A wicker basket is actually woven from hand. It is made of a wood like substance but now a plastic like material is also being used to make such baskets. It is so skillfully hand woven so as to make it into a perfect balloon-sized basket with a good base and excellent construction. It has no loose ends of fibre coming out. Experienced men and women build it because weaving is not so much an easy task as it may seem.

Wicker baskets have been popular in the world for ages. In the medieval period, women used it as a baggage to go for shopping, to store things and carry them. It has a handle at the top to enable carrying. It is light weight but can surprisingly hold a good amount of weight.

It is still used in large parts of India. Not only in India but also in other parts of the world it was extremely popular. But now with changing times, you hardly see a person carrying a wicker basket around. Stylish handbags have replaced it and shunned its popularity.

The best thing about it is that unlike plastics it doesn’t contribute to the existing pollution. It is made of eco friendly materials and hence there is absolutely no scope of wastes.

It is believed that the advent of the wicker baskets started from the period of the Ancient Egyptian era. There has been enough evidence to prove this. There was extensive use of wicker baskets in the Iron Age. Now thanks to the Arts and Crafts Movement, these wicker baskets are getting a new life. People are going back to adopting these easy to carry lightweight baskets.

Natural wicker baskets are made from rattan vine. It is a type of a plant. These vines are extremely strong. Hence they are used in these baskets to increase their strength and give them the much-needed durability. It requires some maintenance but looks beautiful and is functional nevertheless.

Synthetic basket wickers, on the other hand, include and are made from paper wrapped high-tensile wire. Some are even made from plastic or resin. These kinds of baskets are ordinarily preferred for outdoor use.

Antique wicker baskets have always been in great demand and continue being so. A wicker basket is either round or can even be oval in shape. Manufacturers provide a wide variety of these baskets to pick and choose from. Isn’t that quite amazing?