Wonderful Wicker Baskets

If you have a few wicker baskets lying around your home you know how elegant and beautiful they can be. But they are also functional and utilitarian. We use wicker baskets to carry the laundry, store various and sundry items, and even hold a bit of pot pourri. The unique, all-natural look means they fit with almost any decorating scheme in any room. And the intricate designs of many of today's baskets make them a real pleasure to look at. But what exactly is wicker? And how are wicker baskets made?

Wicker is a hard, woven fibre material usually made from natural substances like reed, willow, and bamboo. To make it easy to work with, natural wicker often is sold in long, thin, strips known as "reeds".  There are some synthetic wicker materials as well, made of paper and metal wire, and they tend to be a little easier to work with. Regardless, a basket is constructed using multiple reeds that are woven together in the desired shape and size. Because of the rigidity of wicker, it's possible to simply tuck in the loose ends of the project to complete it, with no extra fasteners needed to hold it together.

Because wicker is so rigid and durable, it's used for more than just handy little baskets. In fact, the material is very popular for outdoor furniture because it gives a sturdy piece that is still light enough to move easily. Wicker furniture is available as chairs, tables, and even small sofas and benches. And as for baskets, they can be small or large, round or rectangular, deep or shallow, which handles or without, and so many other possibilities. Fortunately, the wicker basket provides a wide variety of storage uses as well as display options that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing.