Wicker baskets are produced by weaving organic reed, grass, cane, or roots. You can use wicker baskets for storing, carrying, or even displaying items. Keep in mind that these baskets can be small or large, and they have open tops or lids, handles, and you can hand them on a wall, sit on the ground, or a table.
The good news is that wicker baskets come in countless sizes, shapes, and types and can be produced from a wide range of materials. Traditional wicker baskets are usually handcrafted. This page discusses how wicker baskets are made.
Materials
There are various types of natural raw materials required to make wicker baskets. These include bamboo, grass, reeds, willow, and many more. Some manufacturers also use concentrated cloth dyes to make wicker baskets while others prefer using vegetable oils to reproduce and imitate the coloration of historic baskets.
Some wicker baskets have designs that need to have a solid bottom and handles, so wood can be used. When choosing the ideal material for a wicker basket, the crucial aspect is perhaps the flexibility of the fibers. If the material used is too brittle, it means that it may not flex enough to weave through small spaces and into tight coils. But it’s worth noting that stiffer fibers are sometimes used to create a frame for the wicker basket.
That said, the basic wicker weaving process involves weaving strands of fiber under and over each other to make a round shape. There is a simple coil basket that begins as a thick piece of fiber. This can be shaped into a coil while a flexible fiber is crafted around it.
No doubt, the art of weaving wicker baskets is hard to master. They can start with a series of stakes that are also called spokes. These spokes come out of the bottom of the wicker basket and act as the supporting frame. Also, there are a series of strands that are woven under and over these spokes to make the sides of the wicker basket.
Do you know where to buy your wicker basket materials? You can buy your materials in craft physical stores or online, such as from Thread Collective Australia.
Design
Every wicker basket shows some characters that are mainly determined by the type of fiber used to produce them. Therefore, the design of a wicker basket can depend on the available fibers. In other words, to produce a specific design for a wicker basket, you need to find or purchase particular fibers. These fibers can be flexible, flat, or round.
Round rods can be used around stiff rods while flat strips are usually woven around stiff rods. Flat straps can be woven around stiff rods or woven together. There are also crushed stems or grasses that are wrapped together to create a coil. This coil is then stitched to itself to create the wicker basket sides. From the onset, the designer needs to determine the type of fibers to use and plans the basket weaving process accordingly.
Designs are usually based on photos of historic wicker basket types, existing baskets, specific use or purpose for the basket, or even a shape and size needed for practical use. Another aspect of the basket design is the coloration or pattern that can work depending on the shape of the wicker basket.
Tips And Tricks
Check the following tips and tricks when creating wicker baskets:
Know The Terms
First of all, it’s important to know the basic terms in creating wicker baskets, such as weaver and spoke. Weavers refer to basket strands (made of any preferred material) that weave via the spokes, which are lighter, more flexible, and thinner than spokes for easy weaving in and out. On the other hand, spokes refer to the strands standing upright and forming the side supports of the wicker basket, which are stiffer than the weavers.
Know The Techniques
The most common technique in creating baskets is under-and-over-weaving. Double weaving, on the other hand, has the same form as under-and-over-weaving with two weavers used at once, effective in weaving on large surfaces. Likewise, double weaving is suitable in weaving baskets with the same or contrasting colors of basket patterns or bands.
Pairing can be used with an even or odd number of spokes, in which two weavers start behind two succeeding spokes, crossing between them. In this way, the under weaver turns out to be the upper weaver every time.
Baskets can be perfect storage for all sorts of items and even as displays and giveaways. So, it makes sense to learn how to create one. You can now create a wicker basket at home during your free time.
