Baskets: Decorative, Functional and Green

My husband and I share a weakness for beautiful baskets. Our house was filling up with the things and we had to find a way to justify our addiction. When we found one the size of a small trunk, we collected all the bags we had stowed around the house - shopping bags, book bags, briefcases, fanny packs, overnighters - and just about filled it. Then the handle came apart on the tall basket with a hinged lid that I'd used for an overnight bag for years, so I retired it from travel. Coincidentally, the box I kept gift wrap ribbons and tags also gave up the ghost. Bingo! I packed the ribbons and tags in my dear old travel basket and the game was on.

After that Christmas, we put the decorations away in several closed baskets and lined them up atop a bookcase. The one on the right end is the old travel basket. It gained us a goodly amount of storage space and retired several aging cardboard boxes.

Since then, when something needs a home, we first look for a basket for it. Cardboard boxes and plastic bins are cop outs. Boxes are all right for inside closets and for my extensive stash of sewing and craft materials, but definitely are not attractive. Plastic bins are, well, plastic, and we're trying to cut down on our use of plastics. We only use plastic for something that needs to be critter proof or waterproof. Everything else gets stored in plain sight in a pretty basket. Some uses require wide shallow baskets, others tall. Some need closed or covered baskets. Some are rather large, others quite small. Most of the baskets around our house now have something in them.

Baskets in the bedroom

small - to empty pockets into.
under the side of the bed for pencils, bookmarks...
covered for small collections.
bangle bracelets.
fingernail polishes.
hair clips.

In the bathroom

large by the tub for rolled up towels.
small for shampoo and bath oil.
on the counter for brushes and combs.
empty prescription bottles.
laundry.
extra toilet paper.

In the kitchen

potholders.
fresh kitchen towels.
tomatoes, avocados and garlic.
bananas and oranges.

In the pantry

small boxes of pudding and gelatin mixes.
bags of nuts, pastas, microwave popcorn.
potatoes.
onions.
large squash.
sweet potatoes.
light bulbs.
phone cords and connectors.
extension cords.
reusable plastic containers.
extra sponges and scrub brushes.

In the office

papers to be filed.
business cards.
spare computer cords, connectors, etc.

In the living room

remotes.
magazines.
little stuff like scissors, emery boards, pencils.

At the front door

scarves, hats and gloves.
keys.
mail, both incoming and outgoing.

By the back door

work gloves, hats.
paper bags.
newspapers.
dog's leash.
rags.
picnic supplies

Everywhere around the house

tissues.
tallish for waste baskets.
small for odds and ends.
potted plants.

We have several largish baskets with handles as well as picnic baskets with lids as well to carry food or wine or birthday presents someplace else. We may soon start getting called the "basket people."

You get the idea. We've put our collection of decorative baskets to work and now have criteria to control our impulse buying of more. The list for your house will be different, but can be just as effective.

Okay, baskets are decorative and functional obviously, but what about green? There may be machine made baskets out there, but the really interesting ones are obviously handmade. When you buy a handmade basket, you know that somebody somewhere made his living making it, with precious little expenditure of oil, gas or electricity.

More important, how many baskets have you seen that are not made of natural materials - wood, reeds, vines, grasses, even twisted paper is a natural material. Storing, collecting, or displaying - baskets can be a lot of help around the house as well as providing a visual reminder that going natural is going green.

P.S. In ironic compromise, the cleaning products under our kitchen sink reside in a rectangular plastic basket. Makes it much easier to find what I need while keeping the clutter confined.