The Amish are a simple people with simple values. The Amish baskets sold here reflect those values with their plain, understated, functional forms and colors. If you are looking for fancy, elegant baskets with intricate weaving patterns, you'll not find them here. Neither will you find here baskets made by machine, or by underpaid workers in Asian sweatshops. The baskets sold here are American made by one rural Amish craftsman and his family. The family has a workshop/store at their home just off a rural Kentucky lane. While visiting the workshop one can occasionally here the rhythmic clip-clop of a horse's hooves as it passes by on the lane below, pulling a buggy of a neighboring Amish family to town.
While the baskets all have commonly used, individual names relating to their purpose, most baskets have many uses other than just what is indicated by the name. Alternate uses are limited only by one's imagination.
Baskets make great gifts for many occasions. Easter, Christmas, birthdays, and baby showers are great times to give gift baskets. And baskets are the type of gift that keeps on giving. A basket makes a perfect presentation for wine and cheese or other gifts. Once the initial gift is gone, the basket can be used for display, for dried flowers, or for another gift!
The construction of all our baskets is pretty much the same. Materials include plywood base, plywood lids, vertical pine staves, solid bent oak handles, hemp rope, bamboo, brass nails, solid copper rivets and leather hinges and handles. All baskets are thoroughly coated with linseed oil and a light stain to protect the wood and give it a warm glow.
Handles vary on the baskets, so study the pictures carefully. Some baskets have stationary oak or leather handles that do not move because they are nailed or woven into the basket. Others have oak handles that swivel on copper rivet hinges. The oak handles may vary slightly in shape because they are all individually hand cut, steamed and bent on drying racks. This handmade process causes slight variations due to individual grain patterns in each piece of wood.
Although nearly all the baskets shown here have the distinctive blue/green and burgundy colored stripes, they can also be made without the colored stripes if that is preferred. A few representative samples are shown without the colored stripes. Take care when ordering to be sure you have selected the basket you really wanted - with or without the colored stripes.
Click here to see a basket in the progress of being made.
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Heart, large Item #: MH37 Click on picture to enlarge  | Pretty basket for general purpose use. Especially appropriate for Valentine's Day or just to say "I love you". Be sure to specify with or without stripe. With stripe will be multicolored as shown. Length: 10", Width: 10", Height: 5"
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Clothes Hamper Item #: MH38 Click on picture to enlarge  | This large basket is designed to hold piles of dirty clothes in the bathroom or bedroom. Baskets are great for this purpose as they provide natural ventilation for the clothes until washday. Length: 20", Width: 11", Height: 25"
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Hot Dish Basket Item #: MH39 Click on picture to enlarge  | This basket is made to carry that speacial hot dish pan. Doesn't it makes your mouth water for green bean or tuna casserole? Two leather handles for carrying. Length: 14", Width: 10", Height: 3"
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Homecoming Item #: MH40 Click on picture to enlarge  | Great all-purpose basket with a multitude of uses, depending on your imagination. Wood lid, two bent handles that swivel on copper hinges, with a single, large interior compartment. Shown here witout color stripes. Woven lid shown here no longer available. Length: 14", Width: 11", Height: 8"
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Hope Chest with lid Item #: MH41 Click on picture to enlarge   | Great all-purpose basket with a multitude of uses, depending on your imagination. Wood lid, two bent handles that swivel on copper hinges, with a single, large interior compartment. Shown here witout color stripes. Woven lid shown here no longer available. Length: 15", Width: 15", Height: 8"
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Key, small Item #: MH42 Click on picture to enlarge  | Perfect for holding keys. Made with one leather strap to be hung on the wall or hook. Length: 5", Width:4", Height: 2"
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Key, large Item #: MH43 Click on picture to enlarge  | Perfect for holding keys. Made with one leather strap to be hung on the wall or hook. Length: 7", Width: 5", Height: 3
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Kiddie Purse Item #: MH44 Click on picture to enlarge  | What a cutie! You and your child will treasure this one. Wood handle with swivel. Shown without stripe. Length: 6", Width: 4", Height: 3.5"
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Laundry, large round Item #: MH46 Click on picture to enlarge  | Sturdy basket for holding clean or dirty laundry. Every bedroom needs one of these. Diameter 13", Height: 13"
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