| world that has had enough of environmental pollution | | | | completely mature. These types of leaves are easier |
| and is trying to find ways to reduce the consumption | | | | to work with. The leaves are also soaked in water for |
| of plastic, the French-Style shopping basket is fast | | | | some time to make them bendable. |
| becoming a promising solution. These baskets are | | | | With a little patience and a lot of hard work, the |
| made from natural materials and hence are not | | | | French-Style shopping basket can be made at home |
| harmful to the environment. They are biodegradable | | | | too. Collect palm leaves that are approximately similar |
| and can also be re-used numerous times before they | | | | in size and cut them into equal-sized fronds. Now cut |
| have to be discarded. | | | | 10 of these fronds lengthwise into equal halves. Tape |
| A French-Style shopping basket makes use of natural | | | | edges of 7 other fronds to a surface, after you place |
| substances like palm leaves. Though these baskets | | | | them next to each other. Start weaving the fronds |
| are called “French” baskets, they are | | | | from the first pile with the ones that are pasted to the |
| not necessarily made in France. They can be | | | | surface. Now you will have a mat. Now make the |
| manufactured anywhere in the world. Most people | | | | walls of the basket with more fronds and glue them to |
| prefer the baskets that are handmade because the | | | | the basket. These walls will be of smaller size and can |
| mass-produced, factory manufactured French baskets | | | | be secured to the basket with smaller sized strips that |
| are not as sturdy as the handmade ones. The French | | | | are pasted to the basket. You can also opt for |
| baskets handmade in Morocco, also called | | | | handles in the basket by following the same process. |
| “Medina baskets”, are extremely | | | | For coloured French-Style shopping basket, the palm |
| popular owing to the calibre of work, the superior | | | | leaves are coloured beforehand. While following the |
| treatment given to the baskets and the high quality of | | | | traditional pattern, natural dyes are used most of the |
| the end product. | | | | time. However, these days a lot of experimentation is |
| The French-Style shopping basket uses palm leaves | | | | being done with artificial, environment-friendly colours. |
| available locally. Most commonly used leaves are from | | | | Sometimes these baskets have leather handles. In |
| a particular palm called Nipa palm. The leaves of this | | | | such cases, the leather is usually cow or goat and the |
| palm are long and feathery and suitable for basket | | | | procedure of leather dyeing follows traditional process. |
| weaving. The leaves are strong at the same time they | | | | These baskets are rarely dried in factories or by |
| are also highly flexible when slightly wet. Once dried, | | | | artificial methods. More often, sun drying is opted. This |
| these leaves harden to give a tough basket that lasts | | | | makes the baskets stronger. As the entire method of |
| a long time. These are the same leaves that are used | | | | making a French-Style shopping basket is natural, the |
| in roofs for thatching. The leaves that are selected for | | | | production of these baskets is dependent on elements |
| making French baskets are slightly green and not | | | | of nature like weather to a large extent. |