Wolof women living in rural Senegal utilize salvaged strips of plastic and cattail stalks to create vibrant, useful baskets for the home. These scaled-down lidded baskets are a great way to present small gifts and baked goods.

Sold singly. Additional colors also available.

Dimensions: 5.5"L x 5.5"W x 6.5"H (size may vary slightly)

Crafted from: Cattail stalks, plastic strips

Made in: Senegal

Wolof women in the West African nation of Senegal hand-weave baskets in the traditional coil weaving method, using natural grass. Interweaving colorful strips of plastic, salvaged from a mat factory in Dakar, the weavers brighten up the baskets and create designs.

Cattails grow abundantly in rural Senegal, making this natural grass a sustainable choice. The Wolof women earn a sustainable income from basket weaving, while enriching homes around the world with modern African craftsmanship.

This amply-sized laundry hamper basket features braided plastic handles and a snug-fitting removable lid.

Dimensions: 16"L x 16"W x 26-28"H

Crafted from: Typha (cattail) stalks, plastic

Made in: Senegal

Due to the handmade nature of this item, some variation is expected. Read our Statement on Handmade Variation to learn more. Fair trade.

Interweaving natural and dyed grasses to create intricate patterns, Tanzanian artisans hand-craft these stylish baskets. The baskets are named for the weaver, Maila, who perfected the new woven design.

These all-natural baskets are handwoven from milulu, a reed-like grass that grows near the city of Iringa, Tanzania. The milulu makes durable baskets, which can be rinsed with cool water and reshaped as needed.

Sold individually; choose from 3 sizes. Approximate measurements: Small 10" wide x 10" tall; Medium 12" wide x 12" tall; Large 13" wide x 13" tall. Because this product is handmade, size and design placement will vary.

About the Artisans:

Vikapu Bomba embodies the vision of Catherine Shembilu to create sustainable income for talented, rural Tanzanian women. For many women living in the lush southern highlands, life centers around subsistence farming, cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. Women can weave baskets between their other duties, working daily to earn money to pay school fees, buy food, procure farming supplies and contribute to savings. When a woman has money of her own to use or share, she has greater influence over her life and future.

Milulu grass reeds can be harvested carefully from the marsh without removing the entire plant. The reeds are dried in the sun, dyed with natural dyes, and split for weaving. The closeness to the earth of both maker and product gives these beautifully crafted baskets natural appeal.

Perfect for small storage, these modern African baskets are woven using natural grasses and thin strips of plastic. Each basket features blossom-shaped accents and includes a fitted lid with braided pull handle.

The sale of the baskets helps support a network of rural Senegalese craftswomen and their families.

Sold singly. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly.

Dimensions: 8.5"L x 8.5"W x 8.5"H

Crafted from: Cattail stalks, plastic strips

Made in: Senegal

These vibrantly colored bowl baskets make storage beautiful in any room of the home. Handwoven from durable elephant grass and hand-dyed a beautiful red, these baskets are stylish and made to last. 

Sold individually. Size: Small: 11-12"L x 11-12"W x 5-6"H  Large: 12-13"L x 12-13"W x 7-8"H Sizes will vary. Due to the handcrafted nature of this item, slight variation may occur. 

Using cattail stalks and strips of salvaged plastic, rural Wolof women in Senegal hand weave this useful open oval basket in pink with orange and silver. The oval shape and open top means this basket provides useful, beautiful storage in the home. Each basket features stripes in silver and orange against a pink background.

Sold singly. Because these are handcrafted items, each will vary slightly.

Dimensions: 16-17"L x 14-15"W x 10"H

Crafted from: Plastic strips, cattail stalks

Made in: Senegal

Coiling vibrantly dyed raffia over banana stalks, Ugandan artisans craft these beautiful, nature-inspired baskets. These baskets are functional art that can be displayed on the wall with its raffia loop, or put to use on the tabletop, the garden, and more.

Size: 12"D x 3"T. Because these are handcrafted items, colors and patterns may vary slightly.

About the Artisans:

Uganda Crafts 2000 Limited, a member of the International Fair Trade Association teaches basic handcrafting skills to rural & urban women and provides income opportunities for the marginalised and disadvantaged: people with disabilities, widows, orphans, single mothers, women with minimal education, and people living with HIV. They handcraft baskets using natural raffia wrapped over coils of banana leaf stems.

These rare baskets are woven by Samburu and Rendille women in remote northern Kenya. Called "nomadic baskets," the baskets are styled for the modern home but based on traditional designs used for the storage of camel's milk.

Nomadic baskets are sold in three useful nesting sizes and are adorned with white beads. Because these baskets are handcrafted, each will vary slightly.

Each basket is tightly knit and is designed to last a lifetime. Sold individually. Approximate measurements: [L] 7"D x 5"T [M] 5.5"D x 4"T [S] 4.5"D x 4"T.

About the Artisans:

For the pastoral communities of northern Kenya, life pivots on the coming of rain and the survival of livestock. When the skies open, the landscape becomes lush and fragrant. Cattle and goats drink and forage near home and families stay together. In times of drought, warriors must travel far to find water for their herds, leaving women and children at home alone to endure dry seasons of unknown length as the streams, earth and trees dry around them.

Where they were once only allowed to own milk, Samburu women now own camels, plus they earn income by making baskets, processing meat and hides, keeping bees and refining honey. Through this shift in property control and a general increase in literacy in the region, Samburu women have become valued contributing community members.

This chic set of square nesting baskets is handwoven from strands of natural, hand-dyed sisal. An open weave panel adds a bit of visual interest to each basket, and short handles make it easy to transport the basket from place to place.

Sold as a set of three nesting baskets. We recommend spraying the sisal lightly with cold water to reshape your baskets.

Dimensions:
Small:  8"L x 8"W x 6"H (10" to top of handles)
Med:  10"L x 10"W x 8"H (13" to top of handles)
Large:  12"L x 12"W x 10"H (16" to top of handles)

Crafted from: Sisal fiber, dye

Made in: Kenya

About the Artisans:

In the rural Kenyan countryside around the city of Kitui, women specialize in weaving the tough fibers of the agave sisalana plant. Sisal's spiky leaf clusters erupt from a dry landscape and often requires long journeys to gather. Once woven, these baskets are sold to local and international markets. Singing, dancing, and chatting make weaving for export an enjoyable social event!

Using strands of natural sisal, women living in remote areas of rural Kenya earn income by crafting beautifully simple baskets that can be used for chic storage in any room of the home. Sisal is a natural fiber extracted from an agave plant, so the baskets are coveted for their durability and ability to be re-shaped.

Sold individually. Choose from Medium or Large.

Approximate measurements: Medium 14" wide x 10" tall (to top of basket), 14" tall including handles. Large 16" wide x 10" tall (to top of basket), 14" tall including handles. Due to the handcrafted nature of this item, some variation may occur.

About the Artisans:

In the rural Kenyan countryside around the city of Kitui, women specialize in weaving the tough fibers of the agave sisalana plant. Sisal's spiky leaf clusters erupt from a dry landscape and often requires long journeys to gather. Once woven, these baskets are sold to local and international markets. Singing, dancing, and chatting make weaving for export an enjoyable social event!

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These classic totes are woven from long strips of fiber extracted from the sisal plant, in alternating rows of petal pink and natural white. Simple woven sisal handles make this a 100% sustainable accessory.

Sold singly. Due to the handmade nature of this item, slight variation is expected.

Dimension: 12"D x 12"W x 10"H (14" from handles to base)

Crafted from: Sisal

Made in: Kenya

About the Artisans:

In the rural Kenyan countryside around the city of Kitui, women specialize in weaving the tough fibers of the agave sisalana plant. Sisal's spiky leaf clusters erupt from a dry landscape and often requires long journeys to gather. Once woven, these womens' totes are sold to local and international markets. Singing, dancing, and chatting make weaving for export an enjoyable social event!

In the Pemba and Monze districts of Zambia's Southern Plateau, skilled Batonga women craft iconic baskets from locally harvested palm leaves and wild twigs. To update their classic designs with beautiful color, weavers tint the palm leaves with textile dye before weaving. These artfully handcrafted baskets make a great addition to any home decor.

Measures 22-23"D x 4"T. Due to the handmade nature of this item, size and color may vary slightly.

About the Artisans:

Famous for their basket weaving skills as well as their geometric designs, the Batonga women in the Pemba and Monze districts of Zambia's Southern Plateau create these baskets by first weaving palm leaves into a characteristic square to begin and then radiating outward to create dramatic patterns.

Interweaving natural and dyed grasses to create intricate patterns, Tanzanian artisans hand-craft these stylish baskets. The baskets are named for the weaver, Maila, who perfected the new woven design.

These all-natural baskets are handwoven from milulu, a reed-like grass that grows near the city of Iringa, Tanzania. The milulu makes durable baskets, which can be rinsed with cool water and reshaped as needed.

Sold individually; choose from 2 sizes.

Approximate measurements: Medium 12" wide x 12" tall or Large 13" wide x 13" tall. Because this product is handmade, size and design placement will vary.

About the Artisans:

Vikapu Bomba embodies the vision of Catherine Shembilu to create sustainable income for talented, rural Tanzanian women. For many women living in the lush southern highlands, life centers around subsistence farming, cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. Women can weave baskets between their other duties, working daily to earn money to pay school fees, buy food, procure farming supplies and contribute to savings. When a woman has money of her own to use or share, she has greater influence over her life and future.

Milulu grass reeds can be harvested carefully from the marsh without removing the entire plant. The reeds are dried in the sun, dyed with natural dyes, and split for weaving. The closeness to the earth of both maker and product gives these beautifully crafted baskets natural appeal.

Use these decorative baskets to bring texture and useful storage to the tabletop or countertop. Each basket is hand-woven in the coil method by Senegalese craftswomen using natural grasses and strips of plastic.

Sold singly, three sizes available. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly.

Dimensions:
Small: 12"D
Medium: 13-14"D
Large: 15-16"D

Crafted from: Typha (cattail) stalks, plastic

Made in: Senegal

These useful rare baskets are woven by Samburu and Rendille women in remote northern Kenya. Called "nomadic baskets," the baskets are styled for the modern home but based on traditional designs used for the storage of camel's milk.

Nomadic baskets are sold in three useful nesting sizes and are adorned with white beads. Because these baskets are handcrafted, each will vary slightly.

Each basket is tightly knit and is designed to last a lifetime. [L] 7"D x 5"T [M] 5.5"D x 4"T [S] 4.5"D x 4"T. 

About the Artisans:

For the pastoral communities of northern Kenya, life pivots on the coming of rain and the survival of livestock. When the skies open, the landscape becomes lush and fragrant. Cattle and goats drink and forage near home and families stay together. In times of drought, warriors must travel far to find water for their herds, leaving women and children at home alone to endure dry seasons of unknown length as the streams, earth and trees dry around them.

Where they were once only allowed to own milk, Samburu women now own camels, plus they earn income by making baskets, processing meat and hides, keeping bees and refining honey. Through this shift in property control and a general increase in literacy in the region, Samburu women have become valued contributing community members.

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Talented basket weavers in the northern Bolga region transform tough strands of elephant grass into shapely baskets. Featuring an intricate lace weave, these baskets come in a lovely set of three.

Ideal for home storage and organization, potted plants, and more. Can be rinsed and reshaped with cool water as needed.

Small measures 10.5"D x 10"T, medium measures 12"D x 11.25"T, and large measures 13"D x 12"T. Sold as a set of three nesting baskets. Because these are handcrafted items, size and pattern may vary. [Click to read our Statement on Handmade Variation]