5 Awesome Ideas for Decorating Baskets Now for Summer

Do you use baskets in your home decor? You can never have enough baskets. They are not only useful but are wonderful items for home decor. Summer is on its way so here are five awesome ideas for decorating baskets now for summer.

Summer decorating is on everyone’s mind. We’re all thinking about ways to bring seasonal decor into our homes, patios, front porches, and back yards.

With a new season around the corner, decorating baskets for summer is a great way to add different themes and colors to your home.

You can fill baskets with magazines, blankets, plants, and even trash. Let’s have some fun with baskets. I have ideas for decorating five different basket possibilities to inspire you for summer decorating..

Why Use Baskets for Summer Decorating?

Baskets come in all shapes and sizes. Baskets are made of different materials. This is what makes them so interesting and useful in our home decor.

Why are we decorating baskets for summer?

Because it’s time to get our homes ready for summer. If you need inspiration for creating home decor accessories, I understand completely. I use magazines and Pinterest all the time to get ideas. That’s what they are for.

When I find an item I like, but don’t know exactly what to do with it, Pinterest is my go-to source for ideas.

Other bloggers also provide a wealth of inspiration. This lovely vignette from Jamie of Anderson + Grant focuses on one of my favorite things – baskets.

For this basket update, Jamie used an old basket that she had for years. Some paint and home decor items gave her a great home decor accessory.

What kind of basket can be used for home decor? Any kind! Jamie used an old picnic basket for her basket vignette.

How do you decorate baskets? Any way you like! Use your favorite colors, household items, or anything you have that you want to highlight.

What can you put in a basket? Anything you want!

The great thing about baskets is the unlimited possibilities.

My 5 Baskets for Summer Decorating

This post contains affiliate links to products used in the creation of this project. If you should order any item from this site, I may receive compensation, but you do not pay a penny more. Your purchase is greatly appreciated as it helps support the continued publication of this site.

I have ideas for decorating baskets in five totally different ways that I wanted to give a summer vibe.

• An estate sale basket I bought a few years ago and had already updated
• A freebie basket that is picnic-style
• A brand new “faux basket”
• A favorite basket that needed a refresh
• A freebie basket from JoAnn.

Ready to see some ideas for decorating summer baskets? Let’s start decorating.

Basket #1 – Updated Estate Sale Basket with a Patriotic Theme

Coming up, we have Memorial Day and 4th of July. Both holidays are perfect for using baskets with red, white and blue.

A little history: I bought this basket at an estate sale in 2018 at the same time I bought the teak table that I recycled as our patio table.

For this first idea for decorating baskets, I wanted to use this estate sale basket. Here is how I updated this basket. And here is what it looked like after I finished it.

Here is how I used the basket as an Easter centerpiece.

Since Memorial Day is coming up, I decided to use my refurbished basket with a patriotic theme for our front entry. Red and white would be my color theme.

First, I placed a red check piece of fabric on our entry commode folded like a runner.

Then I filled the basket with crushed newspaper to act as support for my accessories.

TIP: Use more paper than you think you will need. The paper will “sink” after you put items in the basket.

As usual, this time of year, I had my heart set on red geraniums. Fortunately, one of the nurseries close to our home had plenty. I bought three 4-inch pots. I needed a container to put them in and I used one of our old dog water bowls.

Then, I placed the bowl on the newspaper and used two red check dishtowels to fill around it. Next, I added American flags.

And, finally, I added a couple of red, white and blue decoupaged pots I made with some sparkling patriotic decorations.

My first decorated basket using a refurbished basket was done, all ready for Memorial Weekend. How easy was that!

This basket cost me only the price of the geraniums. I’ll move these outside after Memorial Day to enjoy all summer.

Basket # 2 – Freebie Picnic Basket Vignette

My second idea for decorating a basket was this picnic basket. It was a gift from my mother-in-law and contained a gift food basket with dishes and silverware, glasses and napkins. When empty, the basket stays on top of our laundry room cabinets. I have wanted to use it as a decorative accessory and now was the time.

At first, I thought about painting this wicker basket as Jamie did hers, but I decided that it was more authentic left au natural.

I decided to decorate this basket as a picnic hamper for two in our backyard or for a trip to the park. My color theme would be blue and white because I absolutely love that classic combination.

Here are the things I would use:

• I recently bought these new Blue Willow dinner paper plates and Blue Willow salad size. I fell in love with the pattern.
• Matching blue and white napkins.
• Blue and white dish towels that I bought for $5 each at the Queen of Hearts Antique Mall on a trip to Atlanta. These would be used as “lap” covers or placemats.
• Two large martini/margarita glasses with cobalt blue stems. These were party favors at a school event for my younger daughter’s high school. We got home with four of them.
• Blue faux flowers for color.

Since the picnic basket would sit on our breakfast table, I wanted to add a tablecloth to set the stage.

I had a piece of fabric with a blue motif to use. I bought two yards of the fabric at IKEA several years ago just because I loved the colors and pattern.

This decorated basket will sit on our breakfast room for a few days just so we can enjoy it.

Isn’t that a pretty sight?

Basket # 3 – A French Market Tote Bag for a Trip to the Park

I have been seeing French market totes lately and loved them. I searched for a few weeks until I found the one I liked best.

The French market totes are bigger than a purse so that you can bring home fruits and vegetables. I intend to use this market tote for travel.

I picked this one because it is really big and had double handles – one set for hand carrying and one set for over the shoulder.

The tote was a little crushed when it arrived so I stuffed it with bubble wrap to fill it out.

For now, I decorated the tote with items to go to the park near our house. I went shopping at home to fill my French market basket.

• Pretty faux blue flowers – just because.

• A pretty blue shawl in case it gets cool or breezy.

• Of course, a hat for keeping the sun off my face. I bought this hat at the Dollar Tree several weeks ago (here’s a similar hat). I removed the aqua ribbon and replaced it with a light blue one.

My blue-tinted sunglasses.

• A sweet book I enjoyed – The Girl who Reads on the Metro.

Now I was ready to hang my decorated French market basket. This is one of my favorite ideas for decorating baskets.

I hung it in our entry on the guest closet handle – ready to grab on the way out the door.

This basket was the only new one I bought. Everything I used to decorate it I had at home. Shop your home first when decorating.

Basket # 4 – Spring Basket with Flowers Reused for Summer

This idea for decorating a basket is for our coffee table. The basket is another one that I’ve had for years. I love the shape and size of it.

It needed a little spiffing up so I white-washed it and filled it with newspaper.

Now it was ready to fill with pretty spring flowers to adorn our living room coffee table. Here are all the details for this basket project.

To get this basket ready for summer, all you have to do is change out the flowers like I did here.

For a patriotic vibe, I added faux roses, blue flowers, and white stems. For pattern and more color, I scrunched in a red and white check piece of fabric. In another week, I’ll add some American flags.

Basket # 5 – Freebie Front Door Flower Basket

This last idea for decorating baskets uses another freebie – from Joann. It started out looking like this.

TIP: Like a basket, but not the color? Paint it or stain it. If you don’t like the arrangement that came with it? Take it out and make your own.

First I removed the existing flowers and the styrofoam insert. It wasn’t easy – I had to cut out the glued-in styrofoam with my bread knife.

Then I stained it a darker color because I didn’t like the reddish color.

Now you can fill the basket with new flowers of your choice. I used faux pink peonies as my thriller flower and hung the basket on our front door.

You can easily change this basket to one with summer flowers or ones appropriate for the patriotic holidays.

For Memorial Day, I’ve replaced the pink peonies with red roses from our Kentucky Derby party.

First, I used a piece of red netting to make a handle. Then I placed a plastic container in the basket, added water, and filled it with red roses. Some blue shred filled in. I will probably replace the fresh flowers with faux roses in a few days.

Are you inspired to use baskets to decorate your home? Using spring and summer flowers, you can create lovely accessories with baskets that will add color and interest for you,your family and friends.

Shopping for Decorating Baskets

Here are ideas for baskets and accessories:

Vintage Baskets for Decorating

I found these two baskets a few Sundays ago while walking Nola. They were sitting on the curb on bulk pick-up day. I couldn’t believe my good luck.

They are both in great shape. I loved the style, design, and size. I don’t have any baskets like them. Look for these baskets in a future post.

Final Basket Thoughts

I hope that I’ve given you some ideas for decorating baskets you already have or new ones that you find. Keep an eye open at garage sales, flea markets or estate sales. Or even curbside.

I can’t wait to use them. What would you do with these baskets? Leave them as is or paint them or something completely different?

Don’t forget to PIN all the awesome ideas for decorating baskets. Let’s start with these three baskets decorated for summer.