Filled with goodies, this makes a
perfect housewarming present.

• Basket
• White stain gel
• Paintbrush
• Disposable foam plates
• Acrylic paints in barn red and navy
• Wood stars 1 to 2-1/2 inches wide
• Fine sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Hot-glue gun and hot-glue stick

1. Paint the basket using white stain gel and a wide flat brush.

2. Place some gel on a foam plate. Paint vertical strokes until well covered. Let the stain gel dry. Paint another coat if a more opaque color is desired.

3. Put a dab of barn red and navy blue paint on plate. Thin the paint with water, about one part paint to one part water.

4. Paint the stars. Let the paint dry. Using fine sandpaper, lightly sand the stars. Sand the edges to create a worn look. Brush off dust and wipe with a tack cloth.

5. Using hot glue, layer contrasting small stars over large stars. Hot-glue stars onto rim of basket, alternating colors and sizes of stars.

• For a picnic, place silverware in patriotic paper napkins, tie with ribbon, and use the basket as a holder.
• To change the rim design for different seasons, attach the stars with circles of hook-and-loop tape, such as Velcro.