Weaving a Napkin Basket

This is my first post and I am excited to be posting. I have been weaving baskets for well over 10 years and I am excited to be sharing this great craft with everyone and hope it will encourage more people to take the plunge and try their hand at basket weaving.

MATERIALS NECESSARY: 1/2 Flat Reed, 3/16 Flat Reed, seagrass

TOOLS NECESSARY: Ruler, scissors, flat head screwdriver, water bucket with water, pencil

Cut 14 spokes from 1/2″ Flat reed at 21”. Soak your stakes and some 1/2 Flat material in a bucket of warm water for 5 minutes or so. Soaking your materials makes them flexible enough to weave with and when they dry they hold their shape. As you weave it is a good idea to spray your spokes to keep them damp. Having a spray bottle with warm water handy is a good idea. Then as you need material add it to your water bucket. You don’t have to soak the material for long – just long enough to make it flexible.

Mark the center of each spoke on the rough side. The rough or bad side can be found by bending the spoke over your finger without creasing spoke and one side should have hairs stand up and the other side should be relatively smooth. Place pencil mark on bad side in the middle of the stake.

With the rough side facing up lay out the base in a grid pattern matching up the center marks. Once base is complete true base to measure 7 inches wide by 7 inches tall.

base layout

Upset the stakes by bending them against a straight edge.

upsetting

Using 1/2” flat reed as weavers and small clamps or clothespins to hold the weaver in place. Begin weaving the sides of the basket. Begin on top of a stake. Weave over/under all the way around using as many clamps as needed. End the weaver by overlapping 4 spokes, tucking the end of the weaver behind the spoke. After 2 rows the spokes should be vertical.

starting one row overlap

cutting 4 spoke

Weave a total of 7 rows. Then cut off the spokes that are behind or on the inside of the last row of weaving. Cut the spokes level or slightly below that last row. Making sure the remaining spokes are moist tuck them over to the inside of the basket and down into the rows of weaving. NOTE these may be a bit long and need to be trimmed before they are tucked.

cut and tuck

Measure out 2 pieces of 1/2″ flat reed that fit around the top of the inside and outside of the basket. These pieces are the rim pieces. When measuring the rim pieces leave an additional 2-3” as an overlap.

Hold the rim pieces with clamps or cable ties with the seagrass inserted in between them covering the exposed edges of the spokes.

Using the 3/16” flat reed for lashing; insert one end up the front rim, keep it under the seagrass and bend it over to the inside of the basket. Using the long end “stitch” or lash the rims in place by bringing the lasher under the last row of weaving now covered by the rim pieces and in between the spokes removing the cable ties or clamps as you go along.

lashing photo diagram

Create the same loop when you reach the start point. Tuck the loop under the seagrass. Trim the ends on the inside of the basket.

End the lasher the same way it was begun by bringing it up the inside of the outer rim and bending it over and down to the inside of the basket. Trim these ends if necessary and tuck them into the nearest row of weaving.

You are finished. Make sure to sign the bottom of your basket and put it to work in your home or as a gift.

Thanks for reading the post and let me know if you have any questions or would like information about purchasing supplies. Check out www.basketweavingsupplies.com.

…Jenn

Tagged as: Add new tag, basket, Basket Weaving, napkin, reed

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Judy July 15, 2008 at 5:16 pm: Great pictures and directions but you might want to add info about soaking the reeds for beginners!
Miho January 18, 2010 at 10:30 am: Thank you very much for this tutorial. I have always wanted to try basket weaving, but unsure where to begin.

Hopefully I’ll get some free time soon enough to try it out!

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