Jute Diamond Print, Log Basket

Sold Out £36.50

Contemporary log baskets are hard to find, so we know you'll love this stylish design. Our large log basket is really roomy, so will easily hold enough logs for a whole night snuggled by the fire. Traditionally block printed with a diamond pattern providing attractive easily portable and eco friendly storage.

Made from 100% sustainable jute and the handles are strong enough for carrying wood in from your store. Also ideal as a laundry basket, toy basket or recycling bag.

This Jute log/laundry bag is made by Namaste for Decorator's Notebook.

H 37cm x W 37cm x D 43cm

FREE UK DELIVERY OVER £50 | STANDARD UK DELIVERY £4.95

International and express delivery options available

Express and International delivery available - see more

Basket Co-Operative, Kenya

Our baskets are made by a co-operative of over 400 women in East Kenya. The area is prone to low rainfall and, when harvests failed, the villagers would previously resort to poaching for food. Selling baskets gives the women a year-round income so they can provide for their families even if crops fail.

The Kasigau Corridor in East Kenya was once rich in wildlife but slash-and-burn farming and poaching meant the community had ravaged their forest in order to survive. The basket project was set up by an environmental charity in 1997 to give local people an alternative income and protect engandered species.

Sisal

Sisal is a species of the Agave plant. It has long sword-shaped leaves and grows readily in hot climates. Each leaf contains around 1,000 fibres that can be used to make twine, paper and carpets. It's an eco-friendly crop as it doesn't require pesticides or herbicides to grow.

How is it made?

Co-operative members benefit from every stage of the basket production. The sisal leaves are harvested from their own fields, beaten and combed to extract the fibre. The ladies then hand-spin the fibre into twine and colour it with dyes. The skill of weaving the baskets is embedded in the Taita tribal culture and passed down from mother to daughter. Each basket takes three days to weave.

How your purchase improves lives

Basket weaving brings the women together and gossiping, singing and dancing all form part of the weekly meetings. The co-operative structure is empowering because the women have an equal say in business decisions and vote on how profits are spent. All the women can afford medical care and schooling for their children. The co-operative's success has given endangered plants and animals the chance to recover.

“Being part of a weaving co-operative has given me more independence. In the group we assist one another, advise one another to overcome challenges and motivate each other. I love weaving a lot, I even get dreams about weaving!” Peninah Nduku

View other products by these artisans

Image credits: The Basket Room

Quilt Embroiderers, Bangladesh

This kantha quilt is made by a fair trade social enterprise that employs survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation. This empowering project provides vulnerable women with a safe haven, training and dignified work, often for the first time in their lives. The project is called 'Basha' which comes from the Bengali words for 'house' and 'hope'.

Bangladesh is a country of extremes, with densely-populated cities and remote rural villages. The UN identifies Bangladesh as one of the 'least developed' countries in the world based on social and economic measures. Our social enterprise partner has two locations in the capital, Dhaka, and a third office in the city of Mymensingh.

Vintage sari cotton

Kantha quilts are made from vintage cotton saris, making every blanket unique. Merchants travel door-to-door in wealthier neighbourhoods, trading old saris for cooking pots and utensils. The saris are sold on at large markets in Dhaka, where the most beautiful and colourful are hand-selected for a new life as a kantha quilt.