Woven Travels Journal

It was early Summer 2022, my co-founder Camilla who heads up production in Kenya had just started her maternity leave to have her beautiful daughter Effie. At the same time our Production Coordinator Peris also went on maternity leave to welcome her daughter Thelma into the world! Tabz who lives in Nairobi had gone through some weeks of intensive training with Camilla and Peris and so was ready to take on the Production Department with myself overseeing and guiding. We were ready for the challenge!

Choosing Mother’s Day gifts can be tricky. Unlike birthdays and Christmas – where we might be more likely to ask for some hints – there’s more focus on delivering a surprise (and a good one at that) on Mother’s Day. So, we’ve put together a beautiful gift guide of unique and thoughtful Mother’s Day gifts: modern heirlooms she will treasure for years to come.

Happy birthday to us – oh and what a year it has been! Eight years ago today Holly and Camilla took a little stand at the Country Home & Living Fair and The Basket Room was born. Here’s a quick rundown of some of our milestones over the past twelve months...

Whether you’re hitting up some festivals this summer or holidaying abroad, planning picnics and day trips or a spot of wild camping, there’s a basket for every summer escapade.  Even better, some of these top picks are currently in our summer sale!

In basket weaving as in love, two single threads are twined to form one strong bond. Now call us biased, but we can’t think of a more meaningful wedding gift than something handwoven. Whether you’re buying for friends or family or creating your own wedding wish list of independent and handmade treasures, here are some suggestions from us…

Like sliding into a pair of espadrilles or putting on your trusty sunglasses, throwing a basket bag over your shoulder feels like a glorious rite of passage every year. And that time has come around once more: the summer season has officially begun, and after two interrupted summers and endless cancelled plans, we (and our basket bags) are back with a bang in 2022!

End of term and the summer holidays are looming, and class Whatsapp groups up and down the country are beginning to discuss thank you gifts for school teachers. For those heroic teachers who have navigated our children through another tricky year of the pandemic, we want to acknowledge their care and commitment with an end of term present that’s truly meaningful and useful, whether it’s a joint present or an individual gift from your family.

 

Join us on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th June from 10am - 4pm to shop our colourful clearance sale, full of discontinued lines, slightly imperfect baskets and wonky woven wonders all discounted by at least 50% off RRP. It's a treasure trove!

Look no further for thoughtful and unique Father’s Day gifts – check out our carefully curated gift guide with something special for every father figure you want to honour this Sunday. Plant papas, dog daddies, gardening gurus and outdoorsy types all catered to, and not a novelty (and by that we mean: throwaway) gadget to be seen! Every piece in this collection is woven to last and crafted with care – true modern heirlooms they will love and use for years to come.

Last week we talked about the concepts behind the collection, so this week it feels like time to tell the story of the bags’ production. Basket weaving is naturally the craft that we talk about most at The Basket Room, but leatherwork is another traditional craft we champion, as well as brass work. Read on to find out a little more about the skilled work that has gone into each basket bag once woven in rural Kenya.