May Series Baskets Honored Bonnie Longaberger

     Having honored JW Longaberger with a special basket collection (1983-1993), the Longaberger Company next focused on his wife (and mother of his 12 children) Bonnie Longaberger with the May Series, a special collection of favorite flowers that she selected. Many unique flower-named basket sets were created in the May Series, and the Collectors Club later offered miniature May Series Baskets that were even more fun.  

The 1990 May Series Violet Basket began this collection. Longaberger did not have the colorful monthly feature flyers at that time that became anticipated and expected in later years, and the Violet Basket was only offered on a large postcard pictured to the left. Print fabric Basket Liners were also rare at that time, but the May Series Baskets had special print Liners from the beginning. Many May Series Baskets have purple accent weaves, popular with fans of that color.

Longaberger's May Series Baskets include:

1990    Violet

1991    Rose

1992    Pansy

1993    Lily of the Valley

1994    Lilac

1995    Tulip

1996    Sweet Pea

1997    Petunia

1998    Snapdragon

1999    Daisy

2000    Morning Glory 

2001    Peony

2002    Geranium

2008    Daffodil

When the innovative and striking Snapdragon Basket Set was introduced in 1998, a special print of the May Series Baskets through that point was created by Richard Cowdrey, who created lots of Longaberger art through the years. It was only available to Longaberger hostesses for one month. It does not show all of the collection but illustrates part of them beautifully.

The Daffodil Basket was the fourteenth and last of the May Basket Series and was much-anticipated following a six-year gap. It honored Grandma Bonnie's 100th birthday and had her signature woodburned on the bottom of each of the Daffodil Baskets. 

The May Series Baskets have beautiful fabric Liners, but don't let those limit use of the baskets. The long oval Tulip Basket has red accents and is wonderful for serving at Christmas, Valentines, and patriotic holidays using the Basket and plastic Protector, without the tulip print Liner. I like to fill it with two kinds of snack crackers. The Protector is not divided in the center, but it is easy to fill one end and hold it with your hand as you fill the other end with another kind of cracker. It is also great serving two kinds of  cookies or candy or long items such as breadsticks.

Visit Treasured Basket Traders, my eBay store, to find May Series Baskets and accessories in beautiful condition. You will find many on the secondary market to add to or begin your collection.

Longaberger Christmas Collection Basket List

 Longaberger's Christmas Collection included many of the company's most popular baskets, beginning with the 1981 Christmas Candle Basket. Fabric liners and plastic protectors were added in 1990, with wooden lids available beginning with the 1994 Jingle Bell Basket.

1981    Candle        2000 sold

1982    Grandad's Sleigh        3200 sold

1983    Bell        3700 sold

1984    Holly        over 16,000 sold!

1985    Cookie (liner available)

1986    Candy Cane

1987    Mistletoe

1988    Poinsettia

1989    Memory

1990    Gingerbread (plaid liner, protector available)

1991    Yuletide Traditions

1992    Season's Greetings

1993    Bayberry

1994    Jingle Bell    

1995    Cranberry

1996    Holiday Cheer

1997    Snowflake

1998    Glad Tidings

1999    Popcorn

2000    Deck the Halls

2001    Shining Star

2002    Traditions

2003    Caroling

2004    Get Together

2005    Silver Bells

2006    Nature's Garland

2007    Sweets & Treats

2008    Wrap It Up

2009    Snowflake Cookie

2010    Falling Snow

2011    Holly Berry

2012    Drum

2013    Plaid Tidings

2014    Stocking

2015    Yuletide Greetings

2016    8" Generations

2017    Snow Swirl 

Christmas Collection Baskets usually had red or green accent splints, and the stains used were much darker and more colorful in the 1990s and beyond. There were also years with baskets with no red or green accents, both red and green accents, and other stains such as whitewashed. Christmas Baskets always had an engraved gold tag on the top band with the basket's name and year.

Are you interested in the oldies? Grandad's Sleigh is available in my eBay store Treasured Basket Traders, as well as many other Christmas Collection Basket Sets. They are fun to fill with little items particular to the recipient and give for a lasting gift. 

Longaberger offered their first Holiday Hostess Basket in 1987, and in later years these were a larger version of the Christmas Basket. The Tree Trimming Collection was introduced in 1999, with small baskets intended to fit on a Christmas tree. Often these were smaller versions of the Christmas Basket for that year.

As a Longaberger Consultant, I had many customers who faithfully purchased the Christmas Collection Basket each year. There are many Christmas Baskets out there! These are great baskets to use throughout the year--you don't need to put them away with your Christmas decorations. You might remove that holly fabric liner, but the baskets are great for many holidays.

Historical information about Longaberger products, as well as values, can be found in The Bentley Guide for Longaberger. It was once a printed, spiral-bound guide but in 2009 became available only online with a subscription. The older paper guides can sometimes be found on the secondary market and include photos of the different collections on the divider pages. The Guide is fun just to browse through. The staff at Collectibles Database seem to still adjust the values of items, or at least they have since values peaked years ago.

A True Christmas Stocking Basket

The shapely 2021 Stocking Basket is a true work of art and representation of a stocking, difficult to create with maple wood splints. Everyone who has seen my Stocking Basket has been amazed with its craftsmanship, and you will be too. Woven by Dresden & Company in Dresden, Ohio, you can see the craft in process right here. Do you need one Stocking Basket or an entire row of them hanging on your mantle? Think ahead to future family members too! Don't wait too long--these won't be available forever.

Dresden & Company jumped into action when The Longaberger Company closed and declared bankruptcy in 2018, allowing talented Ohio weavers to keep working and creating beautiful formed baskets. While they cannot use the original Longaberger basket forms and names, D & Co has been creative in basket design and other purchases to complement them. The Out & About Basket is a favorite of mine, and it's available in Buffalo Check right now!

Longaberger's 2014 Christmas Stocking Basket had a base shaped like a stocking, with straight sides coming up from it. It was introduced at the 2014 Longaberger Bee (company convention) with a heart-tugging story about Dave Longaberger sending/bringing home a sweet little stocking to his baby daughter, Tami, possibly while he was serving in the military. Unlike that flat stocking, the Dresden & Company Stocking Basket is 3-dimensional, open all the way to the toe unless you use the plastic protector. It truly hangs with a leather loop hanger and will look great hanging all sorts of places.

When you contact a D & Co "Proprietor", you will receive interesting information and help with your orders as well as a discount on your purchase. That will help with your stocking purchase! Visit the website of my helpful friend Linda Sargent to see lots of fun new products and maybe even find a new career for the new year. She has an informative newsletter with great recipes too!   The Stocking Basket comes in a nice mailing box with a color label that shows what is inside. It is a perfect size for storage and a nice addition to the basket.

Longaberger Inaugural Basket Questions

I looked on Longaberger.com on January 17, and there was a Longaberger 2021 Inaugural Basket available!  It has appeared since I posted the information below.  At $120.21, it's a little more expensive than the older Inaugurals were, but it is a beautiful diamond-shaped basket with narrow colorful weave. 

I've had a few questions about Longaberger's Inaugural Baskets, especially the 2017 (sold in 2016) one that was the last one created. In my blog, click on the Longaberger Baskets label below this entry and then scroll down through past entries to find a photo of it.  You'll need to click on Older Posts at the bottom of a page or two.  Since The Longaberger Company was smaller toward the end, fewer of the 2017 Inaugural Basket were created than in previous years.  The 2017 design was the favorite of many collectors, with its rolled veneer tie-on woodburned with the Preamble to the Constitution.  This basket's rarity and appeal combine to make it hard to find on the secondary market and expensive.  I wish you luck in finding one listed reasonably.  I only have one 2017 Inaugural Set and plan to keep it with my Inaugural Collection.

Dresden and Co., a company opened after Longaberger's horrible end in 2018, employed as many former Longaberger weavers as possible.  They have an American Spirit Ballot Basket available that is the closest thing you will find to an Inaugural this year.  Its denim shade of blue will be fun in your home, and it is made in the USA by some of the original Longaberger weavers who probably created Inaugurals for years.  It is a handy medium size with many uses.  You can find this and other beautiful creations at dresdenandcompany.com.

My friends Linda in Texas, Muffet in Oklahoma, and Jackie in Missouri are each D & Co Proprietors, and I can connect you with one of them or the website can help you find one in your state. You'll want to connect with a Proprietor to get a better price on the set.  Or maybe you need to become a Proprietor yourself. 

Isn't the bottom of the Ballot Basket pretty too?  It has the colorful weaves, woodburn, and the weaver's whole name.  There is also a plastic protector available.  Don't delay--you remember how these offers ended and people missed out!

The Longaberger Company also is offering some new baskets and old favorites, as well as many other items, at their website www.longaberger.com.  Their website also has a link to Join their company.  You'll enjoy seeing the wide array of products.  Their baskets are also woven in Ohio by Dresden & Co.  weavers.

I have several beautiful Inaugural and other patriotic Longaberger Basket Sets in my ebay store Treasured Basket Traders.  If you find three or more sets you are interested in purchasing, contact me and we will work out a discount.  They will provide years of use and memories!

Little Longaberger Baskets for Little Tasks

Do you ever have those little groups of related things that pile up together on your counter or desk?  A small Longaberger Basket can help keep them organized and ready for use.  

For instance, you might have some fingernail supplies to keep together.  After everything shut down in March, four or five of my acrylic nails had come off by early April, and I decided it was time to take them off completely.  I love my nail girl, who should've been a counselor and has the most wonderful ideas and suggestions, and I miss her.  Luckily she has a whole other full-time job, so losing my business wasn't hurting her much.  

With lots of time to look at my ratty-as-ever nails, I found myself with some nail-strengthening polish I bought online, a buffing block, some Bert's Bees cuticle cream, wooden nail sticks, and some clippers all there on my counter ready to use.  Those things needed to be kept together, and of course I had a great little basket just for that.

Now I can grab my supplies and head out to the front porch. The 2003 Branch Sales Award Basket that I use is a shallow rectangular shape, which you can find in many of the small basket groups.  It brings back good memories--things were good with Longaberger in 2003.  

Several Longaberger collections offered small baskets with unique designs.  The Horizon of Hope baskets, offered for over 20 years, have creative designs and were offered in regular stains or with pink accents.  The Tree Trimming baskets were usually miniatures of the Christmas Collection baskets and were offered for nearly 20 years.  If you take out the holiday print liner, you just have a cute little basket with red or green accent.  I leave the fabric liners out of most of my baskets all the time, safely stored in a closet.

Longaberger rewarded hostesses with Booking Baskets and Hostess Appreciation Baskets for many years, and there is a shape and size for about any use.  Longaberger Consultants earned and were awarded some very special small award baskets.  There were regular-line and feature baskets that were smaller.  And then of course, there were the true miniature baskets, many of which although sturdy, are too small for use but are sure sweet.

So . . . find a pile, put it in a basket.  Call it organization.

Always Very Proudly American!

It's time to get ready for a patriotic Fourth of July--it will be here before we know it.  America is going through much turmoil in 2020, but we need to remember that we have this in common: all are loyal to and proud of our amazing country.  We can work together to make it even better.

As an American success story for so long, Longaberger created many different patriotic baskets through the years.  The All-American series led to the Proudly American Collection introduced in 2003.  Things were going great for Longaberger in 2003--all the numbers were increasing, Longaberger Homestead had been open for a few years, and there was endless enthusiasm.  

Proudly American Baskets featured a new plaid weave design with blue upsplints and red shoestring weaving.  Star-shaped tack covers added another special touch, and the fabric liners and other accessories were equally beautiful and well-designed.  Leather loop "ears" were upgraded with stitching on the sides.  Everything showed the quality that collectors had come to expect.

The 2003 Spring-Summer WishList introduced the new collection with a beautiful cover and a big photo spread inside.  As always, many serving and use ideas were pictured in this perfect basket grouping for any patriotic event.  


You'll enjoy Proudly American baskets all year 'round, as you can see in the top photo from my office.  They are perfect for serving as well as many other uses.   The two Collectors Club 9" Proudly American Bowls stacked in the office photo are a great size to grab to serve two kinds of chips.  They have the hard plastic lids and heavier plastic protectors, so they also stack well when not in use. 

Freedom * Spirit * America * Dream * Home *  Don't you love those words?  The Proudly American wallpaper border shown in the top photo is the last wallpaper remaining in my home, but I just can't let it go.  I'm sure it was purchased at Longaberger Homestead, and it pictures some of my favorite Proudly American Baskets:  the Small Wash Day holding patriotic quilts, the Darning, the Spring, and my personal-favorite Medium Gathering.  

The 2003 Bee Basket next to the two Bowls in my office cleverly flipped the Proudly American features with blue shoestring weave and red upsplints.  The Bee theme of "Love it. Live it. Share it" on the attached tag was typically-thoughtful Longaberger.  This basket has the same pretty fabric liner used in the collection, with special grosgrain ribbon trim.  

You can celebrate in style with Longaberger products for years to come.  They just don't wear out.  Fortunately, there are many patriotic Longaberger products available on the secondary market, including in my ebay store Treasured Basket Traders in the "Patriotic All-American" department.  I also have several past patriotic posts you can find on my blog by clicking "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page or clicking on one of the labels, such as Collections or Holidays.

Any time you want to see photos more closely, you can click on one and it will bring up all photos in that post.  Your computer or tablet should allow you zoom in even more closely.

Sweetheart Baskets Don't Have to Leave with Valentine's Day

Longaberger's Sweetheart Basket Collection combines creative designs with lots of love.  Red is a favorite stain color, and the Sweetheart Baskets use it well.  Beginning in 1999 and continuing through 2016, the designers got very creative with the baskets and lids. 

These baskets are sweet at Valentine's Day, but there's  no need to put them away afterward.  In fact, some of my smaller ones are used in my red powder room all year, and I add different accents seasonally.

The pretty white (Bisque) cabinet was offered with Longaberger's Collectors Club May Series Miniature Baskets in 2006, available in Bisque and Classic Light stains to members only.  

The 3-d garland border around the top of the room echoes the berry-garland design painted around the oval mirror.  I painted a wide cream/ivory border around the top of the room, added chocolate brown narrow (3/8"?) decorative molding above and below, and held up the wired berry garland with tiny nails that strands twisted around every 12" or so.  It is unusual, and I get many compliments on it.  Since the room is so tiny, the garland goes completely around the top of the room.

Woven Traditions Walk Down Memory Lane

If one of the more fun parts of preparing to host a big family gathering is using all your past Longaberger Woven Traditions pottery salt & pepper shaker sets, you're a Longaberger fan!  I enjoyed using these for our 22-person family Christmas gathering here, with several small tables, and thought they might take you down Memory Lane too.

We were pretty excited when salt & pepper shakers were added to the Woven Traditions line-up.  The "potbellied" shakers on the front right were the first shakers offered in 1993. and they mirrored the rounded shape of the original Juice and Milk Pitchers.  These were followed by the taller "streamlined" ones on the front left in 2001.  The Stovetop Shakers (back left) were bigger, even featuring big handles and bigger holes for use on the stove.  They were originally a host booking reward, then offered to everyone.  The Soft Square Shakers, back right, came along in 2007 and were the last ones Longaberger offered.  They were originally a host appreciation item and then joined the regular line.  There were different baskets (of course!) and wrought iron holders offered to hold these, too.

Wiping the shaker sets down, making sure they're full, and hiding them in a cabinet until the next gathering bring your event smoothly to a close.  Thank goodness for long-lasting Woven Traditions pottery that we can enjoy for years to come!

Longaberger Halloween Fun

Remember these funny metal Longaberger Happy Halloween Lanterns from 2004?  I've never found the right, easy-to-use candles for them until this year.  I went to the local discount store and bought two battery-operated candles, and was happily surprised with their timer feature that turns them on automatically every afternoon from 5 until about 10.  How easy is that?  

       

Any group of Halloween treasures around our house is sure to have some Longaberger woven into it. 

Longaberger's Halloween and fall baskets always had fun themes and are reminders of happier times.  Lots of my favorites come together . . . candy corn, Peanuts (on the Yahtzee game), Boyd's, happy Jack O'Lanterns, and of course those special baskets and miniature baskets.

Longaberger Truly IS All-American

It's always fun to play with your Longaberger products, and I had fun sorting out my piles of past patriotic baskets into groups I can enjoy for the next few months.  The All-American Basket series is one of my favorites, but neither of these more-recent groups above my kitchen cabinets are the original All-Americans.  Those usually weren't big baskets, and these used above the cabinets need to include some large ones.  

The flag baskets in the top photo were the most recent flag group Longaberger made, spanning several years, and include sizes from a Large Picnic to a Tea Basket size.  A flat Woven Flag panel is in back.  Can you find the Firecracker Basket?

The banner weave baskets in the bottom photo are fun.  One is a prototype that was never made available, and another was given for bringing a large tour to Longaberger Homestead.  
Have a wonderful Fourth of July!

Longaberger's Patriotic American Baskets

What a pile of beautiful, American-made Longaberger Baskets!  Decorating for any holiday might begin with "Hmmmmmm. Which baskets should I use?" for a Longaberger collector.  Of course, many collectors keep this group out all year, but I have so many others I also want to enjoy.

Yes, this is a confusing jumble of baskets representing at least 20 years of All-American and other monthly feature baskets, but that's a good problem to have.  Even the big, patriotic Wash Day and Block Party Baskets are enlisted to help carry Uncle Sams and other patriotic decor.

Election Relief: Plan for Thanksgiving with Longaberger

More election relief:  turn to something completely positive.  Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday, focuses us on our many blessings, which we sometimes overlook in busy or stressful times.  I enjoy that there are no gifts or hustle-and-bustle involved with this holiday other than food preparation and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, usually while working in the kitchen.

Add Longaberger into the Thanksgiving equation and you have beautiful heavy Woven Traditions Pottery for baking and dining and baskets for serving.  One fun pre-election distraction might be deciding which foods you will serve to match your Longaberger Baskets of choice.  Of course, you should choose the serving pieces based on the menu, but instead Longaberger Basket fans often serve whatever fits the baskets they have in mind.

Longaberger offered the Autumn Reflections Baskets above in 2001-2002, and they are clearly wonderful for serving bread and all sorts of snacks and desserts.  The Large Harvest Blessing Basket, back right, has a handy divided plastic protector so you can serve different items separately.  The Daily Blessing Basket, back left, has a protector with top and bottom layers, so you can put ice in the bottom and snacks to keep cool in the top protector.  I wonder if I'll use these baskets this year?  I have a few other possibilities.

Longaberger has offered many beautiful fall-hued baskets, beginning with the Shades of Autumn collection, and the regular-stained ones are always handy too.  Distract yourself today by starting to plan how you'll spoil your family and friends at Thanksgiving with time together and tasty food. Longaberger is always on my "thankful for" list. 

Longaberger Flag Baskets and Fireworks

It's time to replace flags and firecrackers with pumpkins over my sink.  These patriotic Longaberger Baskets, mostly offered from 2012-2014, celebrate the USA in a big way.  I especially love the big Great American Picnic Celebration Basket on bottom of the stack on the left.  The Americana Wall Flag in the background was a popular item, available in three different sizes at different times. The whimsical 2013 Firecracker Basket will spark on forever. The Tote on the right was a prototype that was never sold.  There's something very special about a product that celebrates the USA that is actually made in the USA and supports American artists!

Strawberries, both Longaberger and in Barry County

Longaberger's cute Strawberry Spring Basket, an online exclusive for 5 days in 2011, is the basis for a favorite summer display for me.  The pretty red pressed glass Strawberry Jam Jar, available in 2005, is a great example of an exclusive Longaberger Collectors Club item--you need to join The Club, if you haven't already!  The Boyds Bear "Strawberry Friends" figurine came from a group of special teacher friends when I changed grade levels years ago.  I always enjoy the quote on the bottom:  "Real friends will share even a strawberry" (Proverb).  Those friends shared a lot of love and support over the years.

 

The old jar of strawberry tickets has some local history.  When we used to go to the fair (the Old Soldiers & Settlers Reunion) in Cassville in the summer, we always got to hear how Mom and Dad had to spend their own money when they went as kids, usually earned by picking strawberries. Cassville, Missouri and Barry County as a whole apparently had success raising strawberries at one point.  The jar makes me sad--someone picked those berries and didn't get to cash in the tickets!

 

Longaberger's 2016 Horizon of Hope Campaign Is Colorful

Over the past 20 years, Longaberger has raised over $17 million for breast cancer research through its Horizon of Hope products, mostly baskets.  This year, Longaberger opened up the hope to benefit other causes as well, including organizations serving Alzheimer's, animal welfare, autism, breast cancer, and heart health causes.  You can even nominate deserving local organizations to receive the $2 donated from each basket sold.  Visit my website www.longaberger.com/wendymiekley for all the details or watch  Wendy's Longaberger Horizon of Hope 2016.  Like the Longaberger Company itself, Horizon of Hope is going new places in 2016!

An Unusual Longaberger Basket Weave for Spring

Longaberger Baskets are "splinted" baskets, woven around a wooden form, and one possible variation is using different weave styles with those wooden splints. Of course, Longaberger has used many, many shapes, colors, sizes, and finishing touches to give incredible variation to the baskets over the years.  

The Spring Weave is an example of a different weave that is over 3, under 3, aside from the narrow shoestring weave that makes the pretty curve at the bottom.  The traditional weave is over 1 and under 1, and you may have to look closely at the picture and not be distracted by the pretty colors to see the over 3, under 3.  




This unique weave would be striking in the solid stains (Pewter, Vintage, or Warm Brown) where the weave would probably stand out even more, but I happen to have the pretty springy-colored Forever Spring weave as a sample.  





The basket also has a kerf bottom, which has the splints inserted into it and is very smooth and strong.  Spring Weave is available in limited baskets in April and then will be gone--visit my website using the link on the right to see the Low Bowl Basket (pictured here), Oval Bowl Basket, and Vase Basket before they're gone.  There are also a few past Spring Weave Baskets in Past Features in the menu on the left.

A Very Special Longaberger Medium Market Basket

Isn't this just one of the best Longaberger Medium Market Baskets ever?  I enjoy my Christmas and fall Medium Market Baskets for carrying food to all sorts of seasonal events, but I never had one particularly perfect for spring. The Medium Market is everyone's favorite carrying basket for all sorts of things, and that Pale Yellow lid and handles are so pretty with the Forever Spring pastel weave.  This beauty is available on my website www.longaberger.com/wendymiekley through the end of March.  The solid Vintage, Pewter, and Warm Brown Baskets in the intricate Spring Weave are beautiful too (click on the photo for a larger view), and are more versatile for many than the playful pastels  of the Forever Spring Weave.  

Favorite Medium Market Basket uses:

• carrying a 9 x 13" Baking Dish on top of the basket with dip (such as in March 11 entry!) with my bag of chips, serving utensils, and any other items needed inside the Medium Market Basket.  Swinging handles still come up to carry easily
• holding file folders, magazines, and books 
• often used by church pianists and Sunday School teachers as well as regular classroom teachers and Scout leaders 
• beloved by those who run many errands (collect it all inside, grab the handles, and go!) 
• a pretty start to a daughter's own Longaberger collection and one that she will use in many ways throughout life
• library book central--carry it to the library weekly and corral books in there back home
• food for a summer picnic (carry-out fits nicely too)
• great baby gift: weaver has initialed and dated the bottom and you can add your sentiments and signature!
• very portable for children's toys
• take it to the pool or in the boat this summer; also great for the camper
• very appreciated gift, filled or empty!

Please post ideas or even photos of your favorite Longaberger Medium Market Basket uses!  You'll be surprised by how much you'll use this basket, in whichever stain or design you have it.

Longaberger's Santa Belly Tree Skirt . . . and Ornaments to Match

Every year, I give guests at my Longaberger Christmas Open House a special ornament.  When I found Santa Belly Ornaments in my Current catalog this fall, it confirmed that Santa Belly was indeed my Open House theme this year!  Perfect with Longaberger's 2015 Santa Belly Tree Skirt (get yours before December 31 at my Longaberger website!), the ornaments were very popular.

The Santa in the background below is a 750-piece puzzle I put together a few years ago, then put puzzle glue on it and added a foam core back.  I couldn't bear to take him apart!

One Way to Display Your Longaberger Santa Bellys

Longaberger Santa Belly Baskets have been offered since 2010, so there are several shapes and sizes out there.  Longaberger is offering five new baskets this year, including the very cute Santa Belly Tree Skirt that I'll be using in my entryway.  Be sure to check my Longaberger website to order Santa Bellys before December 31 or my eBay store to purchase a few retired ones.

Can you ever have too many Santa Belly Baskets?  Probably so, but I'm not there yet.  Of course, all Longaberger Baskets should be used, but some are also great just for display.  And even in a display, these can be holding useful items.  The grouping above also includes a Boyds Bear Ornament with a bear in the Holiday Helper Basket above it, which has a cute "Ho, ho, ho!" lid.  

Ten Handy Longaberger Christmas Basket Uses

I can't imagine the holidays without Longaberger products!  As a new consultant 26 Christmases ago, I couldn't wait to use all my Longaberger baskets for decorating and entertaining . . . and I still get excited about it!  Don't you?  Please share your favorite holiday basket uses.

Here are ten of my favorite uses:

• fill Longaberger Baskets to give as gifts--It's fun to personalize a basket, collecting small items that particularly suit someone, placing them in a useful basket, and wrapping it with cellophane and lots of ribbon.  Longaberger also makes perfect gifts for companies to give.
• hold Christmas cards received--This year's Yuletide Greetings Basket is perfect for cards, as is any thin basket or the Sleigh Baskets.  I stand newly-received cards in front of the basket until everyone sees them, then put them inside the basket with their envelopes in the back so I can check addresses.
• collect family signatures--Sharpie marker in hand, circulate among holiday guests at a family gathering and have each person there sign the bottom of a basket.  A board-bottom basket such as the Social Gathering or Buffet is nice for this, but splints are easily signed too. These signatures won't hurt the appearance of your basket and are fun to look back on years later.  I used the Falling Snow Basket for this in 2010.
• carry food--Longaberger Baskets and pottery provide a safe and secure way to carry food (and protect your clothing!), with baskets to hold every possible dish you might create.  The Cake Basket, with its riser creating two layers, still can't be beat!
• hold gift-wrapping supplies--Use the tall, slim retired Umbrella Basket to hold standing rolls of gift wrap and a smaller basket such as a Cracker or Small Store & Stack Basket to hold pens, tags, tape, and other little necessities.  Some energetic gift-wrappers create a ribbon-dispensing basket, putting rolls of ribbon inside a rectangular basket and feeding the ribbon between the splints on the side of the basket.
• haul gifts--When you go to family holiday gatherings, take your wrapped gifts in a big Small Laundry or Blanket Basket, then safely corral and bring home gifts received in it as well.  These spacious baskets are hard to tip and can carry a lot!
• hold Christmas trees--Longaberger's 2015 Santa Belly Tree Skirt is perfect to hold a tree, but I've been using other baskets for this for years.  I use the 2000 Holiday Hostess Twelve Days of Christmas and the 1997 Holiday Hostess Snowflake Baskets, which can hold the flat square metal bases of Alpine-style trees.  Set your base in the basket and fill over it with festive shredded paper, sparkly snow blanket, or loose pine cones.
• carry decorations --I use big baskets to carry groups of Christmas decorations to their holiday location and to return them to the basement after Christmas.
• organize gifts and stocking fillers--If you put everything under the tree late on Christmas Eve for your little ones, it can be nice to have it all together in a basket, perhaps even a separate basket for each child, which is easy to carry out and empty into stockings and under the tree.
• hold Christmas cards and supplies as I write them--Gather your Christmas cards, address book, pens, stamps, return labels, stickers, and whatever else you need in a basket.  One you can place on your lap like a desk with a lid to write on is especially nice.  My retired Medium Gathering Basket makes the process more fun for me.