Step 1

First, I needed to turn the basket into some usable materials. I got rid of the top, and then I cut the basket into a bunch of tiny pieces using our reciprocating saw. And then I had usable material.

Step 2

Next, I sprayed the silicone molds with silicone mold release. Then I dropped my material into each mold and mixed up my Art Resin epoxy, making sure to stir it for three minutes. After that, I poured the resin into the molds, just deep enough to barely cover all of the material.

Step 3

After about 24 hours, it was ready to unmold. The next step was to cut into some of them, make a couple of slices, and see what the different angles looked like so that we could decide what we wanted to do going forward.

Step 4

I trimmed down the pieces and then I just laid them out to get an idea of what we could do with the pattern. I decided to lay the pieces out into the square mold and then recast them into a solid block in this orientation.

Step 5

Next, I flattened off the top, because there was some unevenness to the surface. Then I put it in the X-carve and turned it into a dish after programming a basic dish design into Easel.

Step 6

After it was done carving, I neatened it up with some sandpaper, the belt sander, and by hand. Then we gave it a final brushing of resin to give it a high-gloss polish.

The Final Result

Overall, I’d say this project was a success! It would make a great little dish for a dresser or an entryway table. It’s always a win when I can repurpose something old as material.