Best Baskets to Get Organized in 2019

New year, new you? Let’s face it — even if you aren’t in for a new year transformation, it’s really a great time for a fresh start. One of the best ways to feel renewed and rejuvenated is to organize your home. In fact, many scientific studies prove that clutter inhibits our lives and adds to personal stress. According to this article from Psychology Today, clutter makes it more difficult to relax, triggers feelings of guilt, tanks productivity and creativity, and even makes us anxious. If organizing feels like an overwhelming chore, don’t worry — we are here to help. We have curated baskets, crates, and trunks for optimal organization, and we’ll share them in this guide. Let’s get to it!

From the moment you start tidying, you will be compelled to reset your life. As a result, your life will start to change. ~ Marie Kondo

Why wicker?

Here at The Basket Lady, we only offer wicker baskets, crates, and trunks due not just to the beautiful design aesthetics, but also for a suite of other little-known benefits. The wicker material as you know it is made from rattan, which is a vine-like palm tree that mostly grows in Asia. It’s a very strong material that can withstand high storage demands while still being lightweight. It’s also easy to clean and maintain, as a simple dust cloth can usually do the cleaning trick! Finally, it’s an environmentally-friendly product that can help protect forest lands by providing an alternative to timber loggers. If you’ve never organized with wicker  before, you’re truly in for a treat!

Storage

Chances are, if you want to get organized, you need to start with simple storage solutions before going room to room. Especially if you have kids (who tend to take over entire spaces with their toys!), basic storage is a great beginner solution to get some of the bigger items off the floor and into a tidy place. Here are some of our favorites.

• Trunks

Wicker trunks have oh-so-many uses while looking decorative and modern. The options are endless — from toys to blankets to pillows to books to seasonal gear, a covered trunk offers versatility like no other. Our Deep Kubu Wicker Storage Trunk is a beautiful multi-functional option. Its elegant grey color, coupled with sleek decorate features like its deep brown leather lock and handles, make it a great choice for a bedroom foot trunk, a living room accent, or a front entrance greeting piece. It is lined with fabric, which gives it even more functionality, and it’s available in several sizes and colors. Shop here >

• Kids’ baskets

Christmas poses the perfect time to purge old toys and make room for those Santa gifts, so why not level up and invest in a storage solution while you’re at it? Our Deep Wicker Storage Trunk is a great option for toy storage, as its open top makes it easy for your little's to take toys out and put toys in as they please. The open handles mock the overall design and make for easy carrying from room to room. Additionally, there’s a removable fabric liner that might just be a saving grace from cracker crumbs, play dough pieces, and other oddities that kids always seem to leave behind!

• Shelf Solutions

Shelves, despite their core purpose of storage, have a unique tendency to become catch-all clutter havens. It’s just too easy and tempting to grab stuff from the floor and stick it on the shelf! But with a few strategic crates or baskets in place, you can keep your shelves in tip-top shape. Consider this Narrow Pole Handle Wicker Basket: Sleek, slim, and strong thanks to its internal wire frame, this is a great shelf basket for knick-knacks or more dedicated objects, like a small herb garden.

Kitchen

So many beautiful memories are made in the kitchen. The love of a shared meal, the adventure of a new recipe, the laughter about inevitable kitchen mishaps — your kitchen is a special place in your home. Wicker baskets and crates are excellent choices for the counter tops or pantry alike since they offer so much style and versatility.

• Pantry: A well-stocked pantry may just be your family’s love language, and they’ll appreciate it even more when it’s tidy and easy to find their favorite snacks. Check out this Petit Pole Handle Wicker Storage Basket. The open design makes it a go-to as it maximizes storage and visibility alike (in other words, you won’t be shuffling cans around trying to find the one you’re looking for!). Ideal for canned or dried goods, its easy access also makes it a good choice for the countertop.
• Cabinets: Wide, deep, open-face baskets are made to live in cabinets. Our Wicker Kitchen Basket fits the bill with cut-in handles and full-pole framing for maximum sturdiness. These baskets are great for small appliances, occasionally-used gadgets, or even pots and pans. And, if you decide you want to repurpose these baskets, their lovely weave design makes them a great option to be out in plain sight.
• Serving: You definitely won’t want to hide this beauty in the pantry or under a cabinet! The Wicker Serving Tray features a reinforced wood base, which makes it sturdy enough for countertop organization (think: fruit basket) or holding heavier objects (like casserole dishes) that go between the table and the counters.

Closet

The closet is another place in your house that may become a catch-all if you’re not careful. Prevent the clutter with well-placed storage options, like a Wicker Storage Trunk. A trunk is optimal for the floor due to its size alone, but it also can hold so many different things (like shoes, sweaters, jeans, or seasonal clothing) that it’s a closet essential. It boasts a sturdy wooden frame that ensures it can withstand the most cumbersome of closet items. If you’re trying to tidy up closet shelves, you’ll love these Deep Pole-Handle Wicker Storage Baskets. The handles make these baskets super easy to pull in and out as needed, which makes them ideal for smaller items like socks and undies, or seasonal items like hats, gloves, and scarves.

Bathroom

Keep the bathroom clean and uncluttered with basic wicker crates and baskets. This Lidded Wicker Box* can be used for virtually anything in your bathroom. Whether you want to keep tissues and toilet paper out of sight or stock it with your favorites toiletries, it’s up to the task. Looking for open storage? This Wicker Divided Organization Basket is a great choice. It features a slot for a boutique-sized tissue box as well as two other slots for miscellaneous bathroom items (hand towels, cotton products, soaps, etc.). If you’re  makeup lover, this is also a great vanity-top basket for makeup brushes and beauty utensils.

*Since it’s the holiday season, we should also mention that the Lidded Wicker Box is also a favorite for gifting. Stock it with a luxurious sugar scrub and candle for your gal pals or fill it to the brim with chocolate goodies and teas for a teacher.

Laundry

We can’t talk about organization without talking about laundry. Get a hamper that your family will actually use! This 3-Compartment Wicker Laundry Hamper makes for fun and easy sorting. It can withstand all those dirty clothes thanks to being built over furniture-quality poles and a wood bottom. Don’t worry about it scratching your floor, though — it features plastic feet to keep the floor safe. And, it’s large enough to hold 1.6 cubic feet of dirty laundry in each compartment. Great for families!

Need a smaller hamper option? Try this Corner Wicker Laundry Hamper. It features a sturdy frame and plastic feet just like the option above, but it’s sized for smaller spaces and fits perfectly into the corner of any room you choose.

Office

Even if you don’t have a home office, it’s likely that you have organizational needs for clerical type items — like bills, stamps, envelopes, pens, cards, and more! The Large Wicker Organizer Basket is our go-to for all things desktop. Its four sections are perfectly compartmentalized to fit paper products (including business-sized envelopes!) as well as odds and ends (like pens and markers).

Another office favorite is this Narrow Wicker Magazine Basket. If you need a space for all of those software DVDs, this basket can fit standard DVD cases! The handles makes for easy lifting and excellent portability.

Round out your office decor with a Narrow Wicker Magazine Basket. Whether you have product manuals, journals, planners, or actual magazines hanging around your office space, having a dedicated place for storage is optimal — and this basket is designed just for that.

Do you have other organizational needs that we didn’t address in this guide? We’d love to help you find the perfect basket, trunk, or crate for your needs! Contact us here and let’s get to clearing that clutter for 2019!