| Pine-Needle Baskets |
From "DIY Crafts"
episode DIC-142 |
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Judy Mulford is an expert at building attractive baskets from pine needles. Materials:
Dry pine needles 5" to 6" long
#18 tapestry needle
Scissors
Raffia
Knife
Make sure to use pine needles that are thoroughly dried. Avoid "green" needles, which will shrink as they dry, producing a wobbly basket. You can, however, dry green needles in a warm, shady place. - Gather dry pine needles in late summer or early fall. Store them with sheath ends together in bundles bound on both ends with rubber bands or loosely stacked in a cardboard box.
- Wash pine needles before use in a mild detergent, and rinse thoroughly. Flexible needles are needed to begin the basket, so soften pine needles by soaking them 1 hour in cold water or 1/2 hour in hot water. Store soaked needles overnight, wrapped in a towel placed inside a plastic bag. Use within two days, or the needles will mildew. Refrigerator storage will retard mildew growth.
- Once the pine needles have been soaked, tie a pencil-sized bundle of needles in an overhand knot near the sheath ends (figure A).
- Wet a piece of raffia, and thread the blunt or thick end through the tapestry needle. Put the tapestry needle through the middle of the knot, and tie the ends into a knot. Cut the sheaths off at an angle on the underside (figure B).
- Take overhand evenly spaced stitches from front to back through the middle of the knot. Go from the right to the left, and catch in the ends as you go around. You should now have a donut shape (figure C).
- For the first row, insert the tapestry needle in the top third of the donut and through the middle of the stitch below. Continue in this manner for subsequent rows. If the stitches get farther than 1" apart, add new stitches between them.
- To add pine needles to the core, remove the sheath end from one cluster, using a table knife to scrape it off and slide the butt end of the pine needles into the center of the core. Keep the bundle at pencil size (figure D).
- Continue going around and around until you have the desired size for the bottom. To start the side, slightly angle the bundle up and away from you (figure E).
- To end the basket, let the pine needles run out, or cut the needles at an angle on the underside. Weave the end piece down into the basket and under existing stitches.
- To add more raffia, tie a new end onto the old one, with the knot on top of the bundle. The knot will be hidden by the next row.
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