Short On Storage? 12 Ways To Repurpose Waste & Recycling Baskets At Home

Smarter, Faster Recycling Is Now At Your Disposal

They’re tall. They’re deep. And they’re lined with metal. At first glance, The Basket Lady’s collection of trash, waste and recycling baskets may look like just that—an elegant way to handle life’s little messes. But lest you overlook their true versatility, we challenge you to look again.

With a little creativity and a fresh pair of eyes, our waste and recycling baskets can bring beauty and organization to every part of your home. Here are twelve of our favorite ways to repurpose these fantastic storage tools for other home organization purposes:

1. Reuse, repair or upcycle more items instead of discarding them.

   Tired of scrounging in the pantry for a bag of Fido’s favorite grub? Simply pour its contents into our Wicker Kitchen Trash Basket with Metal Liner and insert a scoop. If you’ve got more than one kind of food, fill each side of our Wicker Divided Recycling Basket with a different variety. Presto! Refills are just a scoop away.

2. Create a portable linen closet

   Storage is like leftover dessert: there’s never enough to go around. If you find yourself short on space for linens, towels and sheets, not to fear. Roll them and stack the vertically inside our Tall Wicker Trash Basket with Metal Liner. Tuck the basket in a corner of your bathroom, in a hallway or other available nook. Everyone will think it’s just part of the decor.

3. Organize gift wrap, tissue paper and bows

   Never go chasing under the bed again for that missing wrapping paper and bows! Instead, stand or fold them inside our Large Wicker Waste Basket with Metal Liner. Use one basket to hold all, or sort them into two groups inside our Wicker Divided Recycling Basket. Drop the hinged lid to keep their presence as secret as the present you’re wrapping.

   

4. Centralize garden tools

   Got a patio with an awning, or a nicely outfitted garage? Add our Wicker Kitchen Trash Basket with Metal Liner or Large Wicker Waste Basket with Metal Liner to enhance your decor, while also storing all those garden tools in one easy-to-gather location. Pile your tools inside, or stand them on end—no matter how you make them fit, the options really are endless.

5. Keep fabric together

   Like to keep your sewing space both beautiful and tidy? Turn our Corner Wicker Waste Basket with Metal Liner into your new best friend on Craft Day. Fold up fabric or stand bolts on end, fan-style, inside our deep, sturdy handwoven rattan basket. Or keep piles of remnants inside for easy grab-and-go during piecework projects.

6. Lend natural beauty

   If you want to get really creative with trash baskets in your home decor, think beyond storage altogether. Store your compost all winter inside our Tall Wicker Trash Basket with Metal Liner, then mix it with soil and plant with your favorite indoor or outdoor varieties when spring rolls around. Elegant wicker draped with tendrils of ivy and pothos, or clusters of flowers, will look great in just about any room.

   

7. Hold firewood and kindling

   Tired of hauling wood for every fire? Or, wish you could hide the stacks on your patio or deck? Stand cords of wood on end inside our Wicker Divided Recycling Basket and shut the lid for discrete storage. Or choose an open-topped variety that showcases the rustic beauty of firewood tucking over the top. Either way, the metal lining keeps the wood splinters neatly off your floor.

   

8. Organize the kids’ toys

   Like the Home Garden Center and Firewood And Kindling, this option disguises more outdoor items behind a screen of beautiful rattan. Whether it’s basketballs or pogo sticks, teach the kids to drop all their outdoor toys inside one of our Tall Wicker Trash Baskets with Metal Liner. Keep it by the back door for an easy grab-and-go—whether to the yard, the park or parts further away.

   

9. Box up craft supplies

   Got lots of great treasures you don’t know what to do with? Or large lots of particular items that need to stay piled together until use? Pile them all inside our Corner Wicker Trash Basket with Metal Liner, which is guaranteed to step the look of your craft room up a notch (or two, or ten). For a craftier touch … you could even decorate the basket itself.

10. Hold your favorite umbrellas

    If you’re a fan of the classic tall umbrella with maximum coverage, a tiny umbrella stand just won’t do. Place our Oval Wicker Waste Basket, Tall Kubu Wicker Trash Basket with Metal Liner, or Wicker Umbrella Stand by your back door. Simply drop a wet umbrella in as you go by and let the metal liner hold all the mess. There’s a properly sized basket for every possible umbrella you might have.

    

11. Create a huge party cooler

    Planning the Biggest Party Ever for an upcoming shower, graduation event or wedding? You’ll need a lot of beverages, and somewhere to keep them, too. Our Tall Wicker Trash Basket with Metal Liner makes the perfect party cooler. Fill the bottom of the metal liner with ice, then layer cans or bottles alternately with ice until the entire basket is full. Don’t forget to leave some room at the top for melt!

    

12. Store dry vegetables and fruits

    Finding that your pantry isn’t big enough for that stash of potatoes, or cadre of onions? No problem! Install our World’s Large Wicker Waste Basket with Metal Liner—and fill it up with root vegetables, apples, or other items that don’t require refrigeration. They’ll last longer and stay out of sight, keeping your kitchen fresh and clean.

The Basket Lady is the world’s premier supplier of high-quality rattan and wicker baskets at near-wholesale prices. Contact us toll-free at 888-742-4172 or view our entire collection at BasketLady.com. Send us an email or visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.