Landry Basket to Make Polka Dot Walls

"polka dot walls! Make a stencil from an old laundry basket" 

Today's post is what I wouldn't call a bad idea, but that's just not what this is an image of. I too was tricked by this post as first, it's been making the rounds of pinterest for sometime now. But I got to thinking ... laundry baskets are made of fairly thick plastic, which would make for a pretty bad stencil. Anyone who has ever worked with stencils knows that the thinner the plastic, the better. It helps keep the stencil flush with the wall and prevents paint from dripping or leaving the boundaries of the stencil. A quick search later and I realized why that didn't seem right with me: it's not a stencil made from an old laundry basket at all. 

Over at The Lil House That Could, you'll find the original source of the image. It's not a laundry basket, just a traditionally made stencil. 

Polka Dot Closet : The Lil House That Could 

I'm all for turning everyday items into something else (the cut bottoms of celery make the prettiest rose pattern for stampings!) but when it comes to stencil work, thinner is better, so I'd set the laundry basket down and just use a traditional stencil.