KonMari Basket Organization

Maybe you hadn’t heard of Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, but there’s no way you haven’t heard of her new Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. The show has taken the world by storm, as everyone seems to be mesmerized by how amazing it feels to declutter and organize your life. And here at Basket Lady, we couldn’t be happier! Just like Marie, we love tidying and think that there is no better, more beautiful way to organize than with wicker baskets, crates, and trunks. In fact, we wrote a blog about how to organize your entire house in 2019 before we even knew about the Netflix show! In honor of the tidying guru herself, in this blog, we’ll talk about how to apply the KonMari Method throughout your home so you’ll feel joy every time you walk into a different room. Let’s tidy! 

What is the KonMari Method?

It’s all about joy. At the foundation of her method, Marie Kondo honors the importance of living in a home where things are organized in a way that “sparks joy”. Here is how the KonMari website describes the method:

The KonMari Method™ is a state of mind – and a way of life – that encourages cherishing the things that spark joy in one’s life. Belongings are acknowledged for their service – and thanked before being let go, should they no longer spark joy. People around the world are drawn to this philosophy not only due to its effectiveness, but also because it places great importance on being mindful, introspective and optimistic.

Beautifully stated. While many people believed that this method is all about seeing how much you can throw away, that’s not necessarily the case. Instead, the emphasis should be on discovering what you truly want to keep by determining what creates joyful feelings in your life.

So, once you’ve identified what you truly want to keep, the next challenge is in figuring out how to store your items. That’s where we come in. With wicker baskets, crates, and trunks, you can create beautiful displays that are also practical in every room of your home. One thing to point out, though, is that the KonMari method does not go room by room. Instead, the order in which you declutter is done via these categories:

• Clothing
• Books
• Paper
• Miscellaneous
• Sentimental items

In this blog, in true Marie Kondo fashion, we’ll explore organization options via these categories. And don’t worry — no matter the category, we have a basket to help you organize your belongings!

Declutter your closet

When Marie starts her tidying up process, she always begins with clothing. She says that the reason for that is because clothing is usually less emotionally charged for people, so, therefore, it gives them good practice in beginning to understand what it feels like when joy is indeed sparked. She advises the person who is tidying to put all their clothes in the middle of the room in a huge pile and go through each item individually. She also has unique folding methods so clothes are more visible and thus, easier to find. Here are some of our favorite wicker baskets for storing clothes: 

Basic Wicker Storage Basket:  Perfect for tee shirts and jeans or even socks and undies, these basic wicker storage baskets are must-haves for closet organization. With beautiful central handles, it’s simple to move these baskets quickly, which is a coveted feature both on laundry day and on hurried mornings when you must throw on clothes! Available in two different color finishes, this basket will look great in any closet — and is sure to spark joy.

Underbed Wicker Storage Box: Wondering what to do with seasonal items? Pack them away in a beautifully functional storage box. With a furniture-quality wooden frame, it’s perfect for bulky sweaters or heavier items like blankets and throws. And no worries if you don’t want to stow them under the bed — these stackable boxes look great in the corner of the room or fit perfectly on low closet shelves.

Long Low Wicker Basket: Accessories don’t get a pass in the KonMari method; you have to sort through those, too! Scarves, hats, seasonal items like swimsuits — all of those would fit well in these long, open baskets. Available in four sizes, you can get an entire set to meet your accessories’ needs. 

Once you’ve finished up with your clothes, you can apply these methods to your linen closets, too. And of course, we have a whole range of versatile wicker baskets, trunks, and crates to help you store towels, sheet sets, and more. Shop all of our closet organization supplies here >

The KonMari Method for books and paper

We’re combining these two categories because they go hand in hand, but for the sake of clarification — when we say paper, we are referring to things like photos, greeting cards, important documents, etc. And yes, we have options to help you organize those things! Let’s start first with books — if you won’t be displaying them on a bookshelf, perhaps you are a true bibliophile and need a great trunk to stow your reads. Check this one out: 

Wicker Storage Trunk: An all-purpose storage solution, this generously sized trunk will easily house your books (or your kids’ books!). A sturdy full wooden frame ensures that the weight of the books won’t cause it any damage, and plastic feet ensure that this large trunk won’t scratch your floor.

Not a book person, but into magazines? You’ll love this Narrow Wicker Magazine Basket. Keep magazines off of the floor and stored neatly in this handwoven rattan organizer basket.

On to the paper products — we know that you don’t want to throw out your cards with sentimental notes on them! Why not store them in a box like this?

Covered Wicker Storage Basket: With simple brass hinges on the lid, it’s easy to get in and out of this functional, beautiful basket. And, it comes in two sizes for decorative stacking that doubles as functional organization. Win-win! Not only will your cards store well in here, but so will photographs and other paper products that you want to hang on to.

And of course, we can’t talk about tidying paper products without mentioning those important documents that you need to hang on to. From bills to work files through to product manuals, we have the perfect storage solution in this basket, the pole handle wicker storage basket, because it doubles as a file folder organizer.

On to all things miscellaneous

If this category seems broad, it’s because it is, and note — Marie calls this category komono in a homage to her native Japan. Miscellaneous items can include anything and everything from DVDs to makeup to items in your medicine cabinet to kids’ toys and small kitchen appliances! Because there is so much to cover here, you may indeed want to go room to room and find what’s considered “komono” by identifying things that don’t fit into the other Tidying categories. Reminder: we give you room-by-room details of how to get organized in this blog post. For the purpose of this blog, however, we’ll only look at two subcategories where we know people need the most organizational help: toys and pantry. 

Toys

If you’re a parent, then you know how quickly the kids’ toys can overwhelm the entire house. Toys have a unique way of spreading into all the rooms, and we get it — it’s stressful! If you’ve watched Marie Kondo on Netflix, then you probably saw the KonMari Method in action with small children in the very first episode. The kids in this episode both look to be under age five, yet their mother still involves them in choosing which toys they want to keep. They pick each toy up one by one and then decide whether the kiddo loves it — or is ready to let it go. You can do this with your kids, too! Once they’ve decided what to keep, gift them with an amazing toy box like this: 

Lift-Off Lid Wicker Storage Basket: With generous dimensions and three styles of basket weave over a sturdy pole frame, this trunk is perfect for toy storage. The lift-off lid is a great option for frequent opening/closing, and it’s available in two sizes for added versatility.

If you’re looking for something open for toy storage for easy access for littles, then check out this Jumbo Wicker Storage Basket. A bonus with this basket is that it contains built-in side handles, which make it easy to lift and carry from room to room.

We know that toys come in all shapes and sizes, and you have diverse needs when it comes to toy storage. If neither of the options above are right for you, check out our entire collection of toy storage baskets.

Pantry

On to the pantry — a place that sparks joy for so many people! In our busy lives, we know how easy it is to get overrun with pantry staples or forget to throw out expired items. Luckily, deciding what to keep here should be easy. With added curation and beautiful organization, your pantry will become your happy place.

As always with the KonMari Method, focus on determining what you’ll keep by determining what sparks joy. Throw out all of the unused, unloved, expired, no-longer-sparking joy items, and add these baskets in for optimal tidiness.  

Tall Narrow Wicker Storage Basket: Narrow from front to back with pole handles along the longer side, this is a beautiful pantry basket for holding bottles of olive oil and other condiments or jars of bulk items. 

Petit Pole Handle Wicker Storage Basket: Specifically designed to fit under kitchen cabinets, this basket works just as well in the pantry. It’s wide and deep, which makes it roomy and perfect for boxes, bagged items, or even small appliances that don’t get used very often.

Petit Pole Handle Wicker Storage Basket: Maximize storage and visibility with this handsome tapered design and open weave that makes for a basket that will store cans and dry goods perfectly. 

Sentimental items

The hardest category in the KonMari Method, Marie Kondo advises clients to tidy the sentimental stuff last when they’ve properly assessed what it feels like to spark joy in their hearts. The sentimental things are usually the mementos that we’re most attached to, so when it’s time to part with an item, Kondo shares a unique way of making it easier: bidding the item farewell. That’s right — after you decide to let go of an item, be sure to thank it for its time with you and wish it well at its next destination. A beautiful idea. Here’s a quote from her book to further explain this idea: 

By acknowledging their contribution and letting them go with gratitude, you will be able to truly put the things you own, and your life, in order. In the end, all that will remain are the things that you really treasure. To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. ~ Marie Kondo

When it comes to keeping your sentimental items in baskets, it can be tricky to nail down what type of basket because it really depends on the category of the item. But don’t worry — in our shop, we’ve carefully organized all our baskets, trunks, and crates both by size and by room to help you find the right storage solution. Shop all products here >

We hope you thoroughly enjoy your decluttering and tidying processes, and even more so, we hope you feel so much joy when you see beautiful baskets displayed around your home! If you need any help with finding the right trunks, crates, or baskets, feel free to reach out — we’d love to help! Cheers to sparking joy!