How to Make a Basket Out of Natural Materials

Turn foraged fibers into a rustic basket that’s perfect for everyday use.

By Mari Jyväsjärvi Stuart
Updated on November 22, 2024
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by Mari Jyväsjärvi Stuart

Learn how to make a basket out of natural materials, like wisteria, kudzu, honeysuckle, grape and bramble vines, perfect for everyday use.

Basketry is one of humankind’s oldest art forms – believed to be even older than pottery and cloth weaving. It’s also one of the few remaining crafts that’s primarily done by hand. While some contemporary basket styles are made by machines, a machine can’t replicate the dexterity and creativity of the human hand in gauging the suitability of materials, intertwining fibers, and shaping a woven basket.

Perhaps because of its long history, the process of basket weaving can feel familiar, even to a beginner. Although the initial setup requires some patience and concentration, after a few rounds of weaving, most people quickly get the hang of it.

The natural world – woods, meadows, and marshlands – is bursting with potential basketry material, including reeds, rushes, grasses, pine needles, willows, brambles, honeysuckle vines, bark, and even roots. In contrast with materials specifically grown for basket-making – such as white oak splints or cultivated willow shoots, which are predictable and uniform in shape – foraged, or “hedgerow,” basketry materials come in interesting, organic shapes that tell the story of the plant. Some vines intertwine together or twirl around branches; others ambitiously reach for the light. This is what sets wildcrafted baskets apart; they incorporate nature’s own story and creativity. The basket you weave from foraged materials will not only be useful and beautiful, it’ll also connect you with the landscape in a whole new way.

basket vines on wooden table

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the process of weaving a small, round basket from foraged vines and willow rods. A round shape is the easiest shape for beginners. Although you could simply make a bowl-shaped basket in which the bottom spokes curve upward to form the basket siding, with this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make a flat base and then add upright stakes to form the siding. If this is your first basket, the final piece may be a little wobbly or funky, but don’t worry, this project is meant to be rustic.

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