Our Hopeful Home: Ballard Hemp Dog Toy Storage Knock-Off

Yes, we got a dog.

A puppy in fact.

We're a family that is happier

with

a dog than without one.

And we all know that

along with dogs comes

stuff.

Here's just a sampling of what's

lying around our floor as I type this.

KONG Air Dog Squeakair Birthday Balls Dog Toy, Medium, Colors Vary (3 Balls)

via

via

via

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Enter Ballard Designs

Hemp Dog Toy Storage Basket

I knew the first time I saw this that it was something I could absolutely make myself.

I had already purchased some awesome burlap buckets

from Antique Farmhouse a while back and I knew they'd be perfect for this.

Here are mine, sans stencil.

There were actually four of them,

all for $28.00.

Here's what I did to the largest bucket.

I had a stencil that was somewhat similar to the pattern on the Ballard bucket, so I taped the stencil onto the bucket and then painted it on. Then I played around with different fonts to see which one I liked the best. While the Ballard version has a really basic font, I wanted something a little more sophisticated that would go better with my French-ified decorating style.

(I did not use this font.)

You have to be sure that the words are the right size
in proportion to the space,
so I usually tape a sample of it onto
the item I'm stenciling.

It took me FOREVER to find a font

that I liked for this project.

I don't know about you,
but I always get overwhelmed by
the many font options out there.

I do like the one I eventually chose, though.

The font I chose is called Birds of Paradise.

You can download it here.

I was pretty happy with how it turned out.
Ballard Designs' version cost $55.

Mine cost $7 for the bucket plus a small amount
of acrylic paint I already had on hand.
The adorable little container on the left
is from the Dollar Store and is filled with,
what else, treats!

If you're not interested in making your own,
but don't want to pay Ballard's prices,
I actually found another website called
Harry Barker that sells the exact same
dog toy storage bin for $38.

I picked up this "Boulangerie" or French bakery tin
for a song at the Kane County Flea Market
in St. Charles, IL.
I knew it would make the perfect dog food bin!

So here's my version in all her glory.

What do you think?

I think burlap is one of the easiest materials to paint.
Maybe you remember my
painted burlap farmhouse table runner?

I love how that turned out!

You can also check out my
Ballard DIY French Burlap Storage Ottoman here.

Have you ever painted burlap?
If you did, I'd love to know how it turned out!

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