How to Make a Bread Basket

A beautiful, handmade bread basket and a loaf of hot, fresh bread make a wonderful housewarming gift or a cool way to impress your mother-in-law.

Things You'll Need

• Basket Reeds
• Binding Canes
• Dressmaker's Measuring Tapes
• Seagrass
• Clothespins
• Ice Picks
• Dishpans
• Old Scissors
• 5-gallon Buckets
• Awl
• Wire Cutters
• Wire cutters

Instructions

Basket's Base

1. Cut nine 26-inch-long pieces of 5/8" flat reed (for the spokes of the basket's bottom and long side).

2. Cut 13 pieces 22 inches long (for the spokes of the basket's bottom and narrow side).

3. Soak the reed in lukewarm water until pliable. This will help keep the reed from cracking while you work with it.

4. Find the right or smooth side of the reed. Bend a piece of soaked reed; the wrong side will be rough and splintery.

5. Lay four pieces of the 26-inch-long reed on a table with the wrong side up. Place the pieces vertically to you.

6. Weave one 22-inch piece horizontally over and under the long pieces.

7. Leave a 1/4-inch square space between the vertical and horizontal spokes.

8. Weave the next 22-inch piece under and over - the opposite of the previous piece. This is how your base will be locked together sturdily.

9. Continue weaving all the 22-inch and 26-inch pieces until the base measures 8 1/2 inches by 12 1/2 inches.

Finishing the Basket

1. Use a long piece of binding cane to lace the rim.

2. Soak the cane until it is very pliable.

3. Poke the end of the cane under the weavers at the beginning ends of the rim pieces and seagrass.

4. Take the other end of the cane and, going from the inside to the outside of the basket, poke the end through the 1/4-inch hole under the rim and between the spokes. Go over the top of the basket to the inside and through the next 1/4-inch space. This weaving method is like a whipstitch in sewing.

5. Continue step #34 around the rim of the basket.

6. Lace completely around the basket to the beginning and overlap the lacing at the beginning by about 1 inch.

7. Trim any excess overlap of the reed rim or seagrass.

8. Tighten the cane and secure the end with a clothespin.

9. Turn and lace backward around the basket. This will make the lacing look like an "X."

10. Tie off the cane - overlap about an inch over the start; tuck the end of the cane under the rim and two weavers; and clip the excess cane.

11. Square the corners by squeezing the basket's sides.

12. Dip the basket in water if it is too dry, and then shape your basket.

Basket's Sides and Rim

1. Fold each spoke toward the center of the basket. This will crease the spokes so that you can start to weave the sides.

2. Cut four 48-inch-long pieces of 5/8" flat reed (for the weavers, which go between the spokes to form the sides of your basket).

3. Soak the reed in lukewarm water until pliable.

4. Place one weaver behind a spoke with the right side facing out.

5. Clip in place with a clothespin.

6. Weave around the basket using the in-front, behind-spoke method.

7. Tie off the weaver - overlap two or three spokes at the beginning; trim excess reed; leave the end of the weaver behind a spoke. This way you will not be able to see the ends of the reed on the outside of your basket.

8. Start the next weaver on the opposite side of the basket. Remember to do the opposite "over-under" weaving with this weaver.

9. Repeat steps 13-17 for the next two weavers.

10. Pull all the weavers toward the base, leaving a 1/4-inch square space between the weavers and spokes.

11. Repeat steps 13-17 for one more weaver.

12. Pull the last weaver toward the base, leaving a 1/4-inch square space between the weavers and spokes. You now have 4-inch sides for your basket.

13. Trim the inside spokes even with the top of the basket to start the rim.

14. Fold the outside spokes inside the basket.

15. Use an ice pick or awl to tuck the folded spokes under the third weaver from the top of the basket.

16. Cut two pieces of 5/8-inch flat reed 48 inches long to be used as the rim of basket.

17. Soak the reed until it is pliable.

18. Place the rim pieces of reed along the top of the basket - one on the inside and one on the ouside of the basket.

19. Clip in place with clothespins.

20. Cut a piece of seagrass 48 inches long.

21. Place the seagrass on the top of the basket rim and clip into place. Seagrass makes decorative filler for the top of your basket rim.

Tips & Warnings

• You can adjust the size of your basket at this point by removing one or more spokes.

• Leave at least a 1/4-inch square space between spokes for easier access for the "weavers."

• You can tighten the cane as you go and clip in place with clothespins or you can lace loosely around your basket then tighten all at one time.

• Use the over-one, under-one method - even when making the transition from the base to the sides. If you did over-one, under-one on the base, then, when you start the first weaver, you will do the opposite; under-one, over-one.