Bast weaving has been known since very ancient times, even when our ancestors made bast shoes. Over time, people began to weave containers and household items of various kinds and purposes (boxes, baskets, cradles, etc.). Now basket weaving allows you to create unique and unusual decorative elements, and household items simply diversified their arsenal and style.
Christmas wreath
Necessary materials:
- vine (you can use any grape plant, both wild and cultivated), you will need about 10 vine sticks, 0.5 cm in diameter and about 2 meters in length (the number of vine sticks depends on the desired thickness of the future wreath);
- glue gun;
- natural materials for decor (cones, Christmas tree branches, acorns, berries);
- decorative materials (burlap, balls, bows, beads, money, boxes).
Weaving is best done from freshly cut vines. If the vine is dry, you can moisten it and it will regain the necessary moisture and elasticity.
The order of weaving a Christmas wreath:
We take one stick of grapevine and turn it into a ring, as shown in the picture.
With the second stick, you need to braid around the previously obtained ring.
At the beginning and at the end of the action, the edges of the working vine must be fixed between the rods of the first row of weaving.
In the process of weaving, the vine tends to break; in this case, at the point of breaking, you need to cut off the twig, and fill the end between the previously woven rows.
For the accuracy of the finished product, you need to ensure that all the rods in the weaving process lie in the same direction.
The finished ring from the vine can be left without decor, as a talisman, or you can decorate it.
Using a glue gun, you need to glue all the previously prepared decor elements to the vine ring.
You can fill the wreath with twigs and cones using your own imagination.
You can add various kinds of bows and even artificial snow to the wreath.
Weaving a decorative braid
This example will follow the contour of a plywood board with rounded corners.
Necessary materials:
- plywood board with rounded corners;
- nail;
- hammer;
- pencil;
- drill and drill, depending on the thickness of the rods of the vine;
- wire cutters or secateurs;
- vine.
First you need to take a plywood board and on the sides you need to mark with a pencil the future holes for inserting the rods of the vine, about 3 centimeters should be left between the marks.
Use a nail and hammer to make small indentations on the marks. With a drill, drill holes about 2 centimeters.
The rods are best used wet, as they are more flexible, so insert the rods into the holes as needed during the weaving process.
Insert rods about 30 centimeters long into the holes.
Weaving a braid must begin from left to right from the place where three paired holes are drilled one after the other. From three places we will have four rods of the vine.
For convenience, we will call these structures of rods “strands”.
Take a separate stick and bend the middle strand through it, using the tips from the picture.
Take the first strand of rods and wind it behind the third, over the second.
We bend the third strand over the first strand wound behind it
We take the second strand of four rods and wind it up behind a strand of two rods over the third strand, which still consists of four.
We bend a pair of strands of rods.
We attach four rods from the first to the already bent pair strand. We have formed six rods in one plane. Further, the upper waves of the braid will consist of four rods, and the lower waves of six.
Start the third strand of four rods behind the next paired strand.
Bend a pair of strands of rods.
Attach four rods from the second strand to the already bent pair strand.
In the fourth strand, we have already formed six rods. We take only four of them and start the next pair of strands for four rods.
We bend a pair of rods by attaching four rods to it. So a wave of six rods is formed.
Repeat the step in which you need to take four rods out of six.
Continue weaving in a circle until the end and the beginning of weaving converge.
Take four of the six rods in the top wave and wind them behind the first strand.
The last time you need to start the next four rods out of six, for the strand from which the weaving of the pigtail began (the strand, which was first bent through an auxiliary stick).
Weave the lower wave with the rods that are left and add four rods in order to each woven section, two more. And cut off the two unused rods at the end of the entire weaving.
Also, at the end, you need to cut off all the protruding rods only carefully so as not to spoil the leading ones.
basket weaving
For weaving, you will need a willow vine, however, not all vines are equally good for this business, some types may break when working with it. To check if the vine is suitable for the job, bend it 90 degrees, if it does not break, then it will do. The vine must be dried before you start working with it.
However, before the process, the dry vine needs to be moistened to make it easier to work with. The duration of the soaking of the vine depends on its length, the longer the vine, the longer it needs to be soaked.
In addition to the vine itself, you will need:
- scissors;
- secateurs;
- long nail or sharp stick.
The initial stage is the creation of a base for the basket. Make eight sections from a fairly thick vine. For a basket of this size, as in the master class, lengths of about 30 centimeters are enough.
Take four pieces and in the center of each of them make a cut about 5 centimeters long.
Insert the uncut pieces into the cut ones in the middle to form a cross.
Now examine the lengths of the rods and select the thinnest of them, as well as the longest. Of these, it is best to start weaving. Take two pieces and insert the thin ends into the cuts, as shown in the picture.
To start making the basket, we will use the "Twist" weave. It's actually quite a simple technique, but it might not work for you the first time if you've never tried it before. It consists in the following: you need to hold two twigs, and then twist them one above the other so that they change places. Each twist is always done in the same direction. To better understand the technique, look at the pictures.
Wrap four pieces each time, make two rows. This will help secure the base of the basket. Try to pull the twigs as tight as possible and place them as close to each other as possible.
After you finish two rows using the same twisting technique, you need to wrap each piece with rods separately.
Separate the segments from each other by tilting them. Make the distance between the segments as uniform as possible. After you complete this row, your twigs should be distributed like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Make a few more rows.
Soon your weaving sections will become too short, and you will need to lengthen them in order to continue working. It is best not to add two vines at the same time, as this can make the weave weak. See the picture for how to do this.
The end of the new segment must be inserted between the last two rows, and then bent. After that, cut off the old vine and continue to weave the basket. When adding new twigs, connect the thick end to the thick one, and the thin end to the thin end.
Once you've made the base for the basket, insert another vine in addition to the 16 you have in the base (simply sharpen the end of the vine and insert it into the last two rows). You will have to apply some effort, if necessary, you can expand the distance between the braided rows so that the segment is easier to insert.
Cut off those twigs with which you wove earlier, and continue to weave with only one inserted (above the twig, under the twig, and so on). You can add new twigs by simply tying the new one to the old one. Continue weaving until the base reaches the diameter you need. In this case, the base is 20 centimeters.
Now take sections of the vine of medium thickness. You need to create the sides of the basket. Sharpen the thick end of each of them. Insert these segments next to each of the "knitting needles". Cut off the ends of the old knitting needles at warp level.
One of the new twigs, bend it to the left under the two adjacent ones, and then bend it up, as shown in the picture. Repeat in the same way with the rest of the twigs. After that, take all the twigs in a bundle and tie.
Now insert three twigs to the left of the three twigs at the base of the sides. Take the leftmost one, bend it to the right behind the two adjacent ones and in front of the third, then turning it outward. Continue in the same way and make two rows, then untie the twigs.
Count the number of twigs, take the same amount. Insert a twig to the right of each knitting needle at the base, tilting it to the left and winding it behind the adjacent knitting needle and in front of the third, and then bring the twig out again.
When you insert the required amount, you can start weaving. Weave until the segments are short.
It remains to make a bezel. To create it, take one of the twigs and bend it to the right.
Get it behind two adjacent twigs, in front of the third and fourth, then behind the fifth and bring it out.
Repeat in the same way with each of the twigs. At the end, cut off the excess length of the segments.
First you will need to prepare the rods. To weave a basket, we need rods 2-10 mm thick of different lengths. The cost can be calculated as follows:
1. For weaving the bottom - about 30-50 rods, with a thickness of butt(the cut point is the thick end of the rod) 2-4 mm, 8 sticks with a diameter of 4-6 mm.
2. For risers (racks) - 16 main, 16 additional (for bending), spare 5-10, total 42 rods, with a butt diameter of 4-6 mm.
3. For the side part - the number depends on the number of layered weaves. In this model, there are 5 layered weaves, which means that 16 (the number of risers) must be multiplied by 5, we get 80 rods, the thickness is 4-6 mm in the butt.
4. For weaving ropes - 3 ropes of 6 rods (with replacement) -18 rods, 10 rods in reserve, total 28 rods, with a butt thickness of 4-6 mm.
5. For weaving handles - 1 thick rod with a diameter of 8-10 mm in the butt. For braiding, you need 8-10 rods, with a butt diameter of 5-6 mm, a supply of 5 rods.
TOTAL: approximately 230 rods.
You can watch a video course on the preparation of rods on the page:
COLLECTION AND PREPARATION OF WILLOW
The main stages of weaving baskets
1. Weaving the bottom 4x4.
Do-it-yourself willow basket weaving technique
You can weave the bottom 3x3 (for a small basket, or increase the risers in the cross). Maybe 5x5. The more the number of main rods in the cross, the smaller the distance between the risers, which means that the layered weaving looks more dense, and the work is more aesthetic. On large bottoms 5x5 or 6x6 you can weave a large basket. You can watch a video on weaving bottoms on the pages:
WEAVING BOTTOM 3x3
WEAVING BOTTOM 4x4
WEAVING BOTTOM 5x5
2. Next, you need to prepare and insert the risers. For a 4x4 bottom you need 16 rods. Be sure to take a supply, because. the risers break during operation and need to be replaced. You can watch a video course on inserting risers into work on the page:
INSERT RISERS
3. After insertion, the risers must be fixed with ropes, and first in a plane, thereby securing the bottom, and then again at the bend. Sometimes I fix the bottom with 1 rope in 3 rods 2 through 1, and the place of the bend with 2 ropes in 3 rods 2 through 1. You can watch the video course of weaving the rope on the page:
LAYERED WEAVING IN 1 ROD
In this work, I braided layered weaving in 1 rod. In fact, you can braid in 2 and 3 rods, one or 2-3 colors. Colors that can be obtained by conventional water treatment (weld rods): white, light orange and brown. Options for working with different colors of rods and different types of layered weaving:
5. After the side part is ready, we fix it with a rope in three rods 1 through 2, the rope on the front side will be under the bend, so I braid this particular rope. You can watch a video course for weaving such a rope on the page:
ROPE IN 3 RODS 1x2
6. We finish the work by weaving the bend. Again, there are options. In this model, I braided the "false braid" bend, you can use different versions of braids or simple bends. You can watch video courses for weaving bends on the pages:
BENDING SIMPLE
BEND "FALSE SPIDER"
6. The final stage of working with the basket is weaving the handle. You can watch the video course of weaving handles on the page:
WEAVING HANDLE
7. After finishing work, you need to cut off all the remnants of the rods and clean the basket with a brush. This is done to give the surface of the basket a natural sheen. Decorative baskets can be treated with wood varnish. But I love natural shine, so I do not resort to varnish coatings.
How our baskets are created
Wicker baskets are a product applicable in various areas of our life. They can serve as an ideal gift wrapping, flower arrangement framing, as well as a useful household item. Baskets woven from natural materials are very beautiful, so they are often used as decorative elements of interiors. For whatever purposes, wicker baskets are used, they are steadily popular with buyers.
Basket factory.
Factory for the production of baskets in bulk sells its products.
Master class on crafts from the vine
We have large production areas where baskets are created literally from scratch. The first stage of manufacturing is obtaining the material, that is, growing the vine. For the manufacture of baskets, willow vine is used - quite soft and easy to weave, but at the same time very durable. The vine is grown in separate areas owned by the factory.
Upon reaching the vine of the required size in length and diameter, it is cut and sent for processing. This process includes sanding, if necessary bleaching for certain models of baskets in white or painting with environmentally friendly paints.
Further, the vine, ready for weaving, is sent to the workshops for the production of baskets. It is here that our products are directly created - a variety of baskets for flowers, gifts and other purposes. We create wicker baskets of a wide variety of models, which are developed by our designers. These are deep baskets for gifts, and small baskets, models of different shapes, sizes and colors. Some models of baskets are made using a combination of vines - light and dark, thin and thick - to create an original weaving pattern and, in fact, the final result.
Finished products are packaged and sent for sale. Baskets are wholesaled from the factory, in any volumes required by the buyer.
Natural materials, high quality.
An important characteristic that all our wicker baskets have is environmental friendliness.
Willow vine is used as a material for creation. Willow vine shoots of various thicknesses allow you to create interesting design solutions for baskets of different models.
Modern technologies for processing vines and weaving baskets for gifts and other applications make it possible to create high quality products. Each basket is characterized by high reliability, strong construction, well-made handles that can hold any load placed in the basket. This makes our wicker baskets versatile, suitable for a variety of needs.
With large volumes of production, the factory maintains excellent product quality. At the same time, natural resources remain untouched due to
using their own willow plantations, designed specifically for creating baskets.
Baskets in bulk - a profitable investment
We offer you to buy baskets in bulk from the manufacturer. As noted above, these products are in steady demand: flower and gift baskets never go out of fashion, and interesting weaving options and basket functionality help housewives to equip their home life with their help. In this regard, the purchase of baskets in bulk is an excellent investment for:
Stores selling consumables such as flower baskets, etc.;
. flower shops;
. shops and boutiques of gifts and souvenirs;
. shops of economic and household specialization.
By purchasing baskets in bulk from the factory, you get a huge price advantage by getting these great products at a cost price.
Who needs wicker baskets? →
How to weave a basket
In the recent past, the ability to weave baskets taught in every family. They wove shoes, baskets, bodies for sledges, carts, individual pieces of furniture from wicker. But along with the old way of life, many types of applied art that were common at that time began to decline. Gradually, weaving from a vine almost disappeared from our life. And then it turned out that a basket for picking mushrooms and berries cannot be replaced by any bag or bucket. In a wicker basket, the contents are well ventilated, and potatoes, for example, are easily freed from sand - it spills out through the holes. Wicker boxes and baskets are convenient and practical.
Today, due to the interest in antiquity, as well as the increase in free time and the desire to do things “for home and family” with your own hands, weaving, like other types of applied art, is experiencing a rebirth.
With which basket to start learning to weave
Weaving training, in our opinion, should be started with a simple basket, a durable and beautiful design, which is called cat(photo above). Making these baskets is not difficult. They are distinguished by their capacity, strength, stability (which is especially important when picking berries, mushrooms, potatoes), and are easy to carry (on the arm bent at the elbow). A skillfully made cat looks beautiful, filled with the gifts of nature, fits well into the interior of a modern apartment, makes it more comfortable and homely. Onions, garlic, cranberries, potatoes, etc. are stored in baskets in the kitchen and pantries.
Amateur weaving does not require a special tool, a workshop. It is enough to have a knife, a piece of wire and pliers.
What are baskets made of?
Branches and rods are used as material for weaving baskets. First, blanks for rings are selected. These are branches or shoots of willow, buckthorn, bird cherry, oak forest, hazel, etc., without damage, knots and other flaws. One ring will serve as the handle of the basket, and the other will serve as the base. After examining the workpiece, it must be worked out on the knee, slightly bending and securing it with your hands. An unbound ring is a compressed spring, and if one of the ends pops out, it can hit hard.
If the workpiece bends well and does not form breaks, then a ring can be made from it. To do this, at a distance of 8-20 mm from the end of the branch (depending on the diameter of the thickened part), a smooth cut is made from the outside. The same is carried out at the thin end of the workpiece, but from the inside. This is necessary so that the thickness of the ring around the entire perimeter is approximately the same. After that, the ring blank is overlapped. First, the ends are tied with twine, and then, having made cutouts on both sides, they are carefully pulled together with wire.
Bending a small ring does not require much effort, but when working on the knee blanks for large baskets, significant efforts and safety nets will be required so that the blank does not crack or break. The skill is not developed immediately, and therefore, if you fail, you should not despair.
Having made the outer ring, proceed to the inner. Since it is braided, they do not make such high demands on its appearance as on a pen ring. Having made both rings, put them aside and proceed to the ribs.
Strong material for the ribs of the basket are living lower branches of 10-20-year-old Christmas trees. Having torn off such a branch from small twigs and needles, it is worked out on the knee, cut to the desired length and cleaned of bark. The same is done in the manufacture of ribs from other species of trees or shrubs. The length of the main ribs should be more than half of the inner ring, and the additional ones should be somewhat shorter. The rib should bend evenly along its entire length. To do this, its thick end is cut off, as are the blanks for the ring.
Basket weaving materials
Willow twigs, walnut shingles, wire, PVC pipes, etc. are the most common and easily accessible material for weaving baskets. Willow twigs are the most common and easily accessible. Many willows grow along rivers, in meadows and in low places. However, not all rods are suitable for weaving. Annual shoots 60-80 cm long are used, and the thickness is selected depending on the size of the basket. Rods harvested in spring and summer can be immediately put into action, and those cut off in winter are warmed up first.
The workpiece is cleaned of bark, knitted in bunches and folded in a ventilated barn or in the attic. In winter they are steamed. Such a rod bends well and is very convenient for work. With a lack of a rod, as well as for the ease of baskets, the shoots are split in half. Baskets for potatoes are usually woven from unpeeled twigs. Willow goes to rings, ribs, and thinner rods - to weaving.
Sometimes hazel is used to make baskets and boxes. For this, hazel sticks 1.5-2 m long are harvested at the age of 4-6 years. Their diameter at the butt should be from 15 to 30 mm, and the sticks themselves should be straight, without knots and damage. They cut off the hazel shoot with a knife or cut it down with a hatchet at the very base, so that the butt part does not get cracked.
Usually the material is prepared for several baskets at once. For beginners, we recommend cutting off a few extra blanks, since not every one will make a ring the first time or it will be possible to make shingles.
To make a small basket (for 3-4 liters of berries), 2 hazel blanks are used for rings and 4-5 for shingles and ribs. Hazel has no waste, since, having removed the shingles, the core is used for ribs. The shingle is obtained as follows. The hazel is first slightly bent at the knee along the entire length, and then an incision is made with a depth of 1-2 annual layers for ¼ of the length of the stick circumference. From the incision as a result of bending, the shingles peel off. The hazel is taken under the arm and the shingles are carefully peeled along the entire length. As the skill is acquired, this operation is performed more and more confidently. The main thing is to “feel the layer”. In the same way, shingles are torn off from the opposite side and from the sides.
Hazel shingles are removed completely from the entire workpiece. After peeling it with a knife, it is immediately used for weaving, since when it dries, it becomes brittle. Obtaining hazel shingles requires experience. Therefore, it is better to start weaving your first cat from willow twigs. In addition to willow and hazel shingles, the roots of pine, spruce and other trees are also used for weaving. Roots 0 to 10 mm are usually used. They are carefully removed from the ground and, without breaking off, they begin to lift them in one direction and then in the other direction. Thus, sometimes it is possible to obtain a root 3-4 m long. It is split in half; peeled and used for weaving. Weave from the roots quickly, the products are light and elegant.
Nowadays, wire is sometimes used for rings and ribs, and artificial materials of different profiles (round, oval, flat) and colors are used for weaving. These materials, unlike natural ones, are recommended to be used during the initial acquaintance with the design and weaving of baskets - for educational purposes. Such a cat is easy to unravel, and the material can be used repeatedly. Baskets woven using plastic materials look elegant, but they have significant disadvantage: it is much more pleasant to collect and take a handful of berries from a cat made of natural materials.
Four steps in basket weaving
- Cross stitching. We insert one ring at a right angle. Then we take the prepared rod (shingles, root) and, holding one end between the rings, we braid the cross, as shown in the photo. We tuck the end inward and tighten. We also braid the second cross.
- Next, insert the first three ribs on each side with sharp ends. We braid them first on one side, and then on the other. We check whether both halves of the cat are symmetrical. To do this, we tie the middle of the rib with a cord. If the contours of the future basket are successful, weaving continues. When the distance between the ribs increases, additional sections are inserted into the gaps between them.
- At the end of the weave, when all the ribs are inserted, it may turn out that the weaving comes to an end at the inner ring, and there is still a gap in the middle.
In this case, it is necessary to align the basket along the entire length by parallel weaving on each side. In this case, the ends of each twig (shingles or root) are laid under the rib and cut off.
- When weaving the last rows, threading the twig between the ribs resembles sewing with a needle: it is pulled with effort so that there is uniform density and symmetrical alternation. Finishing a woven product consists of removing burrs, cutting off the long ends of the rods, cleaning with a file or sandpaper.
Try to weave the simplest cat basket. This is not only useful, but also a very exciting activity.
If you are attracted by the original design and elegant appearance of wicker baskets, then you can safely purchase them for home use - you will not be disappointed.
Vine weaving
The advantages of wicker baskets, in addition to their external characteristics, are really many:
- Products are made from environmentally friendly natural material - willow vines
- Weave density allows you to adjust the level of breathability inside the product
- Willow rod gives products lightness, strength and durability
- Products of any complexity are made by craftsmen by hand.
- Wicker baskets are sold at low prices due to the availability of material
- Products can be painted and varnished to better match the interior
The purchase of wicker products makes you think about how to maintain their neat appearance for a long time and prevent damage. We will please you with the fact that another significant advantage of wicker products is their easy care.
As a rule, wicker containers for any purpose, whether vegetable storage boxes, bathroom sink baskets, outdoor furniture baskets or built-in cabinet baskets, do not require special external cleaning. Simply wipe them with a dry or damp lint-free cloth. Vegetable baskets and bread bins, of course, must be periodically emptied, shaking out the accumulated debris and crumbs, and the rest, depending on their current state. If you have used a basket to harvest fruit, berries or mushrooms and it gets dirty, just wash it with water or soapy water, rinse well and dry.
When stains appear on a wicker basket, dry cleaning and rinsing is no longer enough. You will have to dilute the detergent solution with salt and rub the contaminated areas with it with a sponge or soft brush. Then rinse the product with non-hot water and leave to dry away from heaters and direct sunlight.
Do not use abrasive detergents when cleaning wickerwork - this can damage the surface. The same applies to sand or soil particles that accumulate in the crevices of baskets if they are used for gardening. You must first carefully remove the sand and only then wipe the product. If scratches do appear, they will be especially noticeable on the surface of a large basket. To get rid of them, it is enough to lightly coat the damaged areas with polyurethane varnish.
To prolong the life of wicker products, try not to expose them to too dry air and high temperatures - this can cause cracks in willow baskets. But wicker products are resistant to moisture. This, of course, does not mean that baskets should be left out in the rain. It is best to store wicker baskets at normal temperature and humidity levels. Note that a slight deformation of the basket, like a dent, can be eliminated if this place is soaked with water to a flexible state and an attempt is made to restore the product to its previous shape.
By the way, if wicker baskets that have already been in use clearly lack their original gloss and color, it's time to get down to business and return them to their former appearance. There are several ways to remedy the situation. You can, for example, apply a thin layer of drying oil on the surface of wicker baskets that need restoration. Let the drying oil dry, and then cover with a layer of colorless varnish. You will immediately notice how your wickerwork has changed and “rejuvenated”. And in order to change the shade of the baskets, you should use wood stain. The surface of the product, lightly cleaned with fine sandpaper, must be covered with stain in several layers. For this, a not too hard medium-sized brush is suitable. When the stain is absorbed and dries, you can cover the surface with a transparent colorless varnish.
Did you know that willow wicker products change their color to darker over time? This is explained by the fact that the processes of pigmentation under the influence of tannins and dyes contained in willow branches continue in finished baskets woven from them. New products, especially from a rod subjected to "barking" - removal of the bark by artificial or natural means, usually have a white color. Over the years, the color of wicker baskets takes on shades depending on the variety of vines used: from golden and copper to chocolate.
Weaving from a vine requires careful preparation. The material used willow twigs, which are pre-treated. Proper preparation for weaving from a vine is a guarantee of obtaining high-quality and beautiful handicrafts. From this material, you can make different things, ranging from an ordinary basket to furniture.
Preparation of material for weaving from wicker
The vine is a natural material that does not break when bent and remains straight in its normal state. Due to these properties, it is suitable for weaving various products. What exactly are they weaved from? As a vine, it is customary to use a willow rod, completely covered with bark. It is considered to be the most flexible.
On a note! It takes approximately 200 rods per basket, given that many break.
It is advisable to look for material near the water. In such places, the rods are long and flexible. If you choose them without leaves, after cleaning they will be smooth. Before cutting the material, it is advisable to test it for flexibility. This is easy to do by winding the vine around your finger. The cut is carried out with one stroke of the knife. If leaves are present, they can be removed immediately at the place of collection. To do this, you need to run your fingers along the willow rods, starting from the thick end.
Preparing the vine for weaving
After collecting the branches, the willows are not yet ready for work. They need to be prepared. First they are dried, and then laid out in the sun in a thin layer. This ensures that the wood that is under the bark will leave its color unchanged. After drying, the material should be “revitalized” by lowering it with one end (thick) into the water. It should be at room temperature. Thanks to this, the movement of juice will resume, and the bark will be easily removed.
Soak the vine for about two weeks, periodically adding water as it decreases. If after this period the bark departs well, you can remove it. Otherwise, you will have to continue soaking. If the bark cannot be removed as a result, it is better not to try to do it, but to leave it. Such material is suitable for weaving a rough basket.
If the bark leaves, the peeled branches are dried and sent to storage under a canopy. Before starting work, the vine is again lowered into the water, only this time in its entirety.
Stages step by step: how to weave from willow twigs
On a note! For the 1st lesson, weaving a simple product is suitable. Do not immediately take, for example, for the manufacture of baskets. After gaining experience, you can proceed to more complex things, such as furniture.
How to create a decorative wreath with your own hands? For beginners, a master class is presented step by step:
Photo and video of the weaving process from the vine
You can watch the video below. The Kovalenko brothers teach chair weaving lessons.
Most often, all kinds of baskets are made from such material. They can be large, which are used to carry various vegetables, fruits and other products, or decorative.
If you have patience, the basket is woven quite simply. The following parts are created one by one:
- Wall frame.
- The walls themselves.
- Wall fixing.
- Fold.
- Pen.
Here are some diagrams as an example.
The easiest way is to weave a handle. When the main part of the product is ready, its implementation will seem like a trifle.
Handles should be made from the most flexible branches.
The principle is to wind the vine around a branch that is previously attached to the base.
It is desirable that the turns of the rods pass at approximately the same distance from each other.
On a note! There are several types of this craft, which differ in technology. For beginners, the simplest one is suitable, which uses one rod that wraps around the racks on each side in turn. There are also such methods: a rope in two or three rods, layered.
Video: bottom weaving lessons from Lilia Ulanova.
Photo of finished wickerwork from a vine
From willow it is possible to create almost anything. It can be a boat, furniture, sled or just decor items. Products look unusual and are valued for manual labor, attractive appearance.
Safety is of the utmost importance. Such things are made exclusively from natural material, without the use of synthetic substances.
Many people have a wicker basket or other useful things from a vine, but in most cases they are bought in a store ready-made. But if the products are made by hand, it is doubly pleasant. To master the technology, you can watch video tutorials. Weaving from a vine requires patience and perseverance, but the result is worth it.
Products woven from a wicker can serve their owners for many years, performing not only a practical, but also a decorative function. As an interior item, they are successfully used both in the village and in the metropolis.
Do-it-yourself willow is a science mastered by our ancestors several millennia BC. In historical documents from around the world there are references to various wicker boxes, fences, baskets and much more. The products that can be made by learning how to weave are beautiful and varied. Now weaving from willow is not connected with the everyday needs of a person, rather, it is a fashionable hobby and a way to bring beauty and style to the interior.
General information about weaving
Modern willow baskets are not only accessories for summer cottages, they are full-fledged inhabitants of apartments. They not only carry practical benefits, but are also a highlight, a kind of accent in the design of the apartment.
It is important to note that the collection of vines for weaving does not bring any harm to nature, but, on the contrary, rejuvenates the thickets.
Willow weaving is popular today both in rural areas and in large cities. Another advantage of such a hobby is that there is no need to purchase materials for work. You can easily prepare them yourself. Willow is a very common plant and grows in almost all regions of Russia. If you love walking in the fresh air, then going for willow vines will be a pleasant and interesting adventure for you. In some large cities, shops that provide goods for various hobbies are beginning to sell vines for weaving. There are not many such stores yet, but this is a great option for those who do not know where to find willow thickets in a large city.
Blank for weaving
Not only willow vine is suitable for weaving, but also walnut vine, other flexible species of shrubs and trees. It is better to choose thin long shoots. Take those twigs that do not branch.
For this type of hobby, both the unbarked vine and the peeled vine are suitable. Large items are woven from the unpeeled: fences, large baskets for fruits and vegetables. Vases, trays, linen boxes, bread bins and much more are made from the cleaned vine. An unpeeled vine is called unbarked, a peeled vine is called debarked.
Harvesting of materials for weaving is carried out in autumn or spring. In summer, willow shoots are very brittle due to active growth, and are not suitable for weaving.
The shoots harvested in the spring are cleaned from the bark immediately, without additional preparation. The shoots harvested in autumn are boiled before cleaning. Harvesting and preparing vines for weaving is a simple matter, but it takes time and effort.
But when willow weaving for beginners step by step will captivate and tighten you, and the finished wicker thing will become your pride, the time and effort spent will fully pay off with a charge of positive energy that you will receive.
Required Tools
What do we need in the process of work? Willow weaving for beginners, described step by step in the article, requires at least a good supply of patience. Making a basket from a vine is more difficult than weaving it from newspaper tubes. Natural material is less malleable and may break.
You need some tools to get the job done.
Prepare:
- Awl.
- Secateurs.
- Side cutters.
- A spray bottle filled with water to spray the vines.
Technology
Baskets are traditionally woven starting from the bottom. Then weave the walls, bend. The handles are last.
It is advisable to start from willow for beginners step by step with round-shaped product models. To make it, you will need to learn just a few tricks:
- Technology for the manufacture of a round bottom.
- Rope weaving.
- Layered weaving technique.
- Fold.
Work in the process of weaving must be tamped and crushed so that the basket does not turn out to be too flimsy. The rods should be laid tightly and evenly, without closing each other.
After the technique of making a round basket is mastered, you can move on to more complex openwork products from a vine. Experienced craftsmen decorate their baskets with braids, weave birch bark, straw and wooden beads into them. The design and shape of such baskets are limited only by the imagination of the master.
Weaving from the vine can be almost anything. Often, landscape designers order wicker figures from a vine to decorate the garden. They decorate the backyard with wattle, and on the open veranda it is quite possible to place a rocking chair made of vines. You can also weave stools, a small table made of willow vines for outdoor gatherings.
Even decorations and New Year's gifts are made from this affordable eco-friendly material. For a child's room, a cradle made of raw rods is suitable. Children like to sleep in such natural, environmentally friendly cradles.
Rectangular wicker baskets, arranged on shelves and racks, are suitable for storing clothes, magazines and newspapers, and all sorts of household trifles.
Any housewife will be able to find a use for wicker products in her home. The ability to weave from a vine will definitely come in handy in your life, at least for arranging your own life, and maybe it will become a source of additional income for you.
Now that you have learned about willow weaving, the tutorial below will teach you how to weave round baskets from willow. With such a basket, it will be possible to go on picnics with friends or to the country house with children.
Weaving willow baskets for beginners (master class)
Let's start making the basket by preparing the willow vine. The vine is best cut in May, before the willow blooms. You can cut the vines in August, when new long shoots grow on the willow.
Preparation of vines from willow branches
We immediately remove the bark from the cut branches and leave our vine for five days in the shade in the open air.
After the vine is prepared and rested, we begin weaving willow baskets. The technology is as follows: we weave the bottom and edges of the product with round whole twigs, the walls - with a vine split into several parts.
How to split a vine
To split the vine into pieces, you will need a special hardwood cleaver. An incision is made at the end of the vine with a knife, a cleaver is inserted into it, and the vine is split into 2, 3 or 4 parts.
The split branches are soaked in water for several hours, and then the brown center is removed. For processing split vines, it is recommended to use a planer.
Before weaving from the vine, it must be moistened. This can be done with a spray gun or by lowering the branches for a few minutes in water.
Having prepared a sufficient amount of vines, we begin weaving willow baskets.
Carefully consider the process of creating a basket in the figure. First, the bottom of the basket is woven, then the ribs are added and the sides are woven along them. At the very end, a pen is made.
If you know the technology for making baskets from paper tubes, then you should know that willow weaving for beginners step by step is almost the same.
We perform the work in this order:
- To make the bottom of the basket, split five rods in the middle with a knife and insert five other rods into the holes. We insert the tips of the first two into the same holes.
- We make a braid of the bottom. The first rod must cover the split twigs from above, and the second to cover those that are threaded into the split twigs from below.
- Do the same for the third and fourth turns.
- We move apart the rods of the cross in the form of a fan and braid with two branches of willow.
- We press the twigs to each other with an awl.
- When the bottom reaches the size we need, we install the ribs of the basket in our willow weaving. For beginners, we will explain this process step by step. For the ribs we use round twigs. We cut their ends obliquely at a distance of about 5 cm. Insert the sharp ends into the bottom braid. We cut off the excess ends of the vine. The edges of the bottom are woven from four round twigs, which are inserted 4 cm near the side edges of the basket. To give the basket the necessary shape, we make a blank, as in Fig. 9. We nail the bottom of the basket to it with the help of small carnations.
- We finish braiding the bottom, cut off the extra twigs.
- We turn to weaving the sides. We cut the ends of the new twigs. We take twigs of medium thickness. We insert new branches along each twig of the base.
- We bend the new rods under the two adjacent ones to the left, down, and then up.
- We also bend the rest of the branches of the vine. The last two branches cannot be bent. We just wrap them around the first ones. Weave the sides of the basket until they reach the height we need.
- We begin to weave a pen. We take thick shoots of the vine, bend them and determine the length of the handle. We cut off the excess vine.
- We sharpen the ends of the vine and insert them into the walls of the basket. We insert five branches next to the handle, and wrap the handle with them. We hide the extra ends of the vine between the walls of the basket.
- We take a thin twig and wrap the edges of the handle with it. We hide the tips of the twig and cut off the excess.
- Weaving a willow basket with your own hands is completed. A simple round willow basket is ready.
Follow the steps shown in the pictures. A little practice and you'll be fine.
Conclusion
Having mastered the technique of weaving round wicker baskets, you can then learn how to weave square and oval baskets and boxes, learn weaving a willow fence for beginners step by step, then move on to making wicker furniture and more complex products. The growth of your skills and craftsmanship depends only on the amount of your free time and the desire to engage in basket weaving. Willow weaving is an interesting and accessible activity for everyone.
Do-it-yourself baskets from a vine began to weave a very long time ago. This material was also used in the manufacture of fences and cradles for babies. They even made dishes from the vine. Now wicker baskets owe their popularity to mushroom pickers. It is they who use such products more than other people. A good solution is to weave and a separate option for picnics or household use. There are many design ideas - from the simplest to the stylish and fashionable. At the same time, it is easy to make this item yourself.
Choosing the right material
The first thing to do is to choose the material. It must be of high quality. The service life of the product depends on this indicator. Usually the vine is cut at the very beginning of spring or autumn. It is believed that at this time it has great strength.
A quality branch of a vine is determined as follows: in the thickest place, it is bent to the stop. It should not burst or crack. Material that meets these parameters is suitable for weaving. An important nuance - each branch must ripen.
The vine needs to be processed, because freshly cut wood will not be able to keep the shape of the basket. There are two schemes for preparing branches: soaking and leveling. In the first case, the rods are treated under running water or placed in a container and the liquid is changed every day. The water should completely cover the wood. So that it does not float, it should be pressed down with a load. This procedure should be carried out within two weeks.
The second method is faster and will take three hours. The rods must be folded into a large container and pour boiling water. The mixture is boiled for about two hours. You should cool the vine and begin to separate the bark from the rods. The peculiarity of the second method is that the branches of the vine will acquire brightness and brilliance. They are also easy to clean and wash.
Making a list of tools
Before weaving a basket from a vine with your own hands, you need to prepare the following tools:
- awl;
- side cutters;
- weight - it will hold the vine in a certain position;
- pliers - with their help bend the rods.
Devices should be prepared in advance. This approach will speed up the creation of the basket.
Work algorithm
How to weave baskets from a vine? First you need to divide the work into several stages, they will help you quickly understand the algorithm of actions and master the technique:
1. Weaving the bottom begins with the fact that you need to take 8 twigs. In half of them they make a hole. Each of them is 3 centimeters. The second half of the branches are threaded into these slots. As a result, a cross is formed.
Making a cross for the bottom
2. The next step is braiding the base. It is necessary to take two branches and circle them around four rods. So you should weave two circles. Upon completion of this action, they begin to braid each of the rods. Two more rows are created. The elements must be evenly distributed. As a result of weaving, a circle is obtained.
3. Another rod is added. It is placed in the extreme row, bent. It is worth noting that the previous base is cut off (due to lack of length). In the same way, all the rods are replaced and two rows are woven. The vine should bend around the rod from the inside and outside. This principle is maintained until the completion of the creation of the bottom. There are 16 main rods. At the end of weaving, you need to add another one. It is placed between the other branches in the last circle.
Making the foundation
4. Weaving the base of the intended size, you need to start creating the walls. You should choose medium-sized rods. They are attached to the bottom of the basket - in the weaving itself. The bases of the walls are bent to a right angle, and the tops are tied. The bent ends are inserted into the bottom of the basket and begin to braid them. You should take three twigs. With their thin side, they are inserted into the holes next to the main rods - one per rack.
5. You should weave a "braid" and repeat the pattern of the base. It should resemble a rhombus in shape, and it goes around each vertical rod. In this technique, 2-3 rows are performed. Such actions allow you to create the basis of the form.
We make a frame for the walls
6. It's time to start weaving a common "canvas". In this case, the method used is the introduction of the vine for one rack and the removal in front of the other. When the desired height of the basket is reached, the vertical branches are cut off and their ends are hidden in weaving.
Weaving the walls
The vine basket is ready. It remains only to make a pen. First, you should measure the length for the handle and choose a thick branch. It is bent and given the shape that will fit the basket. The ends of the rod are sharpened and inserted into the walls of the product. Next to the handle should be placed 6 thinner rods. They go around the main branch, which allows you to firmly fix it in weaving. To prevent small branches from moving, they are fixed with adhesive tape. The "tails" of the rods should be hidden in the walls of the basket.
Making a pen To start using the basket to the fullest, you need to let it dry. This will take several days. This simple method is used by most beginner masters. In the future, it is recommended to develop your weaving skill and create more complex designs. Not only baskets are in demand, but also furniture, wicker decor elements.
Weaving instructions (2 videos)
Options for ready-made baskets (38 photos)
