Introducing our basket making kit!

Welcome to the Cosy Craft Club's basket making month! We really want to encourage you to have a go at basket making yourself, and we'll be sharing the key things you need to know to get started. You can find all our basket making posts in one place here.

Today we’re having a look at our mini basket making kit from WonderWeaver! Basketry is an ancient craft that uses natural materials, and the best bit is that you get such beautiful and practical objects at the end. Many people I’ve spoken to have never tried basket making before, and our kit is a great introduction to this lovely craft. As you can see, this kit comes in a cute little Hessian bag that you can re-use afterwards.

Open up the bag and inside you'll find a round wooden base, shorter lengths of rattan for the base and longer lengths of rattan in a coil for weaving the sides of the basket. The thicker length of wood will be the handle and the raffia is for attaching the handle. There are also clear, illustrated instructions to take you through what to do.

The first part of the basket making process is to soak all the rattan to make it soft and pliable, and reduces the risk of the rattan snapping as you weave it. I would recommend that you take the string off the coiled rattan before you soak it, otherwise you get green marks on your wood (I wonder how I know that?!).

Because the rattan needs to be soaked before weaving, I would recommend that you aim to complete your basket in one sitting, which should take 1-2 hours. However, I did mine in 3 sittings and re-soaked the rattan as I came to use it each time and it worked fine. If you do this you need to remember to re-soak the spokes on the part-made basket as well as the unused materials.

Once your rattan has been soaked (which should take about 20 minutes), the next step is to attach the spokes to the base. The instructions suggest that you put all the spokes in place before you start bending them, however I found it easier to put 3 in to start with and then add one at a time as I worked my way round the base. I also measured the amount they were sticking out the bottom to make sure they were all the same. I was fascinated by the way that the spokes interlock to support one another. The result is this beautiful pattern on the underside of the basket.

Next, turn the basket over and start using your weavers to create the sides. This is done in 3 sections to get a lovely variety of patterns in your basket. I would recommend that you use the longest pieces for the middle section. I found it very straightforward and relaxing to weave the wood in and out. One of the hardest parts was stopping the cane from getting too tangled! You need to keep an eye on it :)

As you build up the sides, keep bending your spokes outwards to create a flared shape on your basket (if that’s what you want it to look like). To keep your basket neat, it is also good to make sure the spokes are the same distance apart throughout. The position of the spokes will be what determines the overall shape and finish of your basket. As with the base, I was amazed at how the weavers hold each other in place to create a solid basket.

The last stage is to add the handle, which you simply insert between the weavers and tie on with raffia. And then you have a finished basket! I think it looks so sweet and can think of any number of uses for it, from an Easter basket to storage for washi tape. As you can see below, it also makes great shell storage!

Here is a close up of the top edge of the basket. I just love the beautiful shapes made by the cane weaving in and out of itself - it is so pretty.

If you would love to have a go at basket making yourself, you can buy this kit here. It really is a very peaceful and productive way to spend a couple of hours!

Rachel x