How to Cover an Unsightly Outlet and Cord

Sometimes a solution to one problem leads to a whole new problem.  In this case, we found a light to brighten up the dark area in the basement craft room…

…but that cord and outlet were a problem ~ aesthetically, that is!
I had lofty ideas of creating a custom shadow box/ art piece with a hinge…  But, alas, on the day I set out to fill that whole wall with lovelies, I was too exhausted to tackle anything that vast.
Simple.  I just needed simple.
As I gathered up odds and ends from all over the house, I remembered a post I had seen recently over at The Inspired Room’s neck of the woods. She showed how she camouflaged some awkward switches with an arrangement of baskets.  I decided to give it a whirl.
Here’s the supplies I used:

• Ikea picture frames
• scraps of burlap and cream canvas
• scrapbooking ink and stamps
• bread basket

~I tore the canvas fabric pieces to the size I wanted and stamped the words on using plain ol’ scrapbooking ink in Cocoa color  (you could also use Staz-on ink).
~Using the removable piece of cardboard in the frames as a guide, I cut the burlap to fit the frames, and cut a burlap circle to fit inside the basket base.
~After watering down white acrylic paint until it was really runny, I applied it to the frames and basket, letting it drip and soak in.

{The frame on the left is whitewashed and the one on the right hasn’t been yet…}  I let the paint dry in between coats (a blow dryer speeds up that process) and added as many coats as needed to make them just a little whiter.
I glued the burlap to the cardboard inserts with hot glue, and also hot glued the canvas strip with words on.  I didn’t bother to put the “glass” (which is actually just plastic) back on the frames.  I  “stuffed” the circle into the basket base.  It just stays there.
Then they were ready to hang up.  Here is the outlet…  (Now you see it…)

{You can see the two little nails that I use to hang the basket on.}
And…now you don’t!

That “art piece” above the outlet arrangement is actually a bulletin board.  We’ll talk about that later…;)

Pottery Barn has some beautiful wooden frame hangers that I love:

{Picture by Pottery Barn.  Price:  $30.24 Canadian}
I wanted to incorporate that idea without the cost, so I just hot glued some rusty antique drawer pulls on to the nails…

…and tied the frames on with jute.

Easy peasy.
I like that.

{If you missed the Basement Craft Room Reveal, you can find it here.}

Linking To:  Freckled Laundry, The Shabby Nest, Chic on a Shoestring