush with a squared-off end. Dip into the green paint so there’s a generous amount on the tip. Brush on in a sweeping motion to create the curved lines. Go over the swishes a couple of times so the shape edges are defined.
4. For the zigzag basket, use masking tape to create the triangles at the top. The basket will have a natural centre point running around the middle, so make sure the base of the triangles fall on this line. If you have a triangular ruler lying around the house, it will make it much easier to create an even set of triangles when taping around the basket. With a wide brush, use the pink paint to cover the bottom half of the basket up to the tape. Don’t flood your brush. Once touch dry, remove the paint and allow to dry fully.