how to weave a pine needle basket
How to Weave a Pine Needle Basket
Pine needle baskets can be pretty useful, did you know they can be made at home too? So if you love craft and creativity, a pine needle basket can be a good project to start with. A simple technique on how to weave the basket is explained below. Take a look.
- Take the bunch of needles and tie the ends of the pine needles with the loose end of the string. Leave about a quarter inch of space in the end and then start tying the thread.
- Coil the bundle of pine needles with the string to a length of an inch. Now carefully bend this wrapped portion of the needles into a 'U' like shape. Next, wrap or bind the complete section of the created 'U' shape.
- Start coiling the bunch of pine needles around this shape, while you do this, stitch through the bunch of needles, from the center of the coil and around the bunch again.
- Once you finish the first round, coil the second round. For this do not loop the center of the coil. Instead, the thread should go, around the bundle being coiled and added, and then from between and through the first round of coil that we made.
- While using a needle this should be easy. Continue stitching in this pattern, while you coil the pine needles. After the second round, the stitching will be: around the bundle being added and then from between and through the second round of coil we made.
- Make sure the stitches are spaced correctly and that you can see the bundle of pine needles between stitches on each round. You will have to add pine needles as you continue coiling around the base.
- It is simple, when you are nearing the end of one bundle, add few needles slowly with every stitch. Push the new needles in the old bunch at the end and continue stitching firmly. After each stitch add more needles to create a bunch.
- Wrap the point of intersection where you add the new needles in the bundle, so that they are secured. Keep the coils flat as possible and, make sure the stitches are not too close or too far.
- Stop once you get the desired base for the basket. We will have to build the sides. To begin the sides and end the base, add the edge of the new bunch, to the ends of the last coil of the base. Now start sewing from the top of the last round of the coil made. Place the bunch of pine needles on its top and begin sewing, in the same pattern that you followed for the base.
- Continue coiling on the top, once you are close to the desired height, start reducing the number of needles in the coil. With every stitch, reduce the amount of needles you add. So you will have a thinning coil that finishes the basket.
- To seal the last stitch, sew 3-4 times on the end and then insert the needle through the sides of the basket, right to the base or until mid length of the basket. Create a small knot and seal the thread. Cut off any excess thread left.