Basketmania

I was recently asked where I sourced the baskets I use sometimes in the gifts I make. My aim is always to keep costs to a minimum, so the usual high street stores are not always ideal for me.

The baskets in the first three pictures I bought from the 99p store. I first went to a hardware store and a party shop and in both I found the big baskets below for about £8-£9 each. I used these for the gift baskets that I made for my cousin's wedding (pictures here)

These are the kind that are just perfect for henna party gifts. As I am hoping my brother will get married this year, these will be perfect to create decorated trays of henna, indian sweets, bangles, chocolates, nuts and fruit to take to the bride on the night before the wedding insh'Allah. When I saw them in the 99p shop (I think the one in Barking in East London), I bought them and stashed them.

The following I bought about two years ago. I have used these each year to make Ramadan baskets for family and close friends and to takewhen invited to iftars during Ramadan.

The following I bought from a lady at Barleylands bootsale two years ago. I think there were 22 iofthe heart-shaped baskets in total and she sold them to me with the two sets of gold baskets below for £2 in total. These are the small baskets I have been using to make gifts of fairy cakes (pics here and here).

I have since found the same baskets on ebay also fairly cheaply (here and here are two examples).

I thought the gold baskets would be lovely to display something, they are made of gold wire with gold beads fixed at intervals. I think I might save these for a family wedding too, but I am not sure how I would use them yet.

The last basket is a little one Fashionista Sister bought when she worked at Selfridges as a student, it was an Easter treasure hunt basket reduced by about 75%, so with her staff discount it was very cheap. I got rid of the Easter stuff and used it to bring my fruit and veg in from the garden. I also took it with me when I went fruit picking so the children could fill it with fruit. At the moment it is under the kitchen sink and is being used to store seeds.