Buy Willow Baskets
If you’ve been thinking about making your own willow baskets, you’ll be delighted to learn that you don’t need a ton of tools or experience. This article will show you how to make your first willow baskets, and where to buy them. Getting the right materials is important, and this article will help you do just that. The following tips will help you get started:
Before you start refinishing your willow basket, check the finish. Willow is susceptible to rot. Even if you’ve varnished it, mother nature will eventually destroy the fibers and turn them to a muddy brown. While you can apply a weatherproofing finish, this won’t prevent the rot reaction. So, to extend the life of your willow basket manufacturer, store it indoors when not in use.
To make a willow basket, you will need eight long medium shoots. The stakes are what make the sides of the basket. Start by sharpening the ends of the stakes. Then, insert the stakes as close to the center as possible and bend them upward so that the tip of the stake reaches the sky. Next, trim the spokes to make them look like a weaving edge. Then, tie the stakes together.
How to Make and Where to Buy Willow Baskets
Next, determine the number of stakes. If you have an uneven number of spokes, it’s best to use two stakes per spoke. Too many stakes will make the basket unbalanced, and you’ll end up with a loose weave. To avoid this, be sure to judge the amount of stakes you’ll need for your basket. For some spokes, two stakes are necessary, and you shouldn’t insert more than two.
In order to find a variety of willow cuttings, you can visit a nursery. The Living Willow Farm in Ohio sells cuttings by color. The owner has changed the common names of many willow species, but you’ll still have to check the labels. You can buy live rods and dried willow cuttings from them as well. The owner of this nursery is knowledgeable about basketry, and their website has good pictures and helpful information.
When making a basket, you should work on it on a flat surface. When you have a stake to support it, bend it over to check its height. Then, pass the rod behind the next stake. Don’t thread it through the stakes like a needle – this is difficult and will cause it to break. You can also cut the weavers into pointy ends. Then you can add them to the sides of the basket.
