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A DIY guide to weaving a willow basket by hand
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For thousands of years people have woven baskets using the natural materials available to them, like willow shoots and reedy grasses. Basket-weaving today is both a practical skill and a serious art form. We'll teach you how to make one of your very own that you can use around your home or even put on display.
Steps
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Rehydrate the willow shoots with water. In order to use willow shoots to weave, you'll need to rehydrate them to make them pliable. Soak the shoots in water for a few days, until they will easily bend without breaking. -
Cut the base shoots. Choose several thick shoots that will serve as the basket's base. Use a hand pruner to cut 8 pieces of willow of equal lengths. The size of your base willow pieces will determine the circumference of your basket's bottom.- For a small basket, cut each length to 30 centimeter (11.8 in).
- For a medium basket, cut each length to 60 centimeter (23.6 in).
- For a large basket, cut each length to 90 centimeter (35.4 in).
- Tip: Baskets can be made with any type of pliable reed, grass, vine or branch, but willow is a popular choice because it creates such a sturdy basket when it dries. You can cut your own willow or buy dried willow shoots from a craft store. [1] X Research source
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Slit the centers of 4 of the pieces. Start by laying one piece in front of you on your work surface. Use a very sharp knife to make a 5 centimeter (2.0 in) vertical slit in the center of the willow piece. Do the same with three more of the base pieces, so that you have 4 pieces with slits in the middle. -
Construct the slath. This is the foundation of the basket base. Line up the 4 slitted pieces so that the slits are adjacent. Thread the 4 remaining pieces through the slits so that they lie flat and are perpendicular to the slitted pieces. You now have a cross shape composed of the 4 slitted pieces threaded through with the other 4 base pieces. This is called a slath. Each limb of the slath is called a spoke.
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Insert two weavers into the slath. Find two long, thin shoots of similar length. Insert the ends of the shoots into the left edge of the horizontal slit in your slath, so that the small shoots extend outward next to one of the spokes. These two thinner shoots are called "weavers." Weavers are woven around the spokes to create the basket shape. -
Do a pairing weave to secure the slath. "Pairing" is a type of weaving that uses two weavers, creating a secure base for your basket. Separate the weavers and bend them to the right over the adjacent spoke. Place one weaver over the spoke and one weaver under the spoke and gather them on the right side of the spoke. Now bring the bottom weaver up over the next spoke on the slath, and bring the top weaver under the spoke. Turn the slath and keep weaving, bringing the weaver that is now the bottom weaver over the next spoke, and the top weaver under the spoke. Keep pairing around the 4 spokes until you've created 2 rows.- Make sure each twist in the weave goes in the same direction.
- Weave tightly so that the rows lie snugly next to each other.
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Separate the spokes. The third time around, it's time to separate the individual spokes to form the round shape of you basket bottom. Now, instead of pairing around the grouped spokes, separate them and pair around each one individually using the exact same weaving method.- It might help to first bend each spoke outward so that they fan out like bicycle spokes. Ensure each spoke is separated by the same amount of space before you start weaving.
- Continue pairing around the spokes until the basket base has reached the diameter you want.
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Add new weavers when necessary. When you run out of length and need to add a new weaver, select one as close as possible to the side of the old weaver. Use a knife to create a pointed tip on the new weaver. Insert it between the weave of the last two rows and bend it to follow the path of the old weaver. Make sure it's securely in place, then use the hand pruner to trim off the end of the old weaver. Continue weaving using the new weaver.- Don't replace more than one weaver at a time. Replacing two or more weavers in the same place could create a weak spot in the basket.
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Stake up the basket. Choose 8 long, medium-sized willow shoots to serve as the basket's "stakes." These are the vertical pieces that form the structure of the sides of the basket. Use your knife to sharpen the ends of the stakes into points. Insert a stake alongside each of your spokes, pushing each one down into the weave as close to the center as possible. Bend the stakes upward so that they are pointing toward the sky. Use the hand pruner to trim the spokes back so that they're level with the edge of the weave, then tie the stakes together at their tips to keep them in place. -
Weave two rows of three-rod wale. This weave requires three weavers, which are woven among the stakes to set them in position. Find three long, thin shoots. Sharpen the ends into points. Insert the shoots into the base of the basket on the left side of three consecutive stakes. Now do two rows of the weave as follows:- Bend the far left weaver to the right in front of two stakes. Pass it behind the third stake and out to the front.
- Take the next far left weaver and bend it to the right in front of two stakes. Pass it behind the third stake and out to the front.
- Continue weaving this way, always starting with the far left weaver, until you have two rows of three rod wale.
- Untie the stakes at the top.
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Add weavers to the sides of the basket. Find 8 long, thin shoots. Use your knife to sharpen the ends into points. Insert one weaver into the basket behind a stake. Bend it over the next stake to the left, pass it behind the stake to the left of that one, and pass it back to the front. Now insert a second weaver behind the stake to the right of the starting point of your first weaver and do the same - pass it over the stake to the left, under the stake to the left of that one, and back to the front. Continue adding weavers this way until there is one weaver next to each stake.- When you insert the last two weavers, you'll need to lift up the first weavers a bit to make room to add the last weavers underneath. Use an awl or a long nail.
- This type of weaving is called French Randing. It's a popular weave that results in even, upright sides.
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Weave the sides. Take a weaver and pass it in front of the stake to the left, then behind the stake to the left of that, and bring the end out to the front. Take the next weaver to the right of the starting weaver and pass it in front of the stake to the left, then behind the stake to the left of that, and bring the end out to the front. Continue weaving this way around the whole basket, always starting with the next weaver to the right.- When you get back to the start, you'll see that there are two weavers behind the last two stakes. Both weavers need to be woven around the stakes. Do the bottom weaver first, then do the top weaver. For the last stake, do the bottom weaver first, then the top weaver.
- Continue randing until you've built up the sides as high as you'd like them to go, then trim the tips of the weavers.
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Secure the weave with a row of three rod wale. Find three long, thin shoots. Sharpen the ends into points. Insert the shoots on the left side of three consecutive stakes. Now do one row of waling as follows:- Bend the far left weaver to the right in front of two stakes. Pass it behind the third stake and out to the front.
- Take the next far left weaver and bend it to the right in front of two stakes. Pass it behind the third stake and out to the front.
- Continue weaving this way, always starting with the far left weaver, until you have a row of three rod wale.
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Finish the rim. Bend one of the stakes to the right and pass it behind the first two stakes. Pass it in front of the third and fourth stakes. Pass it behind the fifth stake, then pass it back to the front. Repeat with the next stake to the right of your starting stake.- The last two stakes won't have other stakes to weave around, since they'll all be woven into the rim. Instead of weaving around stakes, follow the same pattern but thread the tip in and out of the border.
- Cut the tips of the woven stakes even with the side of the basket.
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Make the base of the handle using a thick shoot. Bend it over the basket, holding the ends in place, to find out how high you want the handle to be. Cut it to size, leaving several inches of extra length on each side. Sharpen the ends into points and insert them into the basket next to two stakes directly opposite each other. -
Insert five thin shoots into the weave alongside the handle. Sharpen the ends and insert them deep into the weave so that they lay right next to each other. -
Wrap the handle with the shoots. Gather the shoots and wrap them around the handle like a ribbon until you reach the other end of the handle. Make sure the shoots lie flat right next to each other. Tuck the tips under the top of the woven rim. -
Insert five thin shoots on the other side of the handle. Working in the other direction, wrap the shoots around the handle to fill the gaps where it isn't already covered by the first set of shoots. Keep wrapping the handle until you reach the other side, then tuck the ends into the top of the woven rim. -
Secure the sides of the handle. Insert a thin shoot into the weave alongside one side of the handle. Bend toward the handle and wrap the base of the handle several times to secure the wrapped shoots in place. Keep wrapping tightly until the base of the handle is secure, then pass the end of the shoot under the last wrap and pull it tight, then trim the tip. Secure the other side of the handle the same way.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat materials should I use to make the basket?Community AnswerAny kind of thin, pliable wood will work. You can find the willow branches (used here) at a craft store, from Amazon, etc. Just make sure to get a selection of small, medium, and large branches in order to make this kind of basket.
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QuestionHow long does it take for an experienced weaver to make a basket like this?Community AnswerAn extremely experienced weaver may take two or three days.
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QuestionWhich type of knife do I use when weaving a basket?Community AnswerAny type will do, but ensure that it is sharp to avoid injury. Secateurs, although slightly bulky, would also work just fine.
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Things You'll Need
- Large bundle of willow shoots
- Hand pruner
- Knife
- Long nail or awl
Tips
- To keep the willow pliable as you work, spray it with water from a small bottle.Thanks
- The basket can be used for rabbits without the handle.Thanks
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About This Article
Article Summary
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To weave a basket, first cut 8 thick willow shoots to 30 centimeters each for the base, or longer if you want a bigger basket. Make sure you have presoaked your willow shoots to be pliable. Then, use a sharp knife to cut vertical 5 centimeter slits in the centers of the base shoots. To form the slath, line up 4 of the base shoots and weave them through the slits of the remaining 4 shoots. Finally, secure two thin shoots at the base, and begin weaving in a circle using an over and under pattern. To learn how to add a handle to your basket, read on!
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