To enhance an old table lamp she found at a flea market, Cindy Piccoli spray-painted its tan shade black and glued stalks of bamboo to the base. Here, she applies this simple, effective technique to a plain wastebasket, but she says that any item, including vases, table tops, planters and walls, may be covered in this fashion.
Materials:
wastebasket*
12' bamboo pieces**
vise
hand saw
glue gun
hot glue
* The shape is according to preference, and may be three-sided, four-sided, rectangular, square or cylindrical. Piccoli selected a four-sided wooden basket that is wider at the top than the bottom.
** These are sold in garden stores and nurseries as plant stakes. You can cut them to the desired length, which depends on the size of the basket. On each side of Piccoli's basket, there were approximately 10 or 12 bamboo sticks, ranging in length from 12 to 15 inches, so she purchased four 12' lengths.
Steps:
- Determine how many pieces of bamboo will fit around the wastebasket. Place bamboo in vise and use hand saw to cut pieces to desired length.
- Test the placement of the stalks on the basket. For added appeal and interest, stagger the lengths. If the basket is wider at the top, place the wider ends of the stalks at the top and the narrow ends at the bottom.
- Lay a line of glue down the edge of one side of the wastebasket. Press one stalk in place and do the same at the opposite edge.
- Fill in between the two pieces with additional un-glued stalks. Between each stalk, squeeze glue onto the basket and move the bamboo in place. Continue until side is covered.
- Repeat steps 2 through 4 until basket is completely covered with the bamboo.
Resources bamboo stakes (Model #: 03-162)
Gardener's Supply Company
Website:
www.gardeners.com
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