A basket is used for storage of food as well as personal belongings. A special style of basket is used for winnowing grains. The Tohono O'odham also made a special basket for carrying heavy things. In addition, basketry weaving techniques are used to create trays, sleeping mats, walls and doors for brush houses, traps, hats, bags, brushes, cradle boards, sieves, water jug handles and headrings for carrying water jars on the head. The ability to make so many different things by weaving natural fibers emphasizes the long-lasting relationship the Tohono O'odham have had with their desert environment.
Weavers know which plants to select for use in making each different item.
Each material has a different technical purpose. Yucca leaves are excellent for stitching the coils in a basket, but beargrass is the best plant to use for the inside or foundation of the coil.