How to Weave a Pine Needle Basket
Pine needle baskets are woven all over the world and are both attractive and functional. The craft of basket weaving can take many years to master, but you can learn how to weave a simple basket in one afternoon. Once you've gotten the hang of the basic steps and become familiar with weaving pine needles, you can experiment with different patterns and styles. Weaving a pine needle basket is an engrossing project, and the finished basket makes a lovely home decoration or a thoughtful gift.
Instructions
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1
Soak your pine needles in boiling water for 30 minutes. Pat them dry with a towel or newspaper.
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2
Use your fingers to scrape the sheaths off the pine needles.
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3
Separate the pine needles into bundles. Each bundle should have about a dozen pine needles.
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4
Fold one bundle over about two finger widths from the end.
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5
Thread your needle with raffia. Sew the folded end of the bundle together to make a wedge. The rest of the basket will coil outward from this wedge.
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6
Coil the pine needle bundle around the wedge once more. Now you have two coils. Sew them together.
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7
Continue coiling the bundle around and sewing each coil until the bottom of the basket is about 5 inches wide.
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8
Coil the bundle on top of the last coil rather than around it. This starts the side of the basket. Sew the coils together as usual.
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9
Continue coiling and sewing the bundles until the basket is about 3 inches tall. Then sew the edges together tightly.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep your coils flat so the bottom of your basket doesn't wobble. You can make a lid for your basket by repeating steps 1 through 4. Measure the lid against the bottom of the basket as you go. Once the lid is the right size to fit on the basket, sew the edges tightly. Needles from the long-leaf pine tree are best for making baskets, but you can use whatever you have available. Pine needles and raffia can be purchased at a craft store, or you can gather pine needles in your backyard.
Never force the pine needles to coil if they still feel crunchy. Instead, soak them in hot water for a few more minutes until they can coil without breaking.
