(An Italian pannier decorated for Christmas season)

You will need A gerla, an Italian pannier Pine branches Artificial autumn leaves Artificial apples Branches with winter berries Some silk flowers suitable for winter or Christmas season Some silk poinsettias A pair of shears

zoom »

What we call gerla in Italy is a pannier. It is made with weaved wood; it has the shape of truncated cone (reversed and open above). In mountain it was used for carrying a lot of different materials.
If you want to buy the Italian gerla, full of Italian food visit this page
It's very easy to make it. The only thing that is necessary to do is to shorten the branches in order they don't jut out too much.
Look at the photo for more details. Click on the image for enlarging it.