Technique Class - Woven Baskets Part II

Today we will be working on the weaving around the top of the basket. Instead of glueing and snipping off the ends, we are going to work them together around the top to give a more realistic effect. At this point your basket should look like the photo below... this is where we finished off yesterday.

14. Using the side of your scissors or your bone folder, soften the spines by running the tool edge firmly along the spine as you would if you were curling ribbon. This will help to break up the little fibres in the cardboard and make it more malleable and easier to work with. I do this two or three times on each side of the spine.

15. Begin at the shortest spine. Fold it toward the right, keeping it behind the next spine as in the picture below. Note that the side that faces out (the textured side) is still facing out. I did not twist the spine when I folded it.

16. Take the second spine backwards over the top of the first spine, then through the gap between the first spine and the top of the basket. You will need to refer to the picture for the correct method.

17. Work the second spine down firmly against the first spine so that it holds it in place.

18. Fold the second spine toward the right and lay it with the first spine. Both spines should now be behind the third spine as in the picture below.

19. Bring the third spine backwards over the top of the first and second spines and down through the gap between the spines and the basket, as you did earlier.

20. Work the third spine down firmly against the first and second spines to hold them in place.

21. Fold the third spine over to the right with the first and second spines. They should all lay behind the fourth spine. Now you just repeat this same process right around the top of the basket, working all the spines in together.

22. When you get back around to the start point you should have several spines all folded down toward the right.

23. Now it gets a little fiddly. Carefully slip the first spine out from the second spine.

24. You will see a little loop is left in the second spine where you removed the first spine.

25. Stand the first spine straight up. Gather the last spines and lay them to the right behind the first spine. Take the first spine backwards and through the gap between the other spines and the basket as you have been doing all the way around. Work the first spine down firmly over the other spines and lay them all to the right.

26. Now you need to work all the loose ends back through the loop in the second spine. Some tweezers are useful for this process.

27. On the inside of the basket you may have a loose spine or two. Continue slipping these into the loops around the basket edge until they are all secured. You might want to finish with just a spot of glue.

And that's it for today! Now you should have a little basket with a lovely woven edge that's just waiting on a handle. You could use the basket as it is if you don't want or need a handle, or you could tie a piece of string, wire or ribbon across the top as a handle if you wanted to. Tomorrow we will be adding a plaited handle that is secured to the top of the basket to finish off the project.