Christmas Magazine Storage in a Vintage Picnic Basket

This, my friends, is what I like to call a “Post-Christmas Christmas Project”, if that makes any sense. It all started with this little vintage picnic basket that I found on a thrift store shelf. I thought it had the cutest shape (like a briefcase) and I chuckled over how dainty it seemed…compared to normal picnic baskets.

Isn’t he a cutie?

It was in decent shape, structure-wise, with the only real blemish being bits of glued-on paper on one side- as if packaging had once been glued on and then ripped off hastily.

Like a little suitcase!

Without a specific project in mind, I sat on it for a few days (not literally), mulling over how I could use it most effectively. I couldn’t stop seeing it as a little suitcase in my head…and then I had a revelation. I had a stack of holiday magazines in my craft room that were usually in my way and needed a different place to live. What if they fit in the picnic basket? What if I could repurpose this vintage picnic basket into DIY Christmas magazine storage?

Would you look at that fit?

They. Fit. Perfectly! And I could safely tuck them away in the picnic basket until next year, which I loved. Sure, I could have left it at that…but I decided to give the picnic basket a wee little makeover before stowing it away until the following December. This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience.

So, I just wanted to do a couple of things to the picnic basket- give it a bright, clean paint job…and then use Christmas-y ribbon to make it even more vintage suitcase-esque. For the paint job, I used painter’s tape to cover the existing handle, hardware, and locking flap.

Makeover time!

I painted it a satin white, allowed the paint to dry, then then removed the painter’s tape. There- now they stood out more than they did against the straw color of the basket. And I didn’t do a perfect job with the tape, which was fine- just enough to keep most of the paint away.

Good enough for me…

Now for the Christmas ribbon! My plan was to attach two strips of ribbon across the front of the picnic basket as a throwback to straps on a vintage suitcase. Totally an optional step (as was painting), but since I was going to use it for Christmas magazine storage, I felt that it needed to look a little festive. I grabbed two rolls of wired ribbon from my stash- but which one should I use?

Now for some vintage style luggage straps…

I decided the plaid/velvet ribbon was a touch too wide, so I went with the muted plaid ribbon instead. Using my favorite mixed media shears, I snipped off a length of ribbon, folded over one end, and slipped it between the front and back of the picnic basket. After lining it up against the now-white hinge, I hot-glued it inside the front cover.

Quick and easy faux/festive straps!

I did the same at the other end, again hot-gluing it in place. I also added a few beads of glue underneath my ribbon “strap” along the front cover to keep it in place, and that was it!

I love it!

After doing the exact same thing to the other side, it was done! My Christmas magazine storage case was all ready to go.

Ready to hold my holiday mags all year long!

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is over…but at least I have a fun new place for holiday magazine storage! And I’ll definitely smile next year when we go into the loft to retrieve all our Christmas décor…and there it’ll be, cheery and festive, filled with all my favorite magazines.

Festive and functional- can’t beat it!

Plus, there is room for more mags! So I think I’ll be adding a new Christmas magazine or two for next year.

See you next year!

Before you go, you can get even more repurposed Christmas project inspiration here, with my full collection of upcycled ideas! And to start off the new year with fresh inspiration that will help get your home in order, please check out my full collection of repurposed/upcycled storage and organization projects here! 

Craft on!

S

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