Willow Craft: 10 Simple Projects: Volume 2 (Weaving & Basketry Series)

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With your sharp knife make a slit in 3 of the branches, directly in the center. Make sure it is just long enough to slide the remaining 3 branches in. Step 2: Making the Slath When the base reaches about 4″ (10 cm) in diameter, it is time to encourage it to form a cup/bowl shape. Be sure to trim all excess ends as you weave. That way you won’t end up with a hedgehog of a basket.

Bend the branches any which way you want. Just be sure to keep it natural and without glue, metal ties or plastic twine. When you are satisfied with the size of the door, continue weaving in the same direction with one branch at a time. Now, that the base of your bird basket looks like a multi-legged spider, it is time to add 3 more branches, spaced evenly, to the mix. The ability to weave your own baskets is one of the many self-reliant skills that you shouldn’t be missing out on.

Did you know that people have been weaving baskets for more than 10,000 years? There is even evidence of baskets in the Egyptian pyramids. We’ve decided to go more artistic with this hanging pod and use the full length of the branches to form a loop.

It has its downfalls, however, compared to those willow branches that are grown specifically for basket weaving. Common willow doesn’t bend quite as easily, giving it a tendency to break if forced too much. Again, the weaving of baskets, and bird feeders, is nothing new. Yet, our skills and comprehension of weaving grow over time and as we emulate the work of others. The hardest part about basket weaving is the necessity to think about harvesting more than enough willow twigs well before the time comes for you to sit down and weave with them. Take it one step at a time. First, you need to soak your branches. Soaking Willow Branches for Basket WeavingBut again, I always encourage you to work with what you have. You never know what you can do if you never give it a try. The general rule of thumb for soaking branches says to submerge the branches one day for every foot of length. Grab 6 pieces of branches, all similarly large in girth, and cut them to 11″ (28 cm) in length. These will form the base of the hanging basket. Once your willow is thoroughly soaked, it is time for weaving your bird basket. When weaving a basket, don’t reinvent the wheel. Wherever hunter-gatherers traveled, they could make baskets anew from local materials that they found along the way. Not just willow, but brambles, vines, hazel, straw, bark, rushes and roots.