By Colleen Moulding

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Okay, I confess, I love baskets. I think they are just

the prettiest things and so useful around the home.

I keep vegetables in baskets, shells and bathroom

toiletries in baskets, socks, remote controls, washing,

toys, pens, plants - you name it there's a basket

somewhere that's just right to store it in.

They aren't expensive either. If you keep your eyes

open you can find quite a variety at dollar stores or

pound shops and charity or second hand shops usually

have a selection too.

I have found that Summer Fayre's or table sales

raising money for hospitals or residential homes

for the elderly yield lots of baskets, as they often

contain gifts of plants or flowers and are discarded

afterwards.

Don't be afraid to wash your basketware. I regularly

completely immerse baskets in warm soapy water,

and even scrub them, before rinsing well and pegging

them on to the washing line or placing them in the

sun to dry. If you can't dry them outside, shake

them well and leave them on a towel in a warm place.

This only applies to inexpensive everyday basketware

of course, for antique baskets, rare or cherished family

pieces, dust off with a soft brush, or vacuum with a piece

of a pair of old tights stretched over the nozzle.

Once clean, they have a thousand uses.

Trim a piece of plastic or polythene to fit inside a

basket and it is the perfect home for any type of

indoor plant. Just pop the plastic pot into the basket.

In fact a table filled with foliage and flowering plants

in an array of different baskets interspersed with

some coloured glass or pretty china can be a simple

and inexpensive way to create a beautiful focal point

in a conservatory or garden room.

Baskets in the kitchen can display fruit and

vegetables, store cutlery, bread, eggs, tea

towels and a million and one other items.

You can also paint them to go with your room

scheme, decorate them with silk or dried flowers

attached with a glue gun, or hang them as decorations

mixed with drying herbs and pretty jugs for a

homely country look.

Magazines can be a storage problem but

flat baskets contain them in a stylish way.

I do admit to a failure here though. I once decided

to store some of my home decorating magazines

in a tall wicker basket thinking it was a great looking

storage solution, until guests kept throwing their

litter in with them! I know when to admit defeat!

Collecting baskets whenever you see them

throughout the year can also solve lots of

gift problems when Christmas rolls around.

Fill them will bits and pieces that you

know the recipient will love, such as, gardening

gloves, seeds, plant labels and a trowel or a video,

popcorn and cans of cola or cups and saucers and

chocolate dipped spoons. Wrap the whole thing

up in cellophane, decorate with ribbon and voila -

personalized Christmas gifts to go.

In a wardrobe or closet, baskets can help you to

get organized. Really large baskets can hold

shoes, smaller ones are ideal for scarves, belts,

gloves, folded tee shirts, jumpers or underwear.

Even bathrooms can benefit from baskets.

They can hold spare loo rolls or soaps, rolled

up towels, face cloths or displays of shells,

pebbles, driftwood and shore treasures.

In children's rooms they can hold small toys,

hair decorations, socks and underwear, craft

supplies, jewellery, books and collections of

anything that will clutter up the place if not

gathered together.

Whatever your storage problem somewhere

there is a basket that will solve it for you. Happy

basket hunting!

© Colleen Moulding 2000

Colleen Moulding is a freelance writer living

in the south of England. She is also the owner/

editor of All That Women Want.com

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web guide and resource for women everywhere.

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