I finally hung my collection of handmade baskets out on the screen porch! And I’m so in love! This basket gallery wall makes our porch feel so much cozier!
I’ve always loved adding art to outdoor spaces. I find that on porches and patios art not only adds visual interest and personality, but it makes these spaces feel much more like an extension of the indoors.
Some of these handcrafted baskets were made in Africa and some are sweetgrass baskets I purchased from local Charleston artisans. That little bell was also made from sweetgrass, and it’s something I purchased the year we moved here. The art of sweetgrass basket-weaving has been passed down from generation to generation. Black women in the Lowcountry have been using marsh grass to hand weave these amazing baskets for hundreds of years. This basket-weaving tradition originated in West Africa and was brought here with the enslaved women in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Driving down Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant you will find stands where local artisans sell their baskets to this day.
Because these baskets are made from marsh grass water doesn’t hurt them, so moisture and humidity shouldn’t be a problem.
I added the mirror and my oversized straw hat to this mix, and I hope to continue building this gallery as I collect more baskets and hats.
I have just a few more little things to do out here, and then I’ll be calling this screen porch styling project a wrap! So far I’ve added a console table and lamps, an outdoor rug, and now this basket gallery wall. And I’ve been amazed at how much these additions have transformed this space!
Can’t wait to finish up in time to enjoy the cooler temps of fall!
Keep growing!! You are doing great Job.