Picnic Basket

Picnic Basket Materials

A traditional Picnic Basket is made from wicker, which is a sustainable material.  The wicker, or willow as it is also known as, is collected from the Willow tree.  The willow tree, which looks like a shrub, grows quickly, which allows it to be harvested each season making it an environmentally sustainable material.  Willow grows prolifically throughout the Northern Hemisphere but is actually native to China, which is where many picnic basket originate.  Willow is an ideal material to use to make a picnic basket as it is light, but robust.

Colours of Willow used in Picnic Basket

Green Wicker – Wicker that is untreated.
Brown Wicker – Wicker that is dried with its bark still on.
Buff Wicker – Wicker that is boiled, the bark removed and then dried.  The variety of wicker used is often Black Maul, which despite its name, is not black.
White Wicker – This requires a fairly lengthy process and this is reflected in the higher price of the wicker.   The variety of wicker used is Black Maul and when it is harvested, it is kept alive until it is in full leaf.  At this point it is stripped of leaf and bark to reveal the white wicker.   It is then dried and stored in the dark to prevent yellowing.  It should not, of course, be confused with wicker that has simply been painted white!
Steamed Wicker – This is brown in colour.  Brown Wicker (dried) that has been placed in the boiler for a few hours to colour the bark of the wicker a chocolate/black.  The wicker is then removed from the boiler and dried outside.  Steamed wicker is used for adding colour and texture to baskets.
Double Steamed Wicker – This wicker goes through the steaming process twice, as the name suggests.

Constructing a Picnic Basket

The main parts of a picnic basket are the base, the side walls, and the rim.  The handles of the picnic basket may be integral, but many have leather handles attached.  They also have a lid, which is secured by fastenings.

The starting point for making a picnic basket is the base.  The base is woven into shape and then the sides are woven onto the 'stakes' or 'staves'.

Many different patterns can be made by changing the size, colour, or by placement of a certain style of weave.  A picnic basket often includes a linen lining and this is often brightly coloured.  The contents of the picnic basket will normally include plates, cutlery, cups, glasses and napkins.

Purchasing a Picnic Basket from WickerWarehouse.co.uk:

The Picnic Basket is covered by our Lowest Price Guarantee. Picnic Basket and Picnic Rugs are regular stock items available for immediate despatch.