Decorate baskets with flowers

When you receive a gift hamper, it will often be packaged in a beautiful basket or box. Wooden boxes can be decorated in many ways including a fresh coat of paint. As for baskets, you might like to add some colourful floral décor.

To begin with, you will need an empty basket. Your basket can be just about any size but it will need to have raised sides. A flat basket is great for holding various items but not necessarily suitable for decorating. Make sure that you dust and clean your basket properly before you begin. A paintbrush with long bristles is perfect for getting in between the strips of wood. Make sure that you dust from top to bottom and, if necessary, wipe the basket down with a damp cloth. Allow your basket to dry thoroughly before you begin decorating.

If you want to paint or stain your basket, you should do so before adding any flowers. You might need to apply more than one coat and you should choose a paint or staining product that is suitable for wicker. If you’re not keen on the idea of painting with a brush, you could look for spray paint instead. There are plenty of products on the market which makes it that much easier to stick to your budget.

Once your basket is prepped and ready, it’s time to decorate with flowers! You can choose between covering the entire exterior (apart from the base) with flowers or you can add a cute cluster on each side. Either way, it’s good to remember that artificial flowers will work best. Unlike fresh flowers, silk flowers can be added to the basket in advance for a specific event and you can leave the basket as is for months or even years.

You will need to trim the stems of your artificial flowers but make sure that you don’t cut them too short. You don’t want the flowers to fall apart. Once you have all of your flowers cut to size, it’s time to make wire stems. Use floral wire and pierce the base of the flower. Thread the wire through so that it is in the shape of a hairpin. Twist the two pieces of wire together and cover with green floral tape. The wire stem needs only be a couple of inches long so that you can thread it through the wicker basket and secure the flower in place. Arrange all of your flowers as per your design preferences and display or use the basket as you please. If the basket has a handle over the top, you can decorate the handle with colourful ribbons.

Once your basket is ready, you can put it to good use in your home or at an event. A beautifully decorated basket is great for holding confetti at weddings. You can even line the basket with a tea towel and use it to serve various items like fresh bread.