It’s Toys-Day: Apple-Picking Basket
on September 18, 2012 in Love
It’s Toys-Day, Friends and boy do I have a cute toy transformation for you this week! Before I show you this week’s toy makeover, I thought I’d tell you why I’ve decided to devote Tuesdays to rescuing second-hand toys. There’s really three reasons:
1. Save!
As a work-at-home mom, my income is never dependable. One month we might eat steak, the next canned tuna, so I’m always looking for ways to live large on little. Buying second-hand toys at thrift stores, garage sales and on Craigslist is a great way to do that! Another upside to this is that I never feel guilty about purging the toy box because I didn’t pay retail prices in the first place.
2. Recycle!
Let’s face it, kids get bored with toys quickly. By buying second-hand toys that can be easily transformed with a little paint and elbow grease, I’m not only reusing something that could end up in a dump otherwise, I’m also able to introduce new toys to my daughter more often.
3. Inspire!
Though my daughter is still too young to fully appreciate these toy makeovers, I love the limitless possibilities you get with making over old toys. I think it’s a great way to not only stretch your child’s imagination (just picture them digging through piles of old toys to imagine what COULD be) and it also teaches them not to be so hasty about throwing something away when they’ve grown bored with that item. By helping them create toys, you are becoming an active part of their playtime.
Recycling old toys just makes sense to me and I imagine it does for a lot of you, too. This week, I thought I’d share this plastic basket I snagged at Goodwill for just 50 cents! Everything about the basket was adorable except the neon colors (which did nothing for me) but like I always say, never underestimate the power of good bones. If you find a toy (or home decor item) at the thrift store that has good bones, you can easily transform it with paint.
Before: Thrifted plastic picnic basket
The trick to painting plastic toys is a good primer. I like to use Kilz Spray Primer but that is just my preference. With a good primer, your paint will stick. If you skip the primer, the spray paint will ooze right off the surface. Believe me, I’ve learned this the hard way. After I primed the basket, I sprayed it with red spray paint then added an eyelet trim. My mother-in-law, Connie, made a sweet little basket liner to finish it off.
And here’s the final result, a basket that cost less than $1 when all was said and done. It turns out it was the perfect apple-picking basket. I shot these pictures at Evan’s Orchard and Cider Mill in Georgetown, Kentucky, where we met our friends John, Melissa and Kaylee for an afternoon of apple-picking and fun on the farm. Hope you enjoy!
After: Thrifted picnic basket
Do you have a toy-makeover you’d love to see featured here? Starting October 2, I’ll be hosting a Toys-Day link party where you can link up your toy projects and children’s decor! If you don’t mind, please help me spread the word by pinning the photo below or sharing the news with friends. See you tomorrow for Web-Wander Wednesday, Friends!
I’m linking up to these blogs! Please stop by, get inspired and tell them I sent you!
Sugar Bee Crafts
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