You probably have one in every single room in your house. A room without a wastebasket is one you probably don't spend much time in. You can pay as little as one dollar for a wastebasket or as much as several hundred for one. The cheap ones look cheap and few of us are willing or able to spring for the expensive ones. Oddly, there is very little in between.

Sometimes, it is fun to make something yourself just for the sake of it. In other cases, necessity is the springboard for creativity. The dearth of interesting, reasonably priced wastebaskets on the market makes this a case in point. With the amount of time, money and thought you've put into the design of you home's interior, surely it deserves more than plain plastic cylinders shoved under every desk and sink.

Not that there's anything the matter with plastic, per se. It's the plain-ness and the limited choice of colors more that is more problematic than the material itself. In fact, the one we've chosen to transform is plastic. We like the translucence and heft of it. (This one is from The Martha Stewart Collection available at Kmart for $4.99) But while a semi-clear waste basket may look elegant in the store, remember that once it is actually in use, it may look anything but. Decorating part of the surface solves that problem by distracting the eye from what is inside by drawing it to the outer surface.

Another decorating dilemma that arises from having ugly wastebaskets is the difficulty of deciding exactly where to put them so that they will be both handy and out of sight. If the wastebasket coordinates with the room, you can just put it where it is useful and know it won't detract from the rest of the furnishings.

And since a wastebasket is an object that needs to withstand use, practicality needs to be a part of its design. For durability and ease of cleaning, plastic wins hands down. Also, the design elements on the one shown are coated liberally with a clear acrylic product, which, when dry, can be wiped down with a damp sponge.

Choose any images that appeal to you and will fit in with your decor. In the example shown, we used color plates from an antique book. Don't worry-there is no need to use originals. Simply take the images to the copy store and have them color copied. Did you know that you can color copy fabric? Lay a scrap, or the cushion cover, tablecloth, etc. itself on the screen as you would paper. This can be an excellent way to tie the wastebasket to the rest of the room. And don't forget the copier's enlargement and reduction capabilities.

What you'll need:

Wastebasket
ModPodge decoupage medium, matte finish
Acrylic craft paint in a light color that coordinates with the images
Color copied images
Paper edger fancy scissors, if desired.
Junky paint brush, 1" wide
Dampened rag
Paper towels

What to do:

1. Cut out images. For a small wastebasket, you will need several 8.5" x 11" sheets of copied images. Use fancy scissors if desired.

2. Slather ModPodge generously on wastebasket in an area larger than your first image using paint brush.

3. Lay image, face up on wet Modpodge. Paint another generous layer of Modpodge over the image. Then use your fingers to firmly press out any air bubbles under the paper. Brush excess ModPodge again over image. (Note: ModPodge is milky, not clear, when it is wet. It will dry clear.)

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you are finished. Cover all of the wastebasket, cover it partially, as shown here, or just add a few bits around the top. Using "random" placement of images makes the design of the wastebasket very easy.

5. When dry, mix a very small amount of the colored paint into a few tablespoons of ModPodge in a plastic cup. Use the junky brush to coat the entire wastebasket with this glaze.

6. When the glaze is dry, apply small amounts of the acrylic paint around the edges of the images, using the damp paper rag and paper towel to blend edges. Be careful not to rub too hard.