Baskets 101 - a Helpful Guide

Do you love baskets but just can't figure out how to decorate your home with them? Are they just in a stack on a shelf somewhere? Well, go ahead and get them.

Now that you are back with your baskets, let's decide what to do with them.

Baskets 101

Baskets don't have to be brown! Baskets can be painted or dyed any color. They don't have to be wood colored. If you cannot find a basket in your stack that will go with your room, don't be afraid to grab a can of spray paint and paint your basket a coordinating or accent color. Keep in mind that not only are there many colors, there are also several finishes. If you want a shiny basket, choose a high gloss paint. If you want something subtle, choose a flat or sating finish. Satin is in between flat and high gloss, but is not real shiny.

Don't be afraid to use a basket for something besides what it was designed for. For instance, the sections in a condiment basket are great for arranging flowers. The compartments serve as good support. If you are using real flowers you can hide glasses of water in the sections to place your flowers in. this would be great on a table as a centerpiece or as decoration on a hall table. Keep the basket and flowers on a scale that will compliment the table. You don't want a tiny basket on a large table or visa-versa.

You can use baskets in your kitchen and laundry room for storing items in a decorative way. Large square baskets stack and look nice in a laundry center. These work great for sorting dirty laundry. Use the smaller square baskets in the kitchen for storing items. If you are tired of your cabinets, remove the doors and arrange square baskets inside the doors for a completely different look. If you decide to do this, pay very close attention to your basket colors and all baskets should be the same shape.

Place a basket on a hall table to drop your mail in each day. Or stand a tall basket by the door for your umbrella. You can use the same square baskets you use in the kitchen to place under a bench at the door or mudroom to hold gloves and scarves. Our solution to lost gloves when all the kids were home, was to give each child a basket, painted their favorite color and stuck under the bench. Not only was it attractive, it was a great solution to the chaotic clutter a bunch of kids can create, it also ended the missing glove mystery.

I use an oval shaped laundry basket in my bathroom. I roll my towels and stand them on end in the basket. It has a "spa" look and I love it. You can also use hamper shaped baskets in the bathroom for dirty towels. You can grab a couple of your smaller baskets and paint them a nice color for your bathroom. Place them on the counter and put your makeup, or any items that you use daily. Clears clutter and looks nice.

If you need storage, but don't want it to be too obvious, hang shelves on your wall, or using a bookcase, arrange square baskets on the shelves. Paint the baskets and bookcase the same color as the wall and it disappears...almost.

Hang and arrangement of small baskets by your work area and use them to store tools and supplies.

Live in an apartment? Need a place to store your blankets, but just don't have room. If you have one of those oversized baskets with a lid, store your blankets inside, place a piece of wood or glass on top and use it for a table. It looks nice and no one has to know it is doing double duty.

Need more ideas? Watch for Baskets 102