Small Kitchen Storage Ideas: 10 Ways to Use Woven Baskets

A small kitchen often runs out of worktop before it runs out of cupboards. The bread, the oil bottles, the fruit and the jar of wooden spoons all end up on the same short stretch of counter, and the room feels full even when it isn't.

Baskets fix that kind of clutter well. They gather loose things into one shape, lift out of the way when you need the space, and bring some warmth to a room of tiles and white doors. They are not the answer everywhere, though. The rule running through this list is dry goods and tools only. Nothing wet, and nothing close to the hob, the oven or the kettle's steam.

Each idea gives a placement, a size and shape to look for, and where a basket is the wrong tool. The baskets we name come from our own shop, all handmade in Thailand, with sizes as listed in October 2026.

1. Declutter and set up zones before you buy anything

Baskets organise what you keep. They don't decide what you keep. Clear the worktop and one cupboard at a time, and move anything you rarely use somewhere else.

Then group like with like and store each group near where you use it: mugs and tea by the kettle, chopping boards by the prep space, oils near the cooker. Once you can see the groups, you know how many baskets you need.

Look for: nothing yet. Measure the shelves, the cupboard depths and the gap above your wall units, and write the numbers down.

2. Give bread its own basket on the worktop

A loaf, a bag of rolls and a packet of wraps take up more room loose than together. One bread basket gives them a single spot you can lift aside when you need the space.

The WANTANA bamboo bread basket comes in two sizes: 22 cm across and 8 cm high, or 27 cm across and 11 cm high. Measure your usual loaf against those numbers before you choose. For other shapes, browse our bread baskets.

Look for: a round or oval basket wide enough for your loaf, with low sides so you can see what is in it. Keep it away from the hob and out from under a wall cupboard where the kettle steams.

3. Stand utensils in a pot instead of a drawer

Wooden spoons, spatulas and whisks tangle in a drawer. Standing them upright frees the drawer for something flat.

The NA LIN DA utensil baskets come as a set of two, each 15 cm across and 18 cm high, made from natural materials with an open weave that lets air through. Use one for cooking tools and the other for cutlery or napkins.

Look for: a pot taller than it is wide, so tools stand up rather than fan out. Put tools back only once they are dry, and keep the pot to one side of the cooker rather than behind the hob.

4. Group oils and condiments on a tray

Bottles of oil, vinegar and soy sauce drift across the worktop by the cooker. A shallow tray keeps them together and lifts off in one go when you wipe down.

The PIM LA DA oval rattan tray is 21 by 14 cm and shallow, enough for a few bottles without taking much worktop.

Look for: a flat tray with a low rim, sized for the bottles you use daily. Keep it a little way off the hob, out of the heat and steam, and wipe drips off the bottles before they go back on it.

5. Use baskets to calm open shelves

Packets, bags and odd jars make open shelves look busy. A row of baskets hides the packaging and gives the shelf one tidy line. Put lower baskets up high so you can still see in, and keep taller ones at eye level and below. Our woven wicker and rattan baskets come in a mix of shapes.

Look for: a height that leaves about a hand's width above the basket, so you can tilt it out. Leave the shelf directly above the kettle or cooker for something else.

6. Pull baskets out of cupboards like drawers

Deep cupboards lose things at the back. A basket with handles works like a drawer you pull forward and slide back.

The PASUB seagrass basket is 32 by 20 cm and 8 cm high, with handles, and its listing suggests it for pantry goods. That suits packets of rice, pasta or baking things.

Look for: a rectangular basket a little shorter than the cupboard's depth, with handles at the front and low sides. Skip the cupboard under the sink if it ever gets damp.

7. Use the space on top of wall cupboards or the fridge

The gap above wall units, or on top of a tall fridge, is awkward to reach but fine for things you need a few times a year, such as picnic plates, party napkins and cake decorations. A basket turns that loose stack into one thing you lift down in a single move.

Look for: a deep basket with handles, light enough to lift down from a step stool with one hand. Pick another spot if the kettle or toaster sits directly below, since steam rises.

8. Keep onions, garlic and potatoes in a cool, dark cupboard

If your onions, garlic and potatoes live in a cupboard, choose one that is cool, dark and dry, which rules out the one beside the oven. An open weave lets air move around them. Put everything in dry, and tip the basket out now and then to brush away loose skins and soil.

Look for: open or loosely woven sides, and a wide, low shape so nothing piles up too deep.

9. Swap the fruit bowl for a woven basket

A fruit bowl is already a basket job, and a woven one is light enough to move aside when you wipe the worktop. The JUNTRA round rattan basket comes in 12 cm and 25 cm sizes, and its listing suggests it for fruit and snacks. The larger one suits fruit; the small one can take tea bags or sachets.

Look for: a wide, fairly shallow shape, so fruit sits in one or two layers and you can see what to eat first. Let washed fruit dry before it goes in.

10. Line up matching baskets in the pantry, with labels

Whether you have a walk-in pantry or one tall cupboard, matching baskets make shelves easy to read at a glance. Use one basket per group, such as baking, snacks, breakfast and tins, and label each on the front with a tie-on tag or clip label so everyone puts things back in the same place. Our guide to organising your kitchen and pantry with rattan storage covers pantry layouts in more detail.

Look for: one basket size that fits your shelf width two or three times across, all the same height so the row lines up.

Choosing the right basket

Use	Shape and size rule	Material notes
Bread	Round or oval, wide enough for your loaf, low sides	Rattan or bamboo, the firmer fibres
Utensils	Taller than it is wide	Open weave lets air through
Oils and condiments	Flat tray, low rim	Wipe bottles first
Cupboard pull out	A little shorter than the cupboard depth, with handles	Seagrass or rattan
Top of cupboards or fridge	Deep, with handles, light to lift	Any, kept clear of steam
Onions, garlic, potatoes	Open weave, wide and low	Any, in a dry cupboard
Fruit	Wide and fairly shallow	Rattan or bamboo
Pantry shelves	Matching sizes and heights, labelled	Any, as long as they match

Seagrass and water hyacinth feel softer and give a little; rattan and bamboo are firmer. For flat pieces to group bottles or fruit, see our wicker trays and baskets.

Keeping kitchen baskets clean

Wipe baskets with a dry or slightly damp cloth rather than soaking them. Let each one dry fully, inside and out, before anything goes back in, and keep it off wet worktops and draining boards. Our guide on how to clean wicker baskets goes through it step by step.

FAQs

Are baskets good for kitchen storage?

For dry goods and tools, yes. They group loose items and lift out in one go. They are the wrong choice for anything wet, a damp cupboard under the sink, or spots near the hob, oven or kettle.

What do you put in kitchen baskets?

Bread, fruit, utensils, cutlery, napkins, oil bottles on a tray, onions and potatoes in a cool cupboard, and pantry groups such as baking things and snacks.

How do you store bread in a basket?

Keep it on a dry part of the worktop, away from the hob and the kettle. Line it with a clean, dry tea towel if you want to catch crumbs, and shake it out often.

Can you store potatoes in a wicker basket?

Yes, if the basket has an open weave and sits somewhere cool, dark and dry, such as a cupboard away from the oven. Brush out loose soil from time to time.

When you are ready to start with one shelf or one cupboard, browse our storage baskets.