Whether you need a container for your next romantic picnic or want to practice weaving, make a cedar bark basket. Northwest Coast Indians made cedar bark baskets for thousands of years. Cedar bark is durable and pliable. It can be interwoven to construct the basket bottom and walls. Cedar baskets are a natural and Earth-friendly alternative to plastic baskets. Making cedar baskets is an activity the whole family can enjoy.
Things You'll Need
1-gallon bucket
Six 36-by-1-inch cedar reeds
12 16-by-1-inch cedar reeds
Ruler
Cedar twine roll
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Utility knife
Instructions
1 Pour warm water into a 1-gallon bucket. Soak six 36-by-1-inch cedar reeds and 12 16-by-1-inch cedar reeds in bucket for 10 minutes. The water makes the reeds pliable without breaking them.
2 Place six 16-by-1-inch reeds horizontally. Position the reeds parallel to each other. Space the reeds 1 inch apart using a ruler.
3 Weave a 16-by-1-inch reed vertically through the horizontal reads. Weave the vertical reed over and under the six horizontal reeds. Position this vertical reed toward the center of the horizontal reeds. There will be reeds sticking out at the top and bottom. Continue until you weave a total of six vertical reeds. Push the woven horizontal and vertical reeds together to make a square shape in the middle. Position it so excess reeds of equal length extend on all four sides of the square shape. The excess reeds will be used to make the walls of the basket.
4 Weave cedar twine around the edges of the square shape in the center. Weave the twine over and under the reeds. Make two layers of twine around the square shape. The two layers of twine make the base of the basket walls. Cut the ends of the twine using scissors. Tie the ends of the twine together.
5 Bend the ends of the reeds upwards to form walls at the base. Weave a 36-by-1-inch reed horizontally between the reeds that make the four walls, positioning it at the bottom of the walls abutting the base. Glue the ends of the 36-by-1-inch reed together using a hot glue gun. Let the hot glue dry for 20 seconds.
6 Weave the second 36-by-1-inch reed horizontally between the reeds that make the four walls. Position the second reed above the first reed. Alternate the starting points of the reeds. Glue the ends of the second 36-by-1-inch reed together using a hot glue gun. Let the hot glue dry for 20 seconds. Repeat until all six 36-by-1-inch reeds are woven.
7 Cut the excess cedar reeds using a utility knife. Glue the cut ends of the vertical reeds to the top horizontal layer using a hot glue gun.
Tips & Warnings
* Warm the hot glue gun for 3 minutes before use.
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