Different types of African Baskets

African baskets are very popular because of their looks, function, and affordability. They often have finely-woven traditional African art, so some even go so far as to collect African baskets. Each African basket is handmade by African basket weavers, but weavers from different regions make their baskets in a variety of ways. Hence there are African baskets of all shapes and sizes.
Namibian Palm Baskets

Palm leaves are one of the most popularly used material for creating baskets in Africa, and Namibia is no exception. Basket makers from Namibia color the palm leaves using different vegetable-based dye colors. This allows them to make very colorful wooden bowls with traditional African art patterns.

Kenyan Beaded Wire Baskets

Kenya’s basket weavers use colorful beads strung on wires to make wonderful woven beaded wire bowls and baskets. These beads are usually made of recycled plastic, so they help cut down the amount of plastic that are otherwise dumped in landfills. Beaded wire bowls make perfect candy platters, while the baskets are good for storage.

Kenyan Kiondos

Made of natural fibers, these African baskets from Kenya also double as tote bags. These make Kiondos very versatile. Some Kiondos resemble small round purses that you can bring along during any occasion. There are also Kiondos that have reinforced bottoms to accommodate heavier content and drawstrings for easy access.

Tanzanian Billboard baskets

Billboard signs usually end their lives all crumpled up and dumped in landfills. However, in Dar-Es-Salaam, these tarpaulin advertisements get a new lease in life as baskets. Basket weavers cut and sew the billboard signs together with tough wire or palm leaves to make traditional African baskets with an urban twist. Sometimes, even billboard signs made from cloth are recycled as baskets or bags in a similar fashion.

Tanzanian Peony Bags

Even the used up plastic carrier bags in Dar-Es-Salaam can be reborn as African baskets. In fact, some of these baskets are designed to function as colorful peony bags. They are lightweight and portable, so you can bring them anywhere you want. What’s more, it gives off that eco-friendly feel, which you may appreciate if you’re a proud nature lover.