Turn Antique Picnic Baskets Into The Cutest Hanging Porch Decor

Unfurling a checkered blanket in a park and laying out the contents of a wicker basket for a picnic lunch is a classic, wholesome scene. But how often do we actually do this? If you have a neglected picnic basket on hand, get better use out of it by converting it into a decorative floral masterpiece for your porch. Overflowing with faux flowers and hung from a front door or beneath a porch light, this easy and inexpensive project will brighten up your front porch for spring.

Decorating an entryway with a flowering picnic basket is set to be a cute and tempting trend. The Instagrammer that inspired us, Ana Ochoa, scored a second-hand basket with a trunk-style lid, toggle closure, and a darling gingham cloth interior. The basket's lid was strong enough to hang the basket from, and the hole for the toggle on the lid made an ideal hanging hook. The basket's lid gives peeks of blue and white checked fabric while silk daffodils, hydrangeas, roses, and greenery overflow the container for a most cheerful display.

This is a look worth copying, but you might not stumble across such an adorable basket. Still, with the right vision, any picnic basket can hang in style. Once you find the right basket, you'll also need a collection of springy faux flowers, lightweight filler for your basket like paper or plastic bags, and a material to hold the flowers in place, like chicken wire or a piece of floral foam.

If you already have a dusty picnic basket tucked away, it's time to put it to good use — even if it's not as charming as Ochoa's. But chances are you'll be seeking out a secondhand one. A basket large enough for a two-person meal is probably the best fit for hanging on a high-traffic door. Family-sized ones could be better off fastened to a wall or a porch post where they won't be subject to lots of movement and activity.

Start by giving your basket a refresh. The easiest way to clean a wicker basket is with a paintbrush for dusting and a vacuum with a nozzle attachment. Avoid getting the basket wet, since this can cause damage. If the basket has a removable fabric lining, give it a wash. For linings stitched into the basket, spot-clean the fabric if necessary. If the basket's corners are wobbly or some of the woven pieces are broken, apply a bit of wood glue to those areas and let it cure fully for extra strength.

Stuff enough crumpled paper or plastic bags into the basket so that the floral foam has an elevated place to sit. If you're using more sustainable chicken wire, as floral foam can be a nasty source of microplastics, leave out the stuffing and bend a piece that's large enough to create a sort of cage form for inside the basket. The flower stems should slide into the mesh holes and stay elevated. Hang your floral basket, and let it bring playful color to your front porch.