10 WAYS TO USE MOST VERSATILE BASKETS

When thinking about organizing, nothing is more handy and versatile as the good old basket. With the variety of shapes, sizes, materials and styles that they are available in, you will always find one that will fit and work with any space in your house. Baskets are practical and stylish to capture that clutter in your home and are perfect for organizing every day items. Given their versatility, they can come in handy in almost every room and space in your room. So without further ado, let me share how you can incorporate the use of baskets in some key spaces in your home and go from clutter to clean.

1.Pantry:

You’ve seen those beautiful and neatly organized pantry pictures, maybe even have a Pinboard on Pinterest in the hopes that your pantry may look like those pictures someday. You’re not alone. Keeping a pantry in great shape is a challenge especially if you actually use it. You’ll find that things are always shuffling in a well used pantry. How do you keep things in order then? It’s the humble basket to the rescue here.
How to use: If you are having a hard time finding things in your pantry its probably because you don’t know where to look. First and foremost is to bring in baskets to group like items. Grouping like items together makes it a breeze to find items and you take it up a notch by clearly labeling the baskets for easy identification. You may even use baskets to store smaller appliances to free up space in your kitchen and pantry for the more essential items.
Type of basket to use: Use of properly labelled wicker baskets or clear acrylic baskets works great in a pantry. You can easily peek into clear baskets to see the contents. Another tip is to use baskets with handles on the front to easily grab and pull out the basket. Use wire baskets if you are going to place some dry produce like onions, potatoes, etc to keep them aired properly. Open face baskets are excellent for grab and go frequently used items whereas lidded ones keep the more infrequently used items tucked away and give a neat and clean look.
Bonus tip: If you are going to use acrylic or PET baskets to hold unwrapped food items, make sure you buy the ones that are marked ‘food safe’
With the versatility of baskets, organizing a pantry with clever use of baskets will instantly take you from pantry mess to pantry bliss.

2.Kids Room/Play Room:

Let’s all agree… We all would kill to have a neat and organized kids room or a playroom. Isn’t it? And that is very much possible. Creative use of baskets can take you from a mess of a kids bedroom/playroom to a space that all your kids will adore.
How to use: Toys can easily consume your whole home. To avoid this takeover baskets and bins can come to the rescue. Get the kids to corral their toys into one or a few baskets after playtime. If you have older kids that have legos, puzzles, etc, put them in labelled bins so they can stay in one place and are easy to find and put away. Use baskets to store and organize your kid’s sports gear for easy grab and go. Add baskets to shelves in the kids room so that you can organize various items like art supplies, books, small toys and games and can make for a neat and pretty look as well.
Type of basket to use: Safety is paramount in the kid’s room and playroom and it applies to the type of baskets you use as well. Use wicker or canvas baskets/totes as an added measure of safety. Avoid using metal wire baskets if you have younger kids. Label the baskets to easily identify various items and maybe even involve the kids in the organizing of these baskets to get them to start learning organizing at an early age!
Bonus tip: Get colorful! Pretty bins of varying sizes, shapes and colors can be used to create a vignette and keep things lively. The ‘stuff’ will suddenly disappear when surrounded by a selection of stylish storage bins.

3.Laundry Room:

Laundry room is generally the most unorganized room in a house. There’s so much stuff that has to be piled in and so many cleaning products that you have to store that it generally becomes a mess. Bringing in some baskets here is a sure-fire way to get organized in a laundry.
How to use: Line up the open shelves in your laundry with some baskets where you can organize your linens, and other laundry supplies. Dedicated baskets to hold your laundry cleaning supplies ensures you don’t have to go on a hunt to find that detergent. Place a few laundry baskets on the floor to sort dirty laundry. This keeps things functional and accessible. Have dedicated baskets to keep your clean linens or to put folded laundry that you can put away later.
Type of basket to use: Best style of baskets for your dirty laundry or your clean linens are wired baskets with an inner cloth lining. They won’t stain your clothes and will neatly organize the stuff. Go a step further and label each basket for easy sorting. Use metal wire or wicker baskets to hold your laundry supplies like detergent, fabric softener and other similar items.
Bonus tip: If you have lower cabinets in your laundry, think about installing an off-the-shelf rolling tray with one or more baskets. Easy pull out basket storage space when you need it and roll it away once done!

4.Bathroom:

Utilizing baskets in your bathrooms can make them look neat and tidy. They are the best tool to organize a variety of things in your bathroom.
How to use: Use them to store toilet paper, towels and cleaning products. Under the sink or under-sink cabinets are another great place to put a few baskets to store your essentials as well as more infrequently used items. Even within the shower you can put a few small shower caddies and these tiny baskets can keep everyone’s bathroom essentials separate and organized. Instead of dumping all your cosmetics, cream, and other daily bathroom essentials in the vanity drawers and cupboard, get them sorted by installing baskets to keep things separate and organized.
Type of basket to use: Wooden baskets are perfect for holding dry items (e.g. toilet paper, linen, etc.). On the other hand, use metal or acrylic baskets to hold items that can retain water (e.g. sponges, soap, etc.). Bamboo caddies work well in the shower as well as its water friendly. Acrylic baskets are perfect to add to your vanity drawers and cupboards.
Bonus tip: Avoid using iron metal baskets as they may corrode and leave back rust stains where they are placed and instead go for stainless steel ones.

5.Office Storage:

There are plenty of ways to incorporate basket storage in your office. In addition to improving the look, they help categorize and sort of your office essentials and keeps things in order
How to use: Use them on your office shelves/cabinets to hold your files. Smaller baskets can be used inside of desk drawers or on your desk to organize and hold stationary items. Use them on your open shelves to hold your notebooks. They are a great way to organize office belongings.
Type of basket to use: Clear acrylic baskets and bins are a great way to store office files and other paperwork. Label them for easy sorting and identification and keep things separate. Wicker baskets, especially with the wired mesh linings stay upright and can become perfect holders of your files and binders. If you’re in the design/creative industry, tall baskets in one of your office corners can be a home for all your rolled drawings and plans. Wicker or rattan baskets look great as they add a warm touch with their neutral color.

6.Art & Craft Room:

I cannot stress more how baskets can improve the organization of your arts and crafts room. By putting in a bit of thought and creativity, you can practically build your art and craft organization solution around baskets.
How to use: Baskets are perfect companion for your art & craft room or area. Even if you don’t have a room, you can practically create an art & craft area in one of your rooms with basket power! Just find a corner or a wall, install a shelf or two and get organizing your art & craft supplies with a line up of baskets! Use them to store & organize pens, crayons, paint brushes, ribbons and other crafting materials. Chart paper rolls can go in a basket on the floor that can be under or on the side of your crafting desk. This way you can prevent your art & craft materials being strewn across, giving you a clutter free and great design for this space.
Type of basket to use: Get creative in the crafts room. Use clear acrylic baskets/bins to keep your supplies in view, use lidded wicker and rattan baskets to keep things under wraps when not in use. Add labels to mark and separate out supplies.
Bonus tip: Add separators to make compartments within the baskets to further keep things organized and in order. Don’t hesitate to get into details of how you can get better organized.

7.Closet Solution:

Having a hard time finding your clothes and accessories in your closet? Feeling that your closet is a jungle of disorganization? Then that is your call to shower some basket love in your closet!
How to use: Without a doubt, one of the most essential pieces of organizers in your closet should be the basket. I cannot stress how useful and handy it will be. Think about it, piles of clothes gathering dust on your closet shelves, drop them into some neat lidded baskets and instant organization! Baskets are the best way to separate and organize various pieces of clothing on your closet shelves, or even in your closet drawers. Smaller baskets can be used to organize your jewelry and accessories. Keep your socks and smaller pieces of clothing neatly sorted by holding them in a smaller basket. Open face baskets work great for daily clothing for easy grab and go. Use separate baskets for tops, bottoms, shoes, scarves, and other accessories. Store your infrequently used clothing in a lidded basket so they don’t gather dust. You can even use them to hold your collection of purses!
Type of basket to use: Fabric or canvas totes work best as a closet storage solution. Label baskets for easy identification and even think about color coding your baskets in the closet for easy sorting and identification.

8.Wall Decor:

Wall decor with baskets? Yes my friends, I kid you not. As strange it may sound, you can creatively use baskets as a wall decor piece as well and trust me, it can make for a stand out styling feature.
How to use: Flat woven baskets with a variety of colors, prints and patterns can come together as a unique wall decor item. Use them singly or as a bunch of baskets hung up together on a wall. It’s a great way to add a pop to your space and immediately draws the eyes as it’s such a unique design choice. They add a bit of eclectic charm to your house and provide texture to your walls. Baskets add a lot of visual interest and when paired with an appropriate wall color or feature, they can totally transform the vibe of the space.
Type of basket to use: Shallow baskets work best for wall decor as they keep the wall profile slim. You can find them in various shapes as well like round, oval, etc. Feel free to mix and match or stick to one shape depending on the look you want.
Bonus tip: Don’t be afraid to mix and match styles as long as they share similar colors.

9.Living/Family Room Multipurpose Usage:

Baskets provide a multipurpose usage in your living/family rooms. They make for a great and stylish storage solution and keep things in order.
How to use: Smaller baskets can come in handy to hold daily essentials within reach, e.g. a pair of scissors, pens, letter/notepad, remotes, playing cards & small games and they can be placed under the coffee-table. If you have kids, baskets can also come in handy in the living room for quick clean up of toys. You can also utilize baskets as a catch-all for throws and pillows in your living/family room.
Type of basket to use: For under coffee table storage, you can use metal or wicker baskets, for your catch-all basket for throws & pillows, use a fabric friendly material like canvas or rattan. Use lidded baskets for corralling kids toys to keep the toys out of sight.
Bonus tip: Another unique use of baskets is to hold your house plants. Yes you heard it right, grab some baskets that match with the style of the area, drop in your house plants and you instantly have a beautiful ensemble to show off!

10.Entryway/Mudroom:

Is your entryway a cluttered mess? Do you have your stuff laying all around in your mudroom? Who doesn’t love to step into a house that has a clean organized entryway or an organized mudroom? With their various shapes, sizes and styles, baskets can become the perfect accessory to an organized entryway and mudroom.
How to use in Entryway: Use them under your entryway console to hold essentials. Keep a basket close to the entryway that can hold umbrellas for easy grab and go. Smaller baskets on a side table/console in the entryway can be used to hold your mail and/or keys.
How to use in Mudroom: Mudroom is all about functionality and baskets are the perfect utility pieces to an organized mudroom. Baskets are a great for storing accessories like hats, gloves, scarves, flip flops, extra socks, hair ties/bows or small sports equipment. Designate a set of baskets for each family member and place them on mudroom shelves. Store wet/dirty items and take care of your floors at the same time with a wicker/rattan tray with metal liner by placing these near the door of your mudroom. These ideas come in handy even if you have a smaller “drop zone” area instead.
Type of basket to use: Given the variety of materials baskets are available in, you can find one to match your entryway or mudroom style. Wicker baskets work great and add a nice texture in the area. Upright canvas or fabric baskets are also a good placeholder for your entryway essentials.
Bonus tip: A set of small baskets (one for each family member) near the entryway can keep belongings separate and access easy for items like keys, etc. while on the go.