How to Craft a Fruit Basket
If you are looking to craft a fruit basket, you join the ranks of a very ancient tradition. "As soon as man (and woman!) were able to plait fibers together, they began to experiment with structures for woven containers," reports Linda Hebert of V.I. Reed and Cane. Beginners should stick with a simple design and correct any weaving errors immediately to prevent compounding the problem on subsequent rows. Go slowly, check each row carefully, and enjoy the basket-making process. When your handcrafted fruit basket graces your table overflowing with a rainbow of colorful fruits, your effort will pay off.
Things You'll Need
- 24 to 28 feet of 1/2-inch flat reed
- 36 inches of 1/4-inch flat reed
- Clothespins
- 1 shallow container, 12 to 18 inches long
- Water
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Pencil
Instructions
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Basketweaving Procedure
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1
Cut 10 12-inch, four 4-inch, and seven 24-inch lengths of ½-inch flat reeds. Fill a shallow container with water, and soak the cut reeds and the ¼-inch flat reed for five to 10 minutes until they are easily pliable.
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2
Mark the center of each reed. Place five 12-inch reeds and the four 4-inch reeds horizontally on the table, lining up the centers. Weave a 12-inch reed strip over and under the base reeds at the center mark. Weave two more on either side of the center, alternating each row's starting weave so that an over-weave sits next to an under-weave and vice versa.
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3
Bend the protruding reeds up and crease at the base. Place the basket so that the short base reeds run horizontally. Starting at the front or back edge, weave over and under the ribs flush with the base. Weave a few ribs past the starting end. Trim the end, tuck under and secure it with a clothespin.
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4
Give the basket a quarter turn and repeat the weaving procedure for the second row. Weave five rows in this manner, turning the basket to start each new row. Leave a few inches of rib sticking out. Trim the inside ribs flush with the basket top, fold the outside ribs down, and tuck them into the third row.
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5
Sandwich the rim between two reed lengths, trim the ends to size, and secure the three layers with clothespins. Insert one end of the narrow reed in the first woven row. Wrap the narrow reed around the rim top and through the opening between the lower rim and first row. Continue this process all the way around the rim, and tuck the loose end into the first row again. Trim off any long ends that stick out.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Change the size of your basket by adjusting the length of the rib reeds and weaving your base to the desired size before starting the side weave. Cut the length of the reeds for the side weave longer or shorter, according to the circumference or perimeter of your fruit basket. You can adjust the depth by changing the number of woven rows.
To add a touch of color to your basket, you can dye all or some of the reeds before weaving and create a stripe pattern in the side weave.
If the reeds dry out and become stiff during weaving, just run them under water. Dry reed will crack during weaving.
Do not over-soak the reed. It can grow mildew and become slimy.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit fruit in basket image by Lucy Cherniak from Fotolia.com
