Where to Keep Wicker Storage Baskets

Wicker storage baskets make for great ways to store your things, anything from small envelopes in the mail to towels to books.  They come in any size you need, and in many variations, from a stand-alone basket to a frame that allows you to use them as drawers.  This Hub is a list of just a few of these uses that baskets offer, and the best places in the home to place them in.

If you have a large counter, and want to keep it a little organized, a small wicker basket will do a great job of keeping things together for you. I've seen them used as a napkin holder to keep all the excess napkins people gather, to a mail organizer, for keeping mail until you mail it out, or as an outbox. But there's no reason to stop there. It can work as a stationary holder, to keep office supplies together, or even to keep placemats, perhaps underneath the counter in a cabinet or in the closet. Just because they're small doesn't mean they're useless, and this is proof of that.

Another option for the counter would be market wicker baskets, or baskets with a wicker handle that stretches over the basket itself.  Named from the fact that they would work great as a basket to use to purchase food at the town market, they can hold anything from flowers to papers, or even both at once if you needed to.  They even look okay empty.

One of my favorite places to keep wicker baskets, learned from my grandparents, is on the floor near a chair. It's a perfect place to keep magazines or books that I intend to read, as they're reachable from the chair, and they don't look like they're just lying around making a mess (which they certainly would do if I just left them on the floor). It also makes for a great coaster to put down a glass or can of pop, or a place to leave the remote so I always know where it is.

I've always used a wicker basket that's about big enough to hold half a dozen magazines for this job. It has a handle on either side to help carry it, and although I don't really move it around very much, it's certainly more convenient for magazines than a wicker storage chest. Putting a wicker basket on the floor can also be good for decorating the living room, perhaps by putting a plant in it to get some green into the room, or something similar. If you have ideas, let me know in the comments!

I have a white wicker trunk in my bathroom as a hamper, and it works well. It keeps the towels from getting musty if they're in there too long, and it looks good on the floor in the bathroom closet. However, a small wicker basket will work well in holding the towels while they're clean. I've seen units that function like dressers - you have about 5 basket drawers that all can hold any supplies you need them to. They look very space efficient, and create a very warm feeling in the room.

Humidity, in general, doesn't take too much of a toll on wicker, so don't expect the water vapor from the bathroom to cause too much trouble. Direct water will cause long term damage though, so I'd advise keeping it away from the shower. If you want a basket that can handle water like that, or if you want to keep it outside, then you can get a specially protected outdoor wicker storage chest, but just a standard chest may not be able to handle it.

Finally, there are some specialty baskets you can place in your bedroom.  There are bed baskets made for cats that would be great on the floor near your bed.  Cats love them because they're weird.  Or perhaps because they come with a fluffy pillow to lay on.

Another way to use your basket would be to keep it underneath your bed, for easy access.  Before I had a nightstand in my apartment I'd use this to keep my glasses safe in the middle of the night - I always had a fear that I'd break them when I stood up or roll over onto them or something.

These are just the ways that I have used wicker storage baskets, or seen people use them.  If you have any other ideas that I didn't mention, put them in the comments!  But don't recommend what they're doing in the video here.  I'm already planning on try that asap!