Styled Burlap Storage Basket: A Home for Sports Balls and Memorabilia

A soft-sided burlap basket can hold a whole pile of footballs, baseballs, basketballs, tennis balls, golf balls and bouncy balls. Set on a dresser and surrounded by trophies and team gear, it looks like part of the display instead of a bin for clutter.

The idea suits any child who collects round objects faster than a room can hold them. Everything gets one central spot, and the basket looks good enough to stay out in plain view.

Why a burlap basket works for sports gear

Three features of the basket make it a good fit for balls.

• Size. A fairly large basket takes a good share of a collection in one place, so balls stop turning up under beds and in closets.
• Soft sides. The fabric gives a little, so you can pack in balls of mixed sizes, which a rigid bin won’t allow.
• Texture. Natural burlap looks warm and slightly rustic. It sits comfortably next to shiny trophies, painted wood and team colors.

How to style it

1. Sort first. Gather every ball and keepsake, and set aside anything deflated, cracked or outgrown. Keep the favorites.
2. Choose the spot. The top of a dresser is a good one. It is sturdy and at eye level, and the basket is easy to reach.
3. Fill the basket. Put the heaviest balls, such as basketballs and footballs, on the bottom. Tuck smaller ones in the gaps, and keep a few of the best-looking balls on top where they show.
4. Build the display around it. Stand the basket in the middle and group the keepsakes beside it. Good choices are trophies from different sports, a commemorative bat from a championship season, a vintage team poster and a helmet from a favorite team.
5. Vary the heights. Lean a poster or framed print on the wall behind the basket. Put tall trophies at the back, shorter items in front, and the helmet to one side.

Mistakes to avoid

• Overstuffing. A basket packed past its limit bulges and tips. Leave a little room so the sides keep their shape.
• Putting heavy balls on top. Weight at the top can pull the basket over, especially on a narrow dresser. Keep heavy items low.
• Crowding the surface. If the dresser holds too many keepsakes, nothing stands out. Choose a handful of meaningful pieces and keep the rest for rotating later.
• Storing damp gear. Burlap is a natural fiber, so keep wet or muddy balls out of it. Let them dry first, or wipe them clean.
• Ignoring the child’s input. This is their collection. Let them pick which trophies and teams get the spotlight, and the space will feel like theirs.

Other ways to use the same basket

The same approach works for other collections. A basket of stuffed animals suits a nursery, a stack of throw blankets suits a living room, and yarn and projects suit a craft corner. Group the display items around the basket by theme, and keep the colors close so the whole corner looks planned.

For a sports room, match the surrounding items to the child’s current favorite teams. When interests change, swap the memorabilia but keep the basket, since the storage never has to change.