How to Decorate an Easter Basket With Curls

You can add pastel-colored curls to a finished basket to dress it up for Easter. The Native Americans sometimes called this type of decoration to their baskets "porcupine quills."

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basket Dyes
• Basket Reeds
• RIT Dyes
• Ice Picks
• Old Scissors
• Awl
• Side Cutting Pliers
• Awl

1. Dye your reed following the steps from "How to Dye Reed" under the Related eHows.

2. Use a long piece of reed to make curls.

3. 

   Cut both ends of the dyed reed at an angle. This will make it easier to thread under the spokes.

4. Soak the piece of reed for only a few seconds or until slightly pliable.

5. Find the right, or smooth, side of the reed. The rough side will go against the basket with the smoother side facing out.

6. 

   Poke one end of the reed under a spoke to begin your curls.

7. Loop the reed.

8. 

   Run the other end of the dyed reed under the next spoke.

9. 

   Pull gently until the curl is made and fits snuggly against the side of your basket.

10. Continue adding curls around your basket.

11. Finish after the last curl by trimming the end of the dyed reed to fit under the beginning spoke.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an ice pick or awl to create a space under the spoke to run your dyed reed.
• Use short pieces of reed for one or two curls.
• To find the right side of reed after it has been soaked, bend the reed until you see one side splinter up. This will be the wrong, or rough, side.
• For a larger basket, two or three rows of curls will add an unusual design.