Pumpkin Basket for Fall Decor

Truth be told, I didn’t know that this kind of small wooden basket was called a Clam Hod when I first spotted it. All I knew was that I spotted a certain shape that I could tease out and turn it into a pumpkin basket. After buying it and bringing it home, I figured out its name (i.e., clam hod) (with a little help from my friend, Maliasmark).

Either way, it was in decent shape but primed for a makeover, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

You see, the ends of the clam hod looked like pumpkins to me. And not an abstract pumpkin in a weird shape, but rather perfectly plump pumpkins with perfectly shaped stems.

And I planned to highlight those ends and transform the entire thing into a fall centerpiece or pumpkin basket!

This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All blue, bold, and underlined text is a clickable link, either to a product or to a related post.

Faking the Look of Bleached Wood on a Small Wooden Basket

I hemmed and hawed about the approach to take. The dark wood wasn’t in bad shape, but it really detracted from the look I was going for.

So, after hemming and hawing a little more, I decided to first spray the entire thing with flat white primer.

After the primer dried, I gathered a series of craft paints. Orange and green for the pumpkin ends, and a couple of shades of cream/beige.

I’ll explain why the tan-colored paints in a moment.

I wanted the slats and handle of the clam hod to look like pale or bleached wood. But faking it with just paint and wax- no sanding or stripping involved.

So, next, I painted the slats a buttercream color (mixed from the cream and beige paints that I had).

Then, I used my fingertip to rub some dark wax over the buttercream.

I finger-painted the wax on carefully (as to not get dark fingerprints on the pumpkin ends) and wiped off the excess with a clean white rag.

Transformation into a Pumpkin Basket

Now I could focus on the pumpkins! I used a flat, straight edge craft paint brush to paint a quick coat of orange on the body of the pumpkin.

The flat brush allowed me to get right up to the slats of the clam hod. But it left brush strokes that I didn’t like.

So, I went over the first coat of orange paint with a stencil brush to give me an opaque pumpkin.

The stippling effect worked perfectly over the brushed-on coat! Even Cottonball approved.

Next, I custom-blended a celery-green color for the stem and used the same process. First, a coat with a paint brush, then stippling over the brush marks.

Lastly, I sprayed the pumpkin basket with a clear topcoat to protect the fresh new look!

I could have decorated it further- maybe some twine around the handle, or some distressing. Or even some stenciling on it like an old fruit crate.

But I kind of liked it just like this.

All that was left to do was to fill it and use it as a fall centerpiece!

Pumpkin Basket for Fall Decor

Some straw and mini gourds later, my pumpkin basket was truly complete!

And now I can use it as a fall centerpiece on our table or coffee table. I mean, those ends were truly meant to become pumpkins, don’t you think?

*****

And guess which day it is? Thrift Store Decor Team Day! Check out what my upcycling friends have been up to.

1. Burlap Gift Bags – Petticoat Junktion

2. TV Tray Table Makeover – My Repurposed Life

3. Badminton Racket Repurpose – House of Hawthornes

4. Carved Tray Makeover – Our Southern Home

5. Upcycling a Clam Hod as a Pumpkin Basket – Sadie Seasongoods

6. Mirror Makeover – My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

7. Octopus Shell Art – Domestically Speaking

*****

Well, think you’ll look at those baskets differently now? And see pumpkins on the ends? What can I say- at this time of year, EVERYTHING starts to look a little gourd-y to me.

If you enjoyed this upcycling idea for a pumpkin basket, then you’ll love the painting technique I used on these glass bottles to create painted gourds, too!

Craft on!

S

Want to be notified when I publish my next upcycling project tutorial?

Please subscribe here.

Join me on Social Media:

 

 

 

 

 
PIN ME!