The Renaissance Mom: How To Re-Purposing Old Picnic Baskets into Produce Bins With Chalkboard Tops!

I really needed some good produce bins for my apples, potatoes, and onions. I have been using wicker basket but the problem is that they have no lids so animals can get into them and they are exposed to light which is bad for both onions and especially potatoes. Proper storage of temperature, air circulation, and light will extend the quality of your produce. I buy in large quantities because I not only cook for our family of six, but I use lots of fresh produce as part of my cooking. I rarely buy convenience foods so having tons of especially potatoes on hand is important

When potatoes get exposed to light their skin turn green, which is poisonous, and also they tend to sprout which is also poisonous. Nor can I put them in the cupboard because I first of all don't have the space, and second of all end up forgetting about them and then find them months later after I notice a smell!

What I wanted was a basket made of wicker or wood with a lid. They sell them new but the price is way out of my range at $30.00-$60.00 each. The standard wooden potato bins usually have a window on them, which defeats the whole no sunlight thing.

Thinking on this problem I remembered all the old-fashioned picnic baskets I have seen at yard sales and thrift stores for a few bucks. The old ones are made of wicker which is good because you need air flow, and they have lids which blocks out the sun.

I found one for really cheap at $3.00 in great condition and started my little project. I wanted to paint the lid with chalkboard paint (so I can write what's in it) which costs about $12.00 per small can at the hardware store. You can get chalkboard paint in all sorts of colors now! Doing a project like this I only used less than a 1/4 of the can. All told it probably cost me about $5.00 for the whole project. I cant wait to find more of these baskets so I can do one for onions, apples, and sweet potatoes. I am planning to build a shelving unit to fit each one in at an angle so you can see the lid and open it up to get your veggies/fruits.