Square Autumn Basket

By: Nancy Jacobs of www.basketmasterweavings.blogspot.com

Baskets make both beautiful and useful gifts. They can be designed for any season or room in the house. A hand woven basket is meaningful and when cared for properly will last a lifetime. To weave your own basket is easier than you might think. This beautiful autumn basket can be completed in just an evening. With just the change of the ribbon you can weave this basket for any of the upcoming holidays.

See the Basket Weaving Glossary for help with this project.

Autumn Basket

Weaving Level: Beginner

Basket measures approximately 5 ½ x 5 ½ x 3” high

Materials:

5/8” flat reed
3/8” flat reed
1/4” flat reed
3/8” flat/oval reed
11/64” flat/oval reed
#3 round reed
Seagrass
Decorative ribbon
Embellishment

Instructions:

Cut 10 stakes 17” long from 5/8” flat reed.
Weave a 5 ¼” square base with stakes. Do a basic over/under weave. Center everything up on the base.
Twine a keeper row around base with #3 round reed.
Upset the sides.
Weave rows 1, 2, and 3 with 3/8” flat reed. (all weaving on this basket is basic over/under weaving).
Weave row 4 with 5/8” flat reed.
Weave rows 5 and 6 with 3/8” flat reed.
Weave row 7 with ¼” flat reed.
Cut all the outside stakes. Tuck in all the inside stakes.
Using 3/8” flat/oval reed as a rim, place reed inside and outside the basket, lining up the bottom of the 3/8” flat/oval reed with the bottom of the top 1/4” flat row of weaving. Sandwich seagrass between the rims.
Lash rims in place using 11/64” flat/oval reed.
If you wish to stain your basket, do it now.
Remove row #4 of 5/8” flat reed. Remove it by cutting it out.
Weave in decorative ribbon into row 4.
Make a bow and glue embellishment to center of bow.

If you need further assistance, Nancy has basket weaving video tutorials at www.basketmasterweavings.blogspot.com that will take you step by step through the basket weaving process.