Reed Baskets

I've been thinking Baskets!.
Yesterday we were playing at the park and I saw cattail reeds and leaves.
Perfect. It's late enough in the season that trimming a few leaves won't harm them.


This first one I did by myself, as I had no idea what I was doing (was making it up as I went along), or if I would be successful.

I only used reed leaves, a bit of soft vine, and just a little hot glue.

I cut some reeds about the same length... if you have a jar or container that you want to wrap your basket around, then figure the circumference of that. Leave your leaves a few inches longer than what you'll need.


The weaving part is fun, and easier than I thought it would be. After the first two weaves, it stays together well.


When I thought I had a large enough piece, I hot-glued a stiff (and thick) leaf to the edge to keep it from unravelling, then I cut off the excess.
I did that for both ends (the ones that go around the jar).

Then I tied twine through both ends, in three different places to hold the ends together.
For the bottom I wove the ends as best I could, and hot-glued them together, then put my jar in my vase and mashed it against the cement to flatten the bottom so i could sit it evenly, and it would be stable.


For the top, I bent and then wove the ends back through, some toward the inside, and the other ends toward the outside, depending on if they were underneath or over.

There. 'Tis done.

Pretty.

Later that day Maddie helped me make a square basket, we wove the bottom of the basket first,

then bent up the sides, and wove new leaves through those.
I glued one from time to time to hold the work in place.

The excess on the top was bent over and tucked back into the weave.

Simple!

Linking with Friday's Nature Table on May 20, 2011.