Why I love thrifted baskets
I love baskets; I have always loved baskets. As a child I had a collection of thrifted baskets so big that mom had to start re-donating them. Baskets still fit really well into my adult style, but for a long time I struggled to know what to do with them. I would occasionally get one that I would just sit purpose-less for a while before I would end up getting rid of it.
After getting married my husband and I moved into (almost) my dream townhouse, and I was determined to actually style my home rather than just haphazardly throwing things together and calling it style. I was also determined to use the baskets I got from the thrift store, and these are my top four ways I’ve learned to use thrifted baskets that are both practical and stylish.
1. Toy Baskets
As a mom of a little one, toy baskets are one of the most recent uses of baskets. Obviously this is not a novel concept, but I have only started using them recently. I’m attempting a mild montessori approach with my little one, and baskets of all sizes and shapes have been great for helping with the sorting aspect of montessori and keeping them easily accessible to my little. My little one’s toy area is in our living room, and so using wicker style thrifted baskets helps to maintain the look of the living room area rather than making it look too much like a toy room.
2. Stair Baskets
My favourite way to use baskets is stair baskets. I’ve talked about this before, but stair baskets are a way of maintaining neatness in my home without expending too much energy. The way stair baskets work is by taking a thrifted basket and putting it on the stairs in an out of the way place, so that when you have something that needs to go upstairs, you can put it in the basket instead of leaving it to be cluttered. This helps keep clutter off of tables and also keeps stuff from being a tripping hazard on the stairs. Its super convenient when you don’t have time or energy to take something all the way upstairs.
3. Catch-All Baskets
Another way to keep the clutter at bay is by having catch-all baskets. I have a couple of thrifted baskets sitting on my vanity and our dresser. One is for my husband and one is for me. I usually keep things like my brush, my essential oil cases and other selfcare/ cosmetic items that I use regularly in my basket. And my husband keeps things like his watches, spare papers he needs, and also some self-care things. It’s great for all those little things that you are always losing.
4. Hiding Baskets
If you find some bigger thrifted baskets and aren’t sure what to do with them, use them to hide the things that you need quick access to but don’t necessarily want to be visible. I like to keep my home exercise equipment tucked away in a basket where I can get to it quickly but isn’t necessarily out in the open. Other things you can store in these baskets is blankets, puzzles, board games, books, house plant supplies, and so many more things.
Buy the Thrifted Baskets Anyways
Ultimately you can use– or not use– thrifted baskets for anything you want, and they don’t even have to serve a purpose if you don’t want them too. Smaller baskets can be great decor pieces even just on their own. Buy the basket if you think its cute, and use it for whatever you want. Hopefully, if you don’t know what to do with your thrifted baskets, this post gave you some ideas, and if you have any other ideas of what to do with thrifted baskets leave the ideas in the comments!