Sign in
Basket Weaving 101
I’ve always loved baskets. I’ve collected them from indigenous peoples and local artisans as I traveled over the years. I have small, intricate pine-needle baskets; seagrass baskets; wicker baskets; and even an antique laundry basket, nearly 100 years old, made of oak.
Basket weaving is the world’s oldest known craft, predating both pottery and traditional textiles. Baskets were the first permanent containers because they are lighter and easier to carry than pottery. Every major civilization on Earth used baskets, and basket designs are unique to specific regions, depending on the materials available and the design techniques developed by locals. Indigenous communities created baskets from bark, roots, and grasses, often lining them with pitch to make them watertight. Baskets are often highly symbolic, with specific patterns that reflect family lineages, spiritual beliefs, and a community’s history.
Throughout history, we have told numerous stories involving baskets, such as baby Moses in his basket floating down the river, or On-coye-to stealing a star to bring light to the world. We use baskets to gather our Easter eggs every year. Throughout American history, basket weavers were respected craftsmen and women, passing down the art form from weaver to weaver in their families. Many modern basket aficionados can recognize a particular weaver’s technique and style, and baskets from famous contemporary weavers such as Jeremy Frey, Mary Jackson, and Debora Muhl are in museums’ permanent collections and featured in international exhibits.
Over 35 years ago, as I was traveling, a friend took me to a basket-weaving class, and I was hooked on the art form. I came home and found as many books on basket weaving as possible at my local library and at bookstores. I hunted for supplies at hobby shops and taught myself the basics of dyeing the reed, weaving, and finishing a number of basket styles. Basket weaving was a fun weekend hobby for a young mom working full time. My kids grew up playing under my folding table as I wove my baskets and sold them at craft fairs.
When I decided to go to college at 32, I needed extra income to pay for it. I had heard the jokes about taking “underwater basket weaving” classes in college, so I decided to capitalize on that cliché. I asked the Continuing Education Department Director if I could teach a course called “Basket Weaving 101.”
That class proved to be so popular that I was able to graduate debt-free with a bachelor’s degree in business with a technology emphasis, and later with a master’s in business administration with a technology emphasis. One of my professors nominated me for a Texas Business Hall of Fame scholarship for entrepreneurship and community service, and I used the scholarship money to expand my technology consulting business.
Over the years, I continued to weave baskets as a hobby and learned new techniques and designs, mostly based on historical baskets from the Appalachian Mountains. One of my all-time favorites is the Appalachian egg basket, designed to keep eggs from rolling around. Another of my favorites is an herb basket used for gathering herbs or flowers, which allows the plants to dry in the hanging basket.
The internet has made it easier to find supplies, patterns, and a community of other basket weavers. Now, after so many years of weaving, I design my own baskets. A popular one is my breadbasket, perfect for proofing sourdough bread. I also enjoy making a basket with a design similar to a Shaker cheese basket but with taller sides to hold potatoes, onions, or other vegetables. Recently, I’ve been having fun making colorful tortilla baskets.
I usually weave with rattan palm and seagrass, but I’ve worked with other natural materials like grapevine, willow, and cattails. One time, I wove a basket using a deer antler as a handle. I weave using a basic over-and-under weave, but I’m planning to learn the coil method of weaving and to experiment with fabric and other materials.
Recently, I retired from education and technology consulting, so I’ve had more time to enjoy my hobbies again. I’m enjoying weaving baskets and selling them at craft fairs again; I also teach a few classes. It’s fun to see women (and men) gathered around a table, learning an ancient art form and enjoying the community of weaving. I like to tell them that they will never look at a basket the same way after weaving their own basket.
