How to weave baskets from willow

Prepare the material for weaving. Willow harvesting can be done year round, but the best vine in the spring before flowering. At this time the branches are flexible and pliable, easy to remove the bark. Also very good stuff grows in August, this time at willows grow long and straight shoots.

The best rods for weaving are annual shoots, with a diameter of 10-12 mm. willow Branches cut off with a sharp knife. Immediately remove them from the bark. Then cleaned the bars will survive 5-7 days in the air to dry.

If do you take the material in the fall, or the branches are dry before you are going to remove the bark, the twigs should be soaked for several days and then steamed in hot water. After that willow branches put in cold water and peel off the bark.

You can weave solid rods or of the so-called tapes, that is, the branches of a willow tree, split into strips. This can be done easy with a sharp knife or a special device — kalencom. The thickness of the ribbons depends on the product and how you intend to use it. For small baskets designed for storage of miscellaneous items suitable tape with a thickness of 2-3 mm, and products for picking berries, fruits, mushrooms or storage need to weave from strips with a thickness of 5-7 mm, or from whole bars.

To weave a basket, take the 8 rods. 4 make cuts in the middle, fold them together and insert into the split 4 rod. Thus, you will cross the basics.

Take 2 thinner rod and begin to braid the d-pad eight, that is, one rod from top to basis, the second from the bottom. Make 2-3 rows.

All the bars of the basis spread. You have 16 rays. Add another branch to the number of rays was based on the odd. Keep doing the bottom, criss-crossing each beam, two rods eight. When I see the bottom of the required diameter, 16-rods and bases add another one (the 17th is not necessary), pin them to the bottom. Total should have 33 rod.

Pick the template will be to weave. This can be a common pan or bucket. Put it on the bottom and fold the branches up the basics. Collect them over a template in a bundle and tie.

Then stand need to braid a double or triple rope (eight) same as a woven bottom. The bars try to keep as close as possible to each other. Customize them to each other with a special device — with a mallet. It should be quite massive and at the same time narrow to freely fit between the uprights. If the branch ends, substitute the following, and the ends hide inside.

After duplicate to the necessary inclination of the walls of the basket, remove the template and fill Board products. To do this, stand behind 2 subsequent and slip it between the bars of the wall of the basket. Then do the same with all the other posts. The extra protruding tips of the vines are cut with a knife.

Attach the basket handle. Take the rod, sharpen it on both sides. Insert it into the side of the basket. Now take a bundle of thin rods and insert them near the base for the handle. Obviate rod bases of a bundle of willow branches, trying to lay as flat as possible. Doplatit to end of handle and tie a knot in it. Excess parts of the rods cut away with wire cutters or a knife.