All About Basket Weaving

History of Basket-Weaving

Basket-weaving is an enjoyable hobby and profession with a rich history. For centuries, humans have woven baskets out of natural materials, and many Native American tribes ornamented woven baskets with beads and precious metals. Contemporary basket-weaving is a synthesis of the techniques and methods developed by cultures around the globe. Weaving gift baskets is a way of exploring history while creating signature craft pieces.

• What Is the History of Basket-Weaving? Ancient basket-weaving techniques directly influence contemporary weaving designs, materials, and methodologies.
• Origins of Basket-Weaving Techniques: Coiling, split weaving, and round-fibered weaving are techniques from West Africa and Asia that are still practiced today.

Materials Used for Basket-Weaving

Traditionally, natural fibers from trees are used in basket-weaving. However, vines and flexible twigs can also be used to weave baskets. In addition, some modern gift baskets are constructed out of synthetic materials, such as plastics or thin metal wires.

• Basket-Weaving History, Materials, and Design: Basket-weaving is an old art form that uses many types of natural materials to produce customized designs that reflect the needs and cultural background of the artist.

All About the Basket-Weaving Process

Baskets are woven by twining horizontal fibers, called weavers, around vertical supports, known as spokes. Typically, baskets have a flat base, which is often shaped like a circle, oval, or square. Then, the spokes are curved upward to weave the sides of the basket. Once the basket is complete, the rim of the basket may be finished using lashing. A wonderful gift, baskets may have handles or woven covers.

• The Basics of Traditional Basket-Weaving: Read a guide to the traditional approach, tools, and techniques of basket-weaving.

Basket-Weaving Glossary

Base

The layer at a basket's underside

• Weaving With a Wooden Base: This tutorial describes how to weave and secure a base for a utensil basket that's reinforced with wood.

Basket Hairs

The thin extensions on the rough side of a fiber

• Guide to Weaving a Handled Basket: This design guides readers on how to make a gathering basket and details how to find basket hairs on stakes.

Cutting and Tucking

Trimming stakes and spokes inside a weave and folding ones on the outside of the weave to complete the basket

• Constructing a Vase-Shaped Wedding Basket: This instructional guide details how to weave a simple basket in the shape of a vase and uses a cutting technique to form an even layer of spokes at the top of the basket.

Lashing

Fiber used for securing and supporting the rim

• Lashing a Splint Basket Rim: Watch this video on the proper way to start and stop when lashing the rim of a split basket.

Packing

Compressing rows of weavers to strengthen the base and sides of a basket

• How to Weave Baskets With Tightly Packed Sides: This is a guide to building baskets in survival situations, in which packing is used to ensure that the sides of a basket are sturdy.

Ribs

In a ribbed basket, fibers that define the shape of the basket and provide structural support

• Ribbed Baskets: Weaving Upside Down: Learn how to select rib sizes and add ribs when constructing ribbed baskets.

Rim

A cover for the rim row typically constructed out of a pair of reeds

• Basket-Weaving Terms and Techniques: Explained here are useful tools and important techniques of basket-weaving, including how to wrap and lash a rim.

Rim Filler

A material placed within the rim to cover the rim row

• Weaving a Square Napkin Basket: Provided here are instructions for weaving a harvest napkin square basket that uses seagrass as a rim filler.

Rim Row

The final woven row at the top of a basket

• Basket Construction Tips: Follow this advice from experienced basket-weavers to make your project easier.

Shaping

A technique for making a square or extended bottom edge to a basket using weavers

• Weaving and Shaping a Round Cat-Head Basket: In this instructional tutorial, learn how to weave a round cat-head basket and discover the importance of carefully shaping the side of the basket.

Splicing

A seamless joining of the ends of two fibers to extend a weaver

• How to Splice a Weaver: Here is an instructional video on how to splice weavers and hide joined ends.

Spokes

The fibers of a round or oval basket that bend vertically from the base to shape the sides of the basket and provide structural support

• How to Make a Japanese Spoke Basket: In the Japanese technique, spokes are folded to double the number of vertical supports.

Stakes

The fibers of a square or rectangular basket that provide structural support and bend vertically from the base to shape the sides of the basket

• Stake and Strand Basketry: In stake basketry, the sides of a basket are woven using vertical stakes for support and shape.

Twining

A twisted pair of round reeds used as a weaver

• Twining a Round Base: Twining can be used to weave the base of a basket with round reeds and spokes.

Upsetting the Basket

Bending spokes or stakes from a base to create the sides of a basket

• Basket-Making Basics: Learn the background, techniques, and terminology of basket-weaving on this page.

Weavers

The horizontal fibers that fill the base and sides of a basket

• Using Weavers in Rattan Baskets: A pair of weavers are used to construct the base of a rattan basket in this how-to guide.

Basket-Weaving Resources

• Black Ash Basket-Weaving: Read an introduction to weaving baskets using wood from black ash trees.
• Shaker Basket Styles: Learn about the design and construction of baskets woven in the Shaker tradition.
• Preparing Basswood for Weaving: Harvest basswood by peeling, retting, and rinsing fibers from logs.
• Weaving Methods of the Coast Salish Native Americans: Coast Salish weavers used textiles, cattail leaves, and cedar roots to make baskets and mats.
• Native American Basket-Weaving: Weave Native American-style baskets using traditional materials.
• Weaving With Natural Materials: Experiment with weaving baskets using vines and other raw materials gathered from your backyard.
• Contemporary Basket Artists You Need to Know: See the art and sculptures of contemporary basket-weaving artists who are redefining the craft.
• How to Prep and Weave a Basket: Follow the detailed steps provided here to weave a cottage carrier basket.
• Using Plants for Basket-Weaving: When carefully harvested and prepared, plants provide natural and study fibers for basket-weaving projects.
• Tools Used in Willow Basket-Weaving: Here are a variety of important tools used in willow basket-weaving, including an awl and a picking knife.
• How to Weave a Simple Basket: Learn the essential steps of weaving a basket using this simple pattern.
• Five Best Basket-Weaving Materials: Use these five materials in your basket-weaving projects for an even weave that produces a sturdy basket.