Ok, I’ll confess – I won’t go into all 101 ways to decorate your house with our lovely handwoven baskets (although that’s definitely possible if you’re very creative!).
I will, however, share with you some inspiring and clever decorating ideas for using baskets around your home. I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do by the end of this post. But first, a very short history lesson!
Basket weaving: the oldest craft in the world
Every part of the world boasts baskets in various shapes and sizes that have been used for millennia – for fetching and carrying, storing and displaying, and to show off wealth and skills. In fact, it is believed to be the oldest craft in the world!
Traditional basket weaving skills have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, so each basket is a piece of history.
You’ve probably come across a wicker basket before, but there are many more exciting and completely natural materials to choose from. For example, sisal, banana leaves and sweet grass.
I have a particular love for African baskets. (Well, I’m biased because that’s where I’m from!) They can be a riot of colours and designs, but also sleek and ultra-modern – and everything in between.
Each one has a story, too: read about the secret histories behind our African baskets to find out more!
Decorating with baskets is easy. In almost every room in our house, we display a few storage baskets. For example, large baskets for our plants, colourful ones for cotton wool buds, fruit, toys and firewood, and stunning hanging baskets to decorate our walls. And if, like me, you love a good spring-clean: a large basket is incredibly useful to help you with this. Plus, they can add colour, warmth and personality to any home.
Below, I’ve pulled together a few more home decor ideas you can try. Do you see anything you’d like in your home?
Display your fruit in a decorative woven bowl
Do you eat your 5 a day? If you’re struggling, simply store your fruit in a display basket on your dining table or kitchen counter and keep it in sight. This way, you’ll stay healthy and have gorgeous kitchen decor. It’s a win-win!
Tidy up with a pretty knick-knack bowl
A woven bowl can be home to all the things you’d lose if you didn’t have an easily accessible place to store them in. Keys, cards, glasses, loose change – and these days, hand sanitiser and facemasks, too!
Alternatively, display some fair trade sweets or chocolates on your coffee table or in your dining room – lovely for guests (and yourself, when no one’s looking).
Display your plants in woven baskets
If you want to bring the outside in, what better way than displaying a miniature tree or houseplant in an ethical woven basket? Baskets are lighter than standard planters, too, so you’ll find it much easier to move them around, if necessary. Just make sure to put a container underneath your plant to catch any water.
Decorate your walls with gorgeous hanging baskets
You don’t have to be an artist to create fabulous wall art or a charming display. Simply mix colour palettes and textures to add beauty and warmth to your home with a basket wall. Nobody else will have exactly the same wall decor, either – and it’s an affordable way to inject heaps of personality into your office or living room space. See a range of our African wall baskets here.
Organise your treasures in unique storage baskets
Our baskets come in all shapes, colours, sizes and weaving techniques. Whether lidded or not, large or small, square or round, the one thing that our beautiful baskets have in common is that you can use them to tidy everything away – quickly!
From toys to towels and make-up to money, baskets are brilliant for organising and decorating your rooms at the same time. They’re also perfect for filling up an awkward space: for example, empty shelves, corners, and so on.
Store your laundry and favourite blankets
Conventional laundry baskets aren’t very pretty, so why not store your washing in a colourful handwoven basket? You can also use large baskets as an attractive storage solution for our soft blankets or throws.
Tidy your kitchen and show off your utensils
Smaller baskets are the perfect place to store all the lovely new wooden utensils you can get from us (wink wink).
Not only do they make a cute display, but they are really practical. All our woven baskets are naturally water-resistant and you can easily clean them with just a slightly damp cloth.
Light up your room with handwoven lampshades
We stock a few pretty lampshades, but there is a huge variety of quirky options out there. Choose the right colour, shape and size for your rooms. Some are in a traditional circular shape, but you can also get rectangular or funky cone-shaped ones. My personal favourite is Ashanti’s range of lampshades.
Beautifully arrange dried flower bouquets in them
Faux flowers are all the rage at the moment. However, even when they’re not in fashion, seasonal dried flower arrangements look stunning in our handcrafted sisal baskets. Alternatively, you can even reuse an old basket for that shabby chic look.
Did you know you can watch free flower arrangement video tutorials to teach you what to do? Why not get inspired with this one, for example.
Use a shallow basket as a handy tray
Display colourful Swazi candles or an assortment of African spices on your kitchen counter. Or store your remote controls and TV guides in them in your living room. You could even show off smaller indoor plants on the windowsill – just ensure to place a waterproof container in there, first!
Get ready for winter with a firewood basket
In the cold season, it’s lovely to warm yourself in front of a wood-burning stove. A good, sturdy basket is the best way to keep your firewood handy – and tidy. Why not browse our range of large storage baskets for this?
Baskets can be beautiful bags too
Why not stand out with a colourful woven basket bag? Perfect for those summer months.
So, here we have it: some great ideas for using baskets creatively in your home. I hope you’re feeling inspired!
Do you have another creative basket idea? Great! Please share it with us here or on social media.
