10 Smarter Uses for an Oversized Storage Basket

In our weekly series “One Thing Many Ways,” we’re sharing different styling options and practical uses for great finds from our very own Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart collection. This week: an oversize basket brimming with possibility.

Having a well-organized home doesn’t mean that you have to forfeit style. Gone are the days when storage meant rows of matching plastic totes. Don’t get us wrong, we love using those hardy tubs for storing seasonal items that don’t need to be on hand all year round, but we tend to hide them in basements, closets, and garages. When it comes to keeping your home organized on a daily basis, the Better Homes & Gardens Large Natural Maize Colored Stripe Basket ($30, Walmart) is a more stylish solution.

This basket is 14 inches wide and 17 inches tall, making it the perfect size to stow a few items out of sight but within arm’s reach, and it’s not so big that you feel like it’s taking attention away from the rest of your decor. While you could use this elegant basket to store just about anything, it’s best to give it a specific task. Here are 10 ways to make the most of this striped basket.

Buy It: Better Homes & Gardens Large Natural Maize Colored Stripe Basket ($30, Walmart) 

One Thing, Many Ways: Large Natural Maize Colored Stripe Basket

1. Designate It for Dish Towels

While the kids may need a jumbo-size hamper near their rooms for all their clothes, it’s nice to have something smaller in or near the kitchen to collect used rags and dishtowels. This solution keeps dirty towels out of sight and encourages you to regularly take soiled rags directly to the laundry room, because those kitchen towels need to be washed more often than you may think.

2. Wrangle Toys

Even if you have an awesome playroom with lots of space for toys and games, kids will always drag their beloved toys into the common areas of your home. Keep this basket on hand to wrangle wayward toys that have escaped their bedrooms or toy room. Every evening you can use this basket to do a scavenger hunt with the kids to look for toys that need to be returned to their proper location. It’s a simple tool to help create a tidy habit.

3. Dress Up Potted Plants

Give a potted plant a makeover by setting it inside this stylish striped basket. The basket isn’t waterproof, so you’ll need to keep the plant in another container or a waterproof planter liner, but this solution is a great way to blend your plants into your home decor.

4. Make It a Staircase Standby

We’re all guilty of setting things by the stairs with the thought that we will remember to carry those items up or downstairs the next time we go by, but that unsightly stash of stuff by the steps tends to grow. Keep stair-side clutter under control when you set this stylish basket by the stairs (maybe as part of the front entry decor), and easily carry items up and down the stairs in this handled basket.

5. Take It on the Road

Consider what is making your car messy and how a basket could help. If your car is full of wrappers and carry-out food containers, use this basket as a trash bin. Line it with plastic bags to make it more convenient to empty the bin regularly. If kids are to blame for your car’s clutter, use the basket to hold snacks, toys, blankets, or electronics that you are taking on a road trip with you. Using the basket also helps you limit how much they can bring into the car.

6. Trap Lost Socks

Every laundry room is littered with orphaned socks. Keep lost socks from overwhelming your laundry room countertop by tossing them into this basket. After you do a few loads of laundry, be sure to revisit the basket of lost socks and play matchmaker. Having a dedicated location for the socks also helps family members locate missing socks.

7. Corral Shoes

Admittedly, you won’t be able to store every pair of shoes you own in this basket. But when you set this basket by the door or in a mudroom, you limit yourself to keeping just a couple of pairs of shoes at the ready. Controlling shoe clutter is always an issue, but having a basket to keep yourself in check is a bright idea. If your mudroom serves a big family, buy a basket for each person to use. 

8. Arrange It

If you have tall shelves or an area under a vaulted ceiling that needs some finesse, consider using this basket as part of your displayed decor. It adds subtle color and texture, and it’s lightweight, so it won’t be dangerous to lift it up onto a high shelf or mantel to fill some of that empty space.

9. Keep It Poolside

Keep towels handy poolside (or near a hot tub or cocktail pool) with this basket. After you wash and dry a load of beach towels, fold them, and set them in this basket. The next time you want to go for a swim, you just have to grab the basket by the handles and head outside.

10. Collect Library Books

For the avid reader, it can be a struggle to keep your personal collection separate from the items you bring home from the library. Dedicate this basket to holding all your library books so you always know where to find them. If you have kids, this is also a smart hack to keep their library books from getting lost on the bookshelves in their rooms.