MAKE YOUR OWN TWIG BASKETS

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You can literally shape your basket by changing the angle at which you secure the ribs. A frame with slightly bent spokes will have gradually sloping sides, for instance, while sharply angled ribs will result in a basket with nearly vertical walls. If you want a round container, you should force all the ribs up at the same angle . . . for an oval one, bring the side pieces up more steeply than those at the ends. With a little ingenuity and experimentation, you can even construct a square or rectangular vessel . . . or one of just about any other contour you can dream up!

FINISHING TOUCHES

Continue to weave the branches along as you flex the ribs up . . . and always remember to alternate—over and under—as you go. (At this point, you can also interchange layers of different kinds of twigs and vines to produce a multicolored and banded effect.)

Your unfinished creation will look pretty wild—with spikes sticking out at the top edge and the weaver ends poking through the body of the basket—but it should be, by this time, holding together well (as illustrated in Photo 6).

When the container reaches the depth you want, force the free end of your last weaver through as many layers of the work as possible, and try to make it end up on the inside of the twig network! Do the same with all the other weaver ends . . . anchoring each one on the inner side of the meshwork.

Finally (using a knife or pair of pruning shears), trim off any extra ends, including the points of the ribs. If you want to make your completed product a little stronger, prune the protruding ribs to about four inches ... and then fold each tip back down into the weaving for a neat, finished look (see Photo 7).

So there you have it, backyard artisans ... a handsome, natural basket, handcrafted in an hour and serviceable for years!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ifyou'd like more information on weaving with primitive materials, check into Natural Basketry by Carol and Dan Hart . . . which is available from many bookstores or—for $7.95 plus 95¢ shipping and handling—from Mother's Bookshelf, P.O. Box 70, Hendersonville, North Carolina 28791.

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