Creating Beautiful Baskets for Your Gift Basket Business

A basket is an old fashioned container which is made of strong twine and is used to store various items, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, bread, dried flowers, or household items. Baskets come in many sizes and shapes and usually have a lid on top. The most common shape for a basket is a circular one, but other shapes are also used, such as a square, cylindrical, hexagonal, oval, pear, or teardrop. Most baskets are made of animal materials, but other materials including wrought iron wire, wood, horsehair, or soft metal may be used as well. Baskets can be woven manually by hand.

There are two types of woven baskets: crocheted and machine woven. In crocheted baskets, the strands of yarn are picked up and interwoven at a particular rate to form the basket. A skilled weaver can create a beautiful basket with very intricate details, such as lace work, ribbon, and embroidery.

Machine-made baskets are often made by machines, but are available in many different shapes and sizes. The most common materials used for machine-made baskets are polyester and rayon. These fibers are light but strong and can easily be worked into delicate patterns. Some machine-made baskets, called basket-making kits, come with detailed instructions for making a basket. In addition to being light and strong, these types of baskets can also be very decorative.

One of the simplest types of baskets to make are twined baskets, sometimes called seed-baskets. Seed baskets are usually made by using many individual-sized (or larger-size) seed beads, especially those that are smaller than a pea. Twined or mixed baskets can have a variety of looks, from whimsical to elegant to colorful.

Of course, if you want something that is easier on the earth, you may want to try your hand at organic basket making. In this case, you’ll be working with plant fibers. You will use all natural, renewable fibers such as manioc, jute, sisal, hemp, bamboo, and corn. These types of baskets are made by simply interweaving different kinds of natural fibers together to create a lightweight, durable basket. An interesting aspect of organic basket making is that it does not use machines to help create the baskets.

In summary, basket-making does not have to be difficult. With a little imagination and ingenuity, you can create beautiful baskets made from almost anything that you can find. However, it’s good to remember that most people prefer woven baskets, crocheted baskets, and machine-made ones, because of their sustainability and environmental friendliness. In the end, what matters is that you be happy with the way your homemade baskets turn out. The finished product is something that you can enjoy for years to come, so take your time, and you’ll find a basket-making hobby that you’ll be happy with for a long time to come.