How to Weave an Indian Basket

Woven baskets are made using one of several weaving methods.

Learn to make an American Indian basket by studying the different techniques and weaving methods used by Native Americans, from the Pacific Northwest to the Southwestern United States. As you learn about basket weaving, you will learn that each tribe uses the same basic weaving technique, but each tribe or pueblo has adapted basket-weaving methods to the weaving materials they have available. The Native Americans have evolved their weaving to include pictorial designs -- the Hopi Indian baskets are well-known for kachina images.

Things You'll Need

• Basket making fibers (grass, yucca, twig, roots or cane)

Instructions

1. Coil the fibers at the center of the basket, working out toward the walls of the basket. As the coils are made, they grow in spiral rounds from the bottom of the basket toward the top. The weaver uses an awl, punching holes in the foundation. After punching the holes, he weaves sewing strands, usually a plant fiber. Make different designs on the sides of the basket by using different fiber-sewing techniques.

2. Weave a basket by plaiting a "weft" fiber over two "warps," creating a checkerboard pattern. The weaver uses a bark or cane fiber to make a woven basket.

3. Make a basket by using strong roots as the foundation of the container. Twine a more pliable fiber in and out through the roots, creating a diagonal design. As the weaver creates this basket, she intertwines the fibers back and forth through the roots.

4. Create a wicker basket with shorter twigs as the foundation for the basket. Use a fiber like yucca, vines or roots and weave them through the twig foundation. The basket will be extremely strong, but it will not be watertight, making it more suitable to store items.

5. Add designs to the baskets. Create a twining design by changing how you weave the weft materials -- separate them, wrap them around one stationary rod, twist and bring them back together. If you create a pattern or design on a coiled basket, use a different-colored thread to sew the coils together.

References

• The National Museum of the American Indian: Basket Weaving Techniques
• American Indian Basketry: Making American Indian Baskets