How to Make Pine Needle Baskets
Native Americans fashioned intricate baskets from pine needles. These tightly woven baskets are both decorative and utilitarian and can be made in almost any shape. Combinations of green and brown needles and different colored threads make the design of each basket unique. The coiling technique takes a little practice to master, but once learned, you can make your own beautiful baskets.
Things You'll Need
- Pine needles
- Upholstery or buttonhole thread
- Scissors
- Embroidery or tapestry needle
- Clothespin
Instructions
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1
Put the needles in a pan or casserole dish and cover with boiling water for 30 minutes. You will need about a pound of needles for a small basket.
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2
Remove the cap from the end of each needle bundle. Scrape this off with a blunt knife or rake it off with your thumbnail.
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3
Cut 1 1/2 yards of thread. Choose four to six needles and tie them together at one end with the thread. Thread the other end of the thread through the embroidery or tapestry needle. Wrap the thread around the end of the pine needle bundle about a dozen times. Fold this wrapped end over onto the rest of the pine needle bundle. Don't force it or the needles will break. Bend it as close as it will go and wrap with more thread a half dozen times. This forms the center of your base.
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4
Begin coiling your pine needles around this center ring, wrapping thread as needed to keep the needles bound tightly to the ring. Lace the thread around the needle bundle and through the hole in the center of the ring.
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5
When you have about three inches left in the bundle you're working with, begin adding more needles. Start by adding three needles. Slip them under the current bundle and incorporate them in the wrapping. Sew each new row to the previous row, wrapping the thread around both rows. Continue to add a few more needles every few inches as you coil and wrap. Try to keep your coil the same thickness throughout, and aim for a coil as thick as a pencil.
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6
When the bottom of the basket is the size you want, begin stitching the pine needle coil on top of the previous coil to build up the sides of the basket. Offset each row a little to widen the basket, and inset to narrow the basket. You can make any shape basket you like. Use the clothespin to hold your work whenever you need to stop to re-thread the needle or take a break.
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7
When the basket is almost the size you want, begin tapering the coil, adding fewer pine needles. Make the coil smaller and smaller until the top of your basket is even and you have no more needles to stitch. Stop and stitch back along the entire rim to reinforce it.
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Tips & Warnings
Long leaf pine needles, 6 inches to 15 inches long, make the best baskets. Other varieties of pine needles can be used, but you will need more of them and the basket will take longer to complete. Use colored embroidery thread to sew your basket.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Gsloan; Flickr.com
