Woman Transforms Fridge Baskets Into Rustic Storage With A Cute Dollar Tree DIY

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Turning a clear Dollar Tree bin into a custom-looking rustic storage solution might seem like a magic trick, but it's completely possible and easier to achieve than you might think. Popular YouTube Creator The Daily DIYer makes it happen in the cutest way. She uses clear plastic fridge baskets, which are among the Dollar Tree items you need to organize your kitchen. But her upgrade makes the bins look like wood baskets, turning them into charming rustic storage that will dress up your shelves and countertops in any room.

This particular DIY starts with Storage Essentials Clear Fridge Baskets from Dollar Tree. At just $1.50 each, they offer an inexpensive base for the project. The bins measure 6.1 inches wide, 5.85 inches high, and 6.1 inches long, making the finished storage tubs ideal to go on shelves for better organization. But you can also use any other plastic bin you already have.

The creator's secret to getting the rustic wood finish on clear plastic bins is Retique It Liquid Wood. It goes on like paint, but it's made up of more than 60% recycled wood, creating a natural look and texture. You can also stain the finish once it dries. But in The Daily DIYer version, she uses darker acrylic paint over the Retique It base to get the woodgrain appearance. Grab stain or paint and a textured or chip brush, depending on the method you want to use. The final touch that makes this project seem like an upscale rustic piece is a metal label holder pull, like these Weichuan Apothecary Card Catalog Drawer Pulls. And just like that, you'll have an  organization find that doubles as decor.

To use this Dollar Tree find to declutter and organize your home, start by wiping the plastic bins with a damp cloth to remove any dust or greasy spots. When they're completely dry, apply two or three coats of the Retique It liquid wood product, letting it dry between each layer. 

Once you're happy with that coverage, apply stain or use the original creator's acrylic paint technique. Using a chippy or textured brush, lightly brush on a darker acrylic paint color to make it somewhat streaky. Then, go over it with a damp paper towel or baby wipe to remove some of the darker paint to get a woodgrain look that you like. You can also use other tools, like a dry brush or sponge, to create more texture while removing some of the paint. Another method is to apply the acrylic paint to a baby wipe and use that to smudge it onto the bin to get a thin, streaky, woodgrain look.

Once the paint is dry, glue a metal label holder to one side of the bin — this particular fridge basket has cutout handles on two sides, so glue the label holder to one of the solid sides. You can make custom labels to slide inside of them. If you want to make the cutout handles more decorative while sticking with the rustic theme, wrap twine through the opening and around the length of the handle, using hot glue to secure it. To elevate the bins, paint four large wooden beads to match the woodgrain and glue them to the bottom corners as small legs.