Example of a vintage fishing basket. Click on image for more information about this product (opens in a new window).

A fishing basket or creel should be actually be more aptly named a fish basket. Typically it is a small basket made out of wicker or a similar, natural, material and used by anglers and fishermen to carry their freshly caught fish, crayfish etc. It is a simple transportable cooler that works with the system of evaporation. The basket is lined out with moss and dipped into water. The lid has a slot through which the freshly caught fish is inserted and which is hold in place with a leather strap. A second, larger, leather strap allows the angler to carry the basket and to lower it from time to time in the water. The water evaporates and cools so the basket plus containing fish. Please kill the fish before inserting it, if not you only prolong its suffering. Keep a live fish in such a basket is forbidden in many countries as it is considered animal cruelty.

Vintage fishing or creel baskets and their replicas are nowadays sought after pieces of decoration and interior design. They are used to decorate fish restaurants, lodges and homes of avid anglers. They are often combined with flowers or with other vintage fishing and angling gear. True vintage baskets are expensive, but nice replicas are easily obtained and will last longer and look better. Another plus is that they don’t need any restoration work done to them. Broken wicker and deteriorated straps are two common problems with true vintage fishing baskets. A so-called antiqued basket means that it is actually brand new, but just looks old in style, vintage or retro look so to say.

Items like this look best when the rest of the room and / or display also is in the same theme. So, together with your vintage fishing basket you might want to consider to display also old fishing and angling books, lures and rods, photos and paintings. A few chosen items and your fishing lodge becomes a true work of the art of interior design. It doesn’t need a lot to achieve this, just a few items and a bit of creativity go a long way to create a fishing theme.

An example for a picnic hamper, both opened and closed. Click on image for more information about this product (opens in a new window).

A picnic hamper could be described as the big brother of the collapsible picnic basket. Actually a very big brother, fully equipped to provide everything you need to make a picnic for several people a success. A fully blown picnic hamper contains normally porcelain crockery and real wine glasses. These baskets are often made from natural materials such as willow, lined with fabric and adorned with leather straps. They are relatively heavy and not meant to be carried around for any length of time. The design is influenced by the notion of English country life and nobility. They contain literally everything you need for a sophisticated picnic in the park, including a blanket plus they have enough space, insulated obviously, for food and wine. Picnic hamper compare to collapsible picnic baskets like a Rolls Royce to an Austin Martin

There price tag can be a bit steep, so perhaps it is best to consider how often you actually go picnicking before buying one! On the other hand, they make very impressive gifts, especially when you add a few chosen foods and bottles to them. As for packing, the same as for other picnic baskets applies: Cooling and ice packs go on top, leave enough space to allow the air to circulate and be careful which kind of food you take with you. Lukewarm caviar tastes not only really bad, it goes off also really, really fast!

Caring for your hamper
Bearing in mind the price tag, it really better to follow the instructions of the manufacturer to the point to avoid mistakes. Another good idea is to always pack a cloth and to use it to remove spills and food stains quickly as they occur and before they become permanent. A little prevention goes a long time to make your valuable picnic hamper looking good for years to come.

One last tip
Before buying, check how long the manufacturer warranties to keep replacement crockery, glasses and cutlery in stock. In the end, if you break or loose one, you only want to replace that and not the whole set!

Shows how a collapsible picnic basket works. Click on image for more information about this product (opens in a new window).

Collapsible baskets are incredible practical when it comes to baskets that you don’t use every single day such as picnic baskets. But picnic baskets are more than simply glorified collapsible market baskets, they feature additional goodies such as insulation, a drawstring type opening / closure and more. When choosing a model, make sure it will be big enough to accommodate all the food and drink as well as the crockery and cutlery needed. Typically you will not carry a picnic basket around for a long time, so choosing a bigger model with enough space should be a no-brainer.

Tips for making the most out of your picnic basket
There are a few things you should know to get the most out of your new, collapsible picnic basket. One thing what you always have to remember is that cold air sinks and warm air rises. So, when packing your new picnic hamper it makes sense to put the ice blocks on top and not in the bottom of the basket. If you do that the air will circulate naturally and keep all your food and drink cool. Another cool trick (please forgive the pun ) is too freeze drinks that are in cartons beforehand. This way they serve as additional cooling elements whilst on the way to the picnic. Please never dry this with glass bottles, you will end up with a horrible mess in your freezer!

Packing your picnic basket
Generally speaking heavy and sturdy items should go in the bottom and light and fragile ones on top. Better still is to put delicate food in containers. Don’t pack the basket too tightly, you want the air to be able to circulate so that everything stays cool. See above for reasons. If you are short in space you should consider what really needs to go into the cool picnic basket and what can go in a normal backpack instead.

Food for a picnic basket
Depending on how long your journey will be, the outside temperature and other factors, you might re-consider taking certain food types with you that tend to get bad quickly. For example, homemade mayonnaise is a big no-no, the eggs used are a real breeding ground for bacteria and therefor homemade mayonnaise requires a continuous refrigeration from production to just before serving. So please, for picnics use ready-made mayo to prepare your pasta and potato salads. Similar concerns are valid for meat that has not been cooked completely, especially pork and chicken.

A colorful collapsible market basket model.

Also known as collapsible market totes they are the latest European summer fashion. Why is easy to see. Not only are they looking great in your hand or over your forearm, they are also light and comfortable to carry and come in a nearly infinite range of colors and patterns. And when not in use they fold flat together and can be easily stored in your car, bike basket or wherever you want really. The are environment friendly as they help you to reduce your use of plastic bags. Go to your local farmers market and pack your purchases directly in them instead of using a lot of different plastic bags that are not only bad for the environment but also uncomfortable to carry.

A few points to consider when choosing a model
A market basket, collapsible or not, should be big enough to carry your average shopping but not so big that you are tempted to fill it with more than you can carry. A good average size would be a 25 liter basket. Make also sure that basket is either waterproof or at least water resistant to avoid that accidents become catastrophes when transporting fragile things like eggs or liquids like milk. Additionally the material should be easy to clean. Most models will come with some sort of quick folding mechanism that allows you to get the basket ready with a few clicks. If the model has also some sort of stabilization for the sites and a fixed bottom, the better. The handle should be thick and comfortable and covered with a soft material that is agreeable to the touch. Another plus are little feet for your basket, allowing you to set it on the floor without that the whole basket bottom touches the dirty ground.

Packing your collapsible market basket
When loading your collapsible market basket make first sure that everything has snapped in place and the basket is prevented from folding together suddenly. Place heavy items in the bottom and take care to distribute weight evenly to avoid that the basket leans to one site. After use, wipe basket clean, dry out well and fold together to store away until your next excursion to the farmers market.

A collapsible laundry basket helps you to keep your washing organized.

Are you tired of seeing the floor of your kids room littered with worn and / or dirty clothes? Do you dread the moment when you come back from holidays or vacations and have to sort through weeks worth of washing? Or, even worse, when the little treasures come back from summer camp? A few spare collapsible laundry baskets really can make your life easier in such situations! Here a few tips how you can use them:

Give each kid its own
Teaching your kids to be tidy and organized is one important task parents face. By putting a laundry basket in their room and by telling them that you will only wash what is in this basket and never what is on the floor or elsewhere in the room, you help them to understand this. Let them have the experience that their favorite t-shirt is not ready to wear in school on Monday because it was not in the basket and they will learn. As your kids grow older, you can even let them do their own washing, first under supervision and then alone. That is called teaching life skills

Have a few spare ones for the big wash
They are called collapsible laundry baskets because they easily fold flat when not in use. Having a few spare ones can really help when you have to sort through a big load of dirty clothes. You can use them to sort by colors and temperature and work your way through the baskets instead of having piles of dirty clothes all over the floor of your laundry room. This way your home doesn’t look not only tidier, it is also less likely that you overlook something or mix colors and fabrics in one load that shouldn’t be mixed.

Other uses
Collapsible laundry baskets are also great to keep other light things in order, for example balls and soft toys in your kids room. Everything what is light can be easily collected and transported with them.

How to choose the right one
The most important thing you have to look out for is the material, it should be breathable. I prefer mesh, as it allows a good ventilation of your clothes and so helps to prevent unpleasant odors and smells. Make sure you are able to wash the laundry basket itself from time to time. Most models will not be safe to wash in a washing machine, but they can be easily washed by hand and hang out to dry in the shade. Just refer to your manufacturers instructions for more information.

One possible model of a collapsible basket, a laundry model.

Collapsible baskets come in all possible shapes, forms and materials and possible uses. They range from small shopping baskets to huge garden baskets and everything in between. What all of them have in common is that they fold together when not in use, hence they are called collapsible.

Collapsible Shopping Baskets
Coming from Europe and its famous farmer markets, collapsible shopping baskets are the newest rage this summer! They are normally big enough to carry your normal amount of bio-organic market shopping and small enough that they can be carried comfortably over one arm or in one hand. One of their biggest advantages is the amount of plastic bags you spare the environment! These kind of market totes are typically made from fabric (polyester or other) and a lightweight frame. Points to consider before deciding on one are: Easy to clean? How much does it weight empty? And, are the handles thick, soft and comfortable for your hands? Additional plus points would be a stabilized bottom and some sort of mini-feet that keep the basket a bit off the ground when set down. More advanced models include different compartments and zipped pockets for wallet and car key.

Collapsible Laundry Baskets
Generally made out of fabric and washable, they normally live in the bathroom or laundry room and wait to be filled with dirty clothes. When choosing a new one it is recommendable to look for one that is made out of a fabric that copes well with humidity and is washable. Having one or two spare ones in reserve is also very practically when you come home from holidays or vacations and have a lot of dirty clothes to sort through.

Collapsible Picnic Baskets
Similar to the above, but more geared towards the great outdoors, collapsible picnic baskets offer not only space for food, drink, cutlery and crockery, plus additional equipment such as napkins etc, they are also often insulated to preserve the food and drink better in the summer heat.

Collapsible Basket Cooler
The little brother to the more general picnic basket, this one concentrates on keeping your drinks cool. Waterproof and with a great insulation it needs only a few cool blocks and your ice tea will stay cool and fresh for hours.

Collapsible Plastic Basket
Big, sturdy and in bright colors, these baskets are ideal to transport heavier loads and more shopping. They can be folded down in second and make so a convenient extra storage solution. Some models can be stack on top of each other for even more space saving. Top and side handles make it possible to carry them either alone or between two people.

You see collapsible baskets come in all sorts, make sure you select the right one for your needs.

A stair or step basket in action.

A stair or step basket is a funny shaped gem! The first time I saw one of those in a shop it was like ??? But after I saw them the first time in action I was an immediate fan. The idea is simple, the basket is shaped in a way that it fits securely your staircase step. Whenever you have something small that has to go upstairs or downstairs you put it in the basket and next time you do go, you grab the basket and take it with you. Especially clever is it when you have two of them, one for each end, you will never make an empty journey again. They are also great to teach your children to become more organized and orderly, they can place there toys in them and even when they are too small to carry the basket alone, they still can put things in its place and wait for mum, dad or an older sibling to do the carry job.
But they are not only practical, they are also very decorative. Instead of using them for transporting something, you can line them with plastic, a thick bin liner will do nicely and place flower arrangements or plants into them. Or you can get really creative and use them to display all other sorts of things, like vintage garden tools or old dolls and lace for example. Your creativity has no borders, except your imagination.

Materials and size
A lot of these so-called step or stair baskets are made of rattan, wicker, willow, chip wood and other natural material, but you find also some that are made of resin wicker. To choose the right size for your home simply measure the depths of your staircase step and look for a basket that has similar or smaller dimensions.

Care and Cleaning
Each basket will come with some sort of manufacturer advice included, but generally speaking a wet cloth from time to time should be enough to keep your new basket looking good. You should never soak it and in case it needs one day a good wash, make sure that it dries out completely before using it again. Especially natural materials like wicker tend to become even more flexible when wet and may take on new, unwanted shapes if you don’t dry them thoroughly before use. They also don’t take to kindly when put over a longer time in full sunlight when wet, always dry them in the shade. One special tips on how to de-dust all woven baskets quickly is to empty them and take them outside and hold a hair dryer set on cold into them, blowing the dust from the inside to the outside.

Keeping your stair baskets organized
Like I said before, the ideal case is when you have two of them, one for each end of your staircase. But no matter if they are one, two or even more, from time to time you should completely empty them, clean them (see above) and throw all the little things away that have aggregated at the bottom and that you don’t need or want anymore. As for available models, I like the ones best that have two or more compartments, one for taller and one for smaller items. This way it is even easier to make the best use of a stair step basket!

One possible model of a freezer basket.

Freezer baskets can break, and finding new ones can be often a bit of “head hunting” especially if your freezer is a bit out of fashion and not produced anymore. But what can you do? Living without one or trying to find something that fits the space? I personally would go with the second solution, lets face it, to work perfectly well together freezer and basket don’t need to share the same brand name, they just need to fit each other. So here my easy steps in choosing a new, fitting freezer basket.

Best way
Contact the manufacturer and ask them if they still have some some where in store. For contact info refer to the manual that came with your freezer or just do a Google search for their company name. If that fails and the answer is that they don’t stock this particular brand anymore, go to the second step.

Second best way
Measure your old, broken, basket, or if you already have thrown it away, measure the space where your new basket has to fit in. Now you have to do a bit of hunting around, either online or offline to find a freezer basket of similar dimensions. Remember, the most important bit are the length and the way the basket rests on the rim of the freezer opening

Third best way
I tell you a little secret, you actually don’t need a dedicated freezer basket, every plastic or coated metal basket that has the fitting size will do. Be creative and wise, perhaps you could also just stack two or three on top of each other in one corner instead of hanging them? Remember, baskets are there to keep our life that little bit more organized and tidy, nothing more, nothing less.

Last but not least, a few words on how to care best for your new piece of kitchen equipment. First of all, always read the freaking manual (RTFM), normally that should be quite short in this case The most important thing you want to know if your new basket is dishwasher safe or not. If yes, life just has become easy for you, if not, you just have to clean it from time to time with some warm, soapy water. Make sure to rinse and dry it well and you are good to go.

Keeping your freezer basket organized
The reason why I love using baskets for all sorts of tasks is that they keep things that belong together together and organized. For example, in our chest freezer I use the basket to keep all things on top that have been already opened. Bags of peas, chips, etc all sealed with a clip and easy to reach. This way I avoid that a second bag of something is opened before the first one is empty, easy, peasy as they say