Help & Support Center
Care, shipping and support for your handwoven basket
Everything you need after ordering: reshaping a folded Bolga basket, delivery times and rates, returns, custom and wholesale enquiries, and how to reach the studio.
Reshaping your Bolga basket
Elephant grass has memory. A folded basket returns to its woven form in minutes with nothing more than warm water and your hands.
1. Unpack and let it breathe
Baskets ship folded to reduce freight volume. Remove all packing and leave the piece at room temperature for an hour so the grass relaxes.
2. Mist with warm water
Fill a spray bottle with warm (not hot) water and mist the weave evenly inside and out until it is damp — never soaked. The fibre becomes pliable within a minute.
3. Reshape with your hands
Push the base flat from inside, then work around the rim pressing outward to open the mouth. For sculptural pieces, shape the curve slowly and hold for a few seconds.
4. Dry in shade
Let the basket dry away from direct sun or heaters, which fade natural dyes. Stuff with a towel to hold the new shape while drying.
5. Long-term care
Dust with a dry brush, spot-clean with a barely damp cloth, and condition leather handles once a year with a neutral balm. Repeat the mist-and-reshape whenever the form softens.
Never do this
- Do not submerge the basket or put it in a washing machine.
- Do not dry with a hairdryer or in direct sun — dyes will fade unevenly.
- Do not store crushed under heavy objects for long periods.
Shipping
Worldwide Express Shipping
Base rate $68.00 for the first item (+$40.00 for each additional item).
Tracked air courier via DHL Express / FedEx
7 - 10 Business Days delivery
Free shipping
Orders over $700 ship free worldwide. Domestic delivery is $12.00 where applicable, and tax is calculated at checkout (5.0%).
Every parcel is tracked; you receive the tracking number by email as soon as the order is dispatched.
Returns & exchanges
- Unused pieces can be returned within 30 days of delivery for a refund or exchange.
- Because each basket is handwoven, small variations in size, weave tension and dye tone are characteristics rather than faults.
- Damaged in transit? Send photographs within 7 days and we replace or refund the piece, shipping included.
- Custom and wholesale commissions are made to order and are non-returnable.
Custom & wholesale orders
We weave to specification for interior designers, hospitality projects and retailers: custom dimensions, brand colourways, logo-free packaging and repeat production runs. Share your reference images, quantities and deadline and we quote directly with the cooperative.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Vetastudio baskets genuinely handmade in Ghana?
- Yes. Every piece is woven by hand in Bolgatanga, Sumbrungu and Zuarungu in Upper East Ghana from veta vera elephant grass. Nothing is machine-made and nothing is imported for resale.
- Why does my basket arrive folded or flattened?
- Folding lowers freight volume and emissions. Elephant grass has memory: a warm water mist and two minutes of hand-shaping returns the basket to its woven form.
- Do you take custom sizes, colours and bulk orders?
- We do. Custom weaves, brand colourways, and wholesale volumes for retailers and interior projects are produced directly with cooperative leaders. Lead time is typically three to six weeks depending on volume.
- How are the dyes made, and will colours fade?
- Colours come from plant and mineral pigments cooked in small batches. Kept out of direct sun, tones stay rich for years; strong sunlight will soften them gradually.
- Can baskets be used outdoors or for plants?
- Planters can hold a plastic liner and cachepot indoors or on a covered porch. Prolonged rain and damp will weaken elephant grass, so avoid fully exposed outdoor use.
Contact us
WhatsApp is the fastest way to reach the studio — messages are usually answered the same day.
- WhatsApp: +233 20 008 4444
- Email: care@vetastudio.com
- Phone: +233 20 411 8802
- Studios in St Louis, USA and Bolgatanga, Ghana.