How to Make an Indian Basket

Indian basket making is skill which has been handed down from one generation to the next for more than 8,000 years. To make a basket, Indians used what materials they could find---pine needles, grass, animal hide, tree bark---as long as the material was pliable enough to bend, but strong enough to hold a shape it could be used. In North America, different tribes used different materials, techniques, and shape to form classic basket patterns. Indians of the Northeast favored coiled sweetgrass braids, while Indians of the Southwest preferred woven willow wood. In the North, Indians made use of birch bark, folding it into seamless baskets. This type of basket can be made from a single sheet of birch bark and a piece of cordage. Just follow the steps below and you'll be able to make an Indian birch basket of your own.

Things You'll Need

• Knife One piece of birch bark Ruler or yardstick Pencil Paper (optional) Tape (optional) Upholstery needle 4 yards of cordage, any type Willow shoots or reeds

Instructions

1. Collect the bark. Remove a large section of bark from a dead birch tree. Birch trees are generally identified by their peeling outer bark. Cut away a piece larger and thicker than you think you need for you basket. Scrape off the rotting inner layers until you reach the healthy pink bark.

2. Place the bark on a flat surface. Determine how deep you'd like your basket to be. Measure that distance from the edge of the bark and mark it with a pencil. Repeat on all four sides. You should end up drawing a pattern on your bark that looks like a tic-tac- toe grid with a large center square.

3. Cut diagonally from each corner of the bark to the drawn line, creating two triangles in each corner square. If you're unsure, practice on a sheet of paper first, drawing a similar pattern and clipping the corners, and then fold the sides up and secure with tape. This will create a paper mockup of your basket.

4. Beginning with the upper right hand corner, fold the triangles until they overlap and sew them together with cordage and an upholstery needle. Alternatively, holes can be made with the tip of a knife or scissors. Make sure you stay at least ½ inch away from the edge of the bark. When you have finished with the upper right corner, move on the next one until all four corners are done.

5. Bend the willow shoots or reeds into a ring approximately the same size as the top of your basket. Place the ring on top of the basket and secure it with cordage stitches all the way around, covering the ring completely.

6. A second ring can be attached to the outside of the basket, using the cordage to create handles for easy carrying.

Tips & Warnings

• When sewing the bark, work slowly and carefully to avoid tearing. Push the needle through the bark by gradually increasing pressure with your thumb.

• Do not remove the bark from a live tree.

Resources

• Native America Techonology and Art
• Basketry Courses