The Vintage Bike Accessory That Doubles As The Most Adorable (& Functional) Front Door Decor

Placing vintage decor in your home's entryway adds warmth and nostalgic charm that provides a unique and character-filled welcome for your guests. The vintage entryway pieces tell a story, creating a sense of history with a personal touch right when you walk in the door. There are a seemingly endless number of vintage items that can help your entryway make a lasting first impression. One piece that can bring a touch of personality, fun, and charm to an entryway is an old bicycle part — a basket. A vintage bicycle basket is an entryway conversation piece that will immediately catch your guests' attention. Not only is adding an old bike basket to your entryway a charming decor idea, but it can serve as a functional piece, as well (just like turning an old bicycle wheel into a chandelier). You can use your entryway basket to hold important mail pieces, keys, or other items you don't want to forget as you leave your home.

There are many different ways you can implement an entryway bicycle basket to be both aesthetic and functional. Not every decor piece needs to have utility, though. A vintage bicycle basket can simply be used to display faux flowers or other decorative items. Whatever you choose to use your entryway basket for, it will be an enjoyable upcycled entryway decor addition.

One of the fun things about working a vintage bicycle basket into your decor is that there is no one way to do it. If you have a mail slot, you can install hooks on the inside of your door just below it to position the basket so it catches your mail. If you like the idea of using the bike basket as a mail receptacle but don't have a mail slot, you can either mount the basket to the wall near your front door or place it on your entryway table. Put important mail pieces or other items you need to take with you before you leave the house in it. Or, use it to hold the mail that you bring in from the mailbox until you can sort it to prevent junk mail from piling up in your home. If you don't need the basket for entryway organization, you can simply use it as part of a decorative display with faux flowers or filler items tucked inside.

To customize an old metal bicycle basket, consider spray painting it to match your entryway's decor. You could also weave ribbon through the slats to add some color. Decorative ribbon and paint can also be used to add pops of color to woven baskets. If you don't have a vintage bicycle basket, there are plenty of places to find one. Etsy and Facebook Marketplace are fantastic if you are looking for an authentic, decades-old bike basket, or scope out secondhand and antique shops in the neighborhood. You can also order vintage-style bicycle baskets on Amazon if you can't find an older version of this bike accessory.