Baskets were important for carrying and processing foods. Some baskets were so tightly woven that water could held and boiled in them. Commonly, baskets were woven from the roots of Red Cedar (Thuja plicata). The large basket shown to the right is called a burden basket, and was used to carry large quantities of food or firewood. The outside of the basket is decorated using a technique called imbrication which hides the underlying material that gives the basket its' shape and strength. Prunus emarginata was used in imbrication for a reddish color, and other materials were often dyed to obtain a variety of colors to use in the design.

Birch bark (Betula spp.) was used to sew baskets, and was also used for temporary containers and canoe bailers.

Rope and twine of various sorts were important for many uses including fishing nets. Apocynum cannabinum was used extensively for cordage, as was a variety of willow species (Salix spp.). Engelmann's Spruce (Picea engelmannii) roots and bark were also shredded and used for twine and rope.