Decorative Baskets

The link goes to Amazon.com with the very type of basket I am reviewing. This review is for people looking for decorations that are both functional and beautiful. A wicker weave basket is the perfect solution. It is both beautiful and functional. It fits into a variety of decorative motifs. And depnding on what you would use them for, you have many options at your disposal.

In my own apartment, I use the baskets in a couple of the rooms. In my living room, I have a lovely rectangular shaped basket with cloth lining to store my remotes. The color of the wicker is a light brown that goes well with the color of my couch. The depth of the basket means that you can't see what's in the basket from a few feet away and so all those remotes (I seriously have like 6 or 7) don't offend the delicate sensibilities of my apartment that is strongly influenced by estrogen-based decorations.

The Girl Scout in me likes to have things readily available. Always Be Prepared and all that. So my wicker baskets allow me to prettily arrange the things I want to have on hand without having to have loose pens, safety pins, etc. lying around and cluttering the place up. For example, in my remote basket, I also have a spare blue and black pen, a small pair of scissors, and extra minty chewing gum.

I also have a basket in my bedroom with remotes, a tiny little bottle of air freshener, lip gloss, a baby flashlight, and hair clips.

But my favorite basket is in my bathroom. I have all the basics a guest who might use my bathroom could possibly need without having to pry through all my things to find them. I have a medium-tooth comb, nail clippers, a nail file, cough drops, Claritin, air freshener, Kleenex tissue, Vaseline, a lint roller, two safety pins, five bobby pins, and three tampons (each one a different size). I've put a lot of thought into this basket. The basket itself is a dark brown that matches the color scheme of my bathroom. Everything in the basket it either brown, turquoise, red, or silver. In fact, it looks like a gift basket. I am quite proud of it.

So, the key to a great basket as functional decorations is to place it where it is least obstructive. Also, make sure it fits your color/decorative scheme. Next, fill it with useful things that help keep the place organized, neat, and private. And if all esle fails and yo just have to have a basket in your life, fill it with potpouri stuffed animals.

My Favorite Things About Decorative Baskets: 1) They come in many colors, shapes, and sized; you can get exactly what you need for the space you need to fill. 2) The possibilities are endless in terms of what you can keep in them. The cloth lining makes it possible to put even clothes pins in these baskets and keep track of them.
My Least Favorite Things About Decorative Baskets: 1) They aren't exactly unique. Once something is mass-produced on amazon.com and at Wal-Mart, you haven't found something you won't also see at all your friends' houses. 2) They are probably super flammable. If you think your house may go up in flames, don't count on holding on to anything you decide to put in those baskets.
Final Rank: 4/5. They're not easy to keep clean; dust gets into the crevices and don't even think about refitting the cloth on the basket after you wash it in your washing macine.