Any basket makers among us?

[me&thegals]

I'm on a serious basket making kick since it's too cold outside to be gardening Just wondering if anybody else likes this aspect of self suffiency--making your own baskets for storage, garden gathering, gifts. I love mine for holding garbage, laundry, books and magazines, kitchen utensils and many other things.

I buy my supplies, but I have started buying used belts to use for basket purse straps and would like to figure out a way to use leather belts for bike basket attachments.

I'd love any other ideas for useful baskets and/or ways to reuse old items for new baskets!

 

[freemotion]

Ooo, I would love to make baskets, especially out of "wild" materials. Can they be made out of found plant materials, like cattails or grasses or something? What do you use?

 

[Zenbirder]

I have made all my own baskets for years, it is a wonderful feeling to me to use my baskets. The most used is the egg basket. Unfortunately it is wearing out! It will also be too small for next year, so making a new one is on my list. My garden basket also needs to be remade, the big handle was made with a joined reed by the reed factory, and it split on me a couple of weeks ago. This was a very used basket as it has a big flat pine board base and tight weaving so things didn't fall through. It would hold 20 lbs of vegetables!

I would also like to use more native materials. I have done pine needle baskets, my Mom makes beautiful elaborate ones. These are great for gifts, but not really very practical for use in chores as they are small.

I like the idea of leather straps from discarded purses or belts!

 

[MorelCabin]

Now that is a craft I would love to learn! I want to use gathered materials from the woods around here...One day... Please post some pics...I am very intrigued by the pine needle baskets...please psot pics!!! LOL!

 

[Beekissed]

Ditto! I would love to learn basket weaving, as I find the ones sold in the stores to be flimsy and not meant for anything but decorative use. I like the Longaberger's but they are far too expensive! People would drop over in shock if I were to use one to gather eggs or veggies! I don't own one, anyway, so its a moot point.

There is a fellow who comes to one of our nature centers each year and gives a class in it, so I am going to enroll....this will be my first "me" project ever! Next will be the water painting classes I've wanted for so long.

Me&, can you show several pics of your different baskets and the materials used?

 

[freemotion]

I like the idea of leather straps from discarded purses or belts!

Just a thought from a leather-worker: most of the leather from belts and purses, unless very high end, is junk....leather McNuggets....and often cardboard, too.

You might find some better stuff at a tack auction or large farm or tack repair shop that might have broken reins, worn english stirrup leathers (they tend to wear in one spot, lots of great leather left), etc. Find a friendly person and offer to trade, that will keep 'em on the lookout in the trash. English tack, especially, starts with better leather, especially stirrup leathers. Just scrub 'em up with some Murphy's or castile soap and apply a little pure Neatsfoot oil or other conditioner.

 

[FarmerChick]

don't have a clue how to do any basket weaving but would like to learn. I think the reed grasses are interesting baskets and we have that bamboo/reed stuff here like crazy in the woods.

 

[me&thegals]

Me&, can you show several pics of your different baskets and the materials used?

I hope to get a new computer any week now. Then I will have the ability to post pix! I would love to

 

[me&thegals]

I like the idea of leather straps from discarded purses or belts!

Just a thought from a leather-worker: most of the leather from belts and purses, unless very high end, is junk....leather McNuggets....and often cardboard, too.

You might find some better stuff at a tack auction or large farm or tack repair shop that might have broken reins, worn english stirrup leathers (they tend to wear in one spot, lots of great leather left), etc. Find a friendly person and offer to trade, that will keep 'em on the lookout in the trash. English tack, especially, starts with better leather, especially stirrup leathers. Just scrub 'em up with some Murphy's or castile soap and apply a little pure Neatsfoot oil or other conditioner.

Thanks for the great tip!

 

[me&thegals]

I only use boughten reed from a wholesaler. I really love the idea of gathering my own materials, but my favorite baskets are flat reed and I'm not sure how to reasonable create that myself. I have seen (as mentioned above) beautiful pine baskets, which are basically sewn, and others made from grapevines and willow branches. For now, though, I would like to learn how to make handles and bases, especially as handles and solid bases are the most expensive parts of a basket. I've worked a bit with dying reed, but again only with storebought dye. I did use beets once, but it was amazingly a very weak dye. I also make black walnut dye for a mildly brown color addition.

That's great to find another basket maker out there and so much interest! They're so satisfying to make since a person can make a large, very usable basket in a short period of time. Even with following patterns, there are so many variations that can be made that the possibilities become endless.