May Your Life Be Like A Basket...Useful...Bountiful...Beautiful...

Basketmaster's Weavings is about my passions, much of which revolves around basket weaving. I weave with reed and I love teaching others to weave. Many of the patterns and styles that I show in the blog are geared to the beginning weaver, or even the brand new weaver. If you have been thinking about wanting to learn to weave, then this blog is for you. Throughout the blog and videos I take you step by step through each and every process of weaving. I want you to be successful in weaving the very first time you try. For the intermediate and advanced weaver, my wish is that you take ideas that I show, mix them up a bit, and incorporate them into your own beautiful creations.

Happy Weaving and Baskets of Blessings to all my visitors,

Nancy

You may find my YouTube Videos Here.

Listen to Basketmaster's Making our Home a Haven Podcast.



Showing posts with label Tips and Techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tips and Techniques. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Basket Weaving Tip - Balancing the Weight of your Basket

Good morning Friends,
In watching my YouTube videos you have heard me say as you weave each row, rotate your basket approximately 90 degrees when you start the next row.  This is with basic start-and-stop weaving (not continuous weaving).  The reason I say as you begin to weave the next row to give your basket a 90 degree turn is to do the starting and stopping in various areas of the basket, not all in the same area.  The location where you start-and-stop adds just a bit more weight to a basket and can add a very tiniest of bulge with the extra thickness of reed.  Your basket will sit better if the weight of the reed is distributed around all sides of the basket. 

There is one exception to the rule-of-thumb above.  When you are weaving a wall basket, you may do all you start-and-stops on the back side of the basket.  This way, the front side of your basket will be perfectly flat and pretty.  Any extra weight or even slight bulge will never be noticed on the back side of your basket.

One final note...As you do your rim, on the inside and outside of your basket, do make sure the overlap is in two different areas of your basket.  I usually place my overlap on opposite sides of the basket again to balance the weight and look.  If I know one side of my basket will be facing outward where most people will view it, I do not place the outside overlap on the viewing side of the basket.

In the photo above, where I have my arrows, is where I've overlapped the rim.  As you look at this basket head on like this, you do not notice the overlaps, as both the inside and the outside pieces of rim overlap in the direction to the BACK side of the basket.  This way, you do not see the cut end of my reed which happens to be 1/2" flat/oval.
This is just one more simple basket weaving technique to give your basket that high quality you're after vs. one that is rapidly mass produced.
One more thing.  This is my Kitchen Counter Basket and I have the free pattern for you HERE.
Happy Weaving Everyone,
Nancy

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Basket Weaving Handle Substitutions

Here is a photo of a swing handle and two small ears that go with the swing handle. The small ears get woven down into the basket and the loops of them go through the holes in the big handle. The loops are just above the basket so this enables the handle to swing back and forth. If you've broken an ear, it is possible to just buy a single "U" handle to replace it. You might have to sand the new small "U" handle to make it thinner to fit in the hole of the swing handle. If you've broken your swing handle, heaven forbid, you can use the small ears as handles themselves, as a handle on the back of a wall basket or use both at the ends of a bread basket or smaller muffin basket.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy
ps.  Think Pink officially starts tomorrow!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Basket Weaving - Facts about Twining

Twining--A basketry technique using two or more sets of elements in which one set encircles the other.

Did you know that the first use of 'twining' was probably to hold twigs and sticks together to construct shelter walls?

Twining has also been used in ancient times by people as they spaced out twined rows to make traps and fish nets. They spaced their twined rows closer together to make lightweight baskets.

Stiff twining materials include: reed, rattan, cane, ropes, stiff grasses and stems of plants.

Flexible materials for twining include: cords, twine, jute and yarn among others.
I use twining on most every basket. On round or oval baskets I use twining to form the base. On square or rectangular baskets I use twining to stabilize the base and this keeps the base's shape. On some baskets, I will use twining on the sides for an interesting visual element.
You can begin by crimping one piece of material on itself and twining with just that one piece. You may also twine with two pieces of similar elements. An interesting technique is to use two pieces of the same size reed but have they dyed different colors and twining with the two colors. This is very pretty.
Enjoy twining and Happy Basket Weaving,
Nancy

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Today's Hand(y) Basket Weaving Tip

My hands can get so dry and having them in reed water does not help. Here is a simple tip to help keep our basket weaving hands soft. When you put water in your bucket to soak your reed, just put a small squirt of inexpensive hair conditioner into the water and swish it around. When I say a small squirt, I mean about a marble size amount of conditioner to about 2 gallons of water. I keep a sample size bottle of hair conditioner in with my basket weaving tools at all time. This will not hurt the reed and will help keep your hands smooth.
Happy Weaving!
Nancy

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Back to Basics in Basket Weaving - Making Reed Curls


I've had people ask, "How did you make those curls?" "Are those curlie Q's made from reed?"


Yes, those curls are made from reed. I used 11/64" flat reed and rolled it around a 1/4" dowel rod. Soak the read well first, 15 minutes at least. Then secure the end of the reed to the dowel with a clothespin and just keep wrapping. Secure the other end with a clothespin as well. Let the reed dry completely before removing it from the dowel. You can then pull on the coils slightly to give them a springy look. You can do the same thing using round reed as well for a pretty look. Once the reed is removed from the dowel rod, cut it into desired lengths and wire to your basket. Try using several colors or a color with natural for a pretty basket embellishment.
Happy Basket Weaving,

Nancy

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

A Fantastic Basket for a Gift

Dear Friends,
I just think this is the greatest idea for a gift.  A sweet friend of mine, who has asked when I post that she'd like to remain anonymous, made 11 of these for teacher gifts.  These are baskets that she has woven and on the wooden bases are her children's names, in their own handwriting, that have been laser engraved.  Wouldn't a teacher or relative just treasure this!!!  Cute Cute CUTE!!! 
I've never worked with a wood burning tool, but I wonder if you couldn't do something similar with your child's handwritten name.
I just love this idea and honestly, I wish I'd have thought of it when my children were younger.
Thank you dear friend for letting me share this.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Back to Basics in Basket Weaving -- Creating A Professional Finish

Before cutting and tucking your spokes, fold down the spokes that are to go to the inside of the basket. Measure those spokes so that when you cut them, the end will be hidden behind one of your weavers. The goal is not to have any rough ends showing to give you a professional look. This way, when someone is looking at your basket, they do not know where pieces of reed have started and where they have ended.When tucking your spokes in, try to go under the very top weaver. Again, this gives a more professional look to your basket. Take a look at the finished product. You don't see the spoke hidden behind the weaver. I always say, this is a big difference between our beautiful handwoven baskets and those that we purchase at the store.
Happy Weaving,

Nancy

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Tip Technique Tuesday - How to Handle Weak Stakes

Good Morning Friends,
Have you ever woven a basket and the stakes want to fold to the inside or the outside of the basket causing it not to pack tightly or look pretty? I have and it can be very frustrating.

Today I'd like to share a few tips on how I handle weak stakes or spokes when weaving. This is one of those instances when an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

  • If you are like me and you cut an entire handful of stakes at one time to the desired length, take just a moment before hand and feel each piece of reed paying attention for flimsy pieces. Remove the flimsy pieces from your bunch and save those weak pieces for weavers.
  • The opposite is true as well. If you have a weaver that seems especially heavy, don't use it to weave. Toss it aside and save it for a stake.
  • If you have started to weave a basket and realize you have a weak stake, make sure that your weavers are well soaked and pliable. Then, as you weave around the weak stake, go slowly keeping the weak stake straight and make sure that your weaver is the one that bends to do the over under weaving.
  • Change the pattern a bit. If you are finding that you are struggling with weak stakes, switch to smaller weavers. Take a look at the little tote bag in the photo above. The stakes are 3/8" flat reed. They are very thin. By using 11/64" flat for my weavers as well as seagrass, which is very pliable, for some of the weavers, I was able to keep my stakes straight.
  • You can always insert another stake directly behind the weak stake making it a double thickness. Be sure to hide the ends of the inserted stake. This technique works well if the weak reed is caught early in the weaving process. Consider adding a second stake just slightly thinner and of a different color and place this second stake on the outside for a double thickness. This can give you a great plaid or decorative effect. My basket above is not the best example but it does show two layers of stakes. Look at the stem of the flowers. The stem is the second layer or thickness.
  • 99.999% of the time I make sure that my stakes are larger than my weavers. A larger size stake means a thicker and therefore stronger stake.
Reed is processed by a machine. Much of the time, you get a uniform consistency to each strand, but there is always the exception in the batch or even possibly you get an entire bad pound of weak reed. Sometimes you get a different piece just due to the conditions in which the reed was grown, for instance due to the amount of rainfall. Reed is grown in the tropics so there is usually sufficient rainfall. Perhaps though that strand of reed had died before it was harvested and has already dried out giving an exceptionally hard piece of reed. Reed is usually dried a bit before it is cut into the desired sizes. If the reed is swollen full of moisture and then cut, then when it dries, it will shrink a bit and therefore give you a weaker piece of reed. Things happen with it that are beyond our control. Sometimes it is also human error in the processing of our reed. We just need to learn to work with what we are given.

Now there are always the very few extreme exceptions to the rules I've given you above when you might not want to try my tips, but if you follow these ideas you should have a good sturdy basket where each row packs down nicely and weak weavers become a thing of the past.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tip Technique Tuesday - A Unique Basket Handle

Good Morning Friends,
Remember when I introduced you to Pam Kurkowski HERE? I mentioned that Pam has a fun technique to make a sweet primitive basket handle. Take a look!
This is Pam's doll Amelia that she made. Can you identify what the basket handle is made of? It is a wire and a cinnamon stick! I think that is just the most clever way to make a basket handle. Of course Pam wove the little basket as well.
Thank you Pam for letting me use your pictures.
Please be sure to visit Pam over at Primitive Basketcase to see more of her fun and wonderful creations.
Have a wonderful day,
Nancy

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Staining Baskets - A Reader Question and we need YOUR advice

I have a question from a reader who knows I just use Minwax straight to stain my baskets. You can read how I stain HERE. She says her instructor advises adding linseed oil and mineral spirits to the Minwax helps the baskets from becoming brittle.
What do all of you think? Is it necessary to add mineral spirits and linseed oil to the Minwax?
Here is my own observation of my baskets using straight Minwax....
Some of my baskets are 15 years old and some I use daily such as my stair step basket and my bag basket. These two are baskets that truly get used and moved around, things thrown in them etc. Yes, I do notice that my baskets have become dryer over the years. Remember over the last 15 years I've lived a number of years in the low desert of Phoenix and now the high desert of Albuquerque where we often have 0% humidity. These baskets have not broken structurally. What has happened is on baskets with curly-q's and woven bows, those embellishments have snapped and broken with use and have had to be replaced. As I think now, there was one basket that did become quite damaged with use over time and that was my kitchen utensil basket. I'd drop and stuff wooden spoons and spatulas into the basket the utensil handles eventually poked holes in the basket. I used that basket several times a day for probably 10 years. You can see the photo of it below and that it is already starting to get damaged around the base.

That basket was always stuffed full and did get abused by me. Would linseed oil and mineral spirits have helped the life of this basket? Hmm....I'm not so sure it would have in this case. I've since replaced it with another basket I've woven. What about the heirloom baskets that you weave and want to just show and pass down for generations? Should those use a special staining treatment?

Thank you in advance readers for your comments and suggestions here. If you use a special treatment, would you please be as specific as possible with your staining recipe.
Have a happy weaving day,
Nancy

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Is Reed Poisonous? - A Reader Question

Dear Friends,
Yesterday I received an e-mail from a reader and it is a question that I have been asked from time to time and I thought that perhaps others of you might have wondered the same thing so here it is:

Hey, Nancy!

I've got another question for you. I was told by someone in my guild that basket reed has toxins in it, and it should not be used for baskets that will at some time be in contact with food. At least half of the baskets I've been weaving over the last 2 months are kitchen baskets, i.e., 2 pie baskets, bread warmers, cookie keepers, silverware baskets, salt & pepper holders, coffee filter baskets, etc. Is this true? Is basket reed poisonous?
The short answer is yes there are pesticides sprayed on the reed during the processing of it as well as for transport across ocean. Now I'm not a chemist and I have not chemically tested the reed, but I would imagine that a fair amount of those pesticides are worn off and washed off as you soak the reed before using. This is one reason why you should not let your pet drink your soaking water. (For some reason it seems that dogs really like drinking reed water and they should not be allowed to do this) Have you ever soaked your reed and felt something, not gummy, but a substance on the reed as you take it out of the water? Some of that is from the oils in the machine as they cut the reed but some of that feeling or substance is from what has been sprayed on the reed. I think you probably wipe most of it off with your towel.

That said, lets look at what we put in our baskets that we use in the kitchen. For the remainder of this answer I'm going to refer to the results from Adam and Jamie and the interesting "Mythbusters" TV show.
Mythbusters did an episode where they talked about the 5 second rule...Drops on the floor and you pick it up and eat it within 5 seconds you are ok, no germs. Their results of the experiment were if something dry like an M&M dropped on the floor (providing the floor itself wasn't wet) so a dry M&M on dry floor then you can pick it up, eat it, and be basically germ free. Wet substances are another story. You drop a slice of bologna on the floor it picks up tons of germs instantly. Don't eat it! Of course things are in your basket much longer than 5 seconds but I feel the same dry against dry rule applies.

Speaking for myself and what I put in my baskets, food related, are dry and I put these things in a dry basket so dry on dry. I would never put something wet in my basket. Most of these items that I put in my basket have some sort of a covering such as tea bags are in a basket at my house and my Jello boxes are in another basket. My bananas, oranges and apples are in a basket. The apples I'll wash before we eat them. (I've read where you should wash your bananas and oranges too but I don't do that) Speaking for myself when I put bread and cookies in a basket I put a paper towel or napkin in the basket first to line it. (Guess I was more concerned of the oil from the cookies staining and spotting my basket) I too have coffee filters in a basket with my coffee but again that is dry on dry. Same goes with silverware. As far as your pie basket is concerned, a small edge of the pie might touch the basket, but IMHO it is such as small amount I personally would not be concerned. Plus whatever on the pie that became contaminated from the basket is probably stuck on the basket anyway as you removed the pie.

Did you know that many, many household items that are shipped over here from overseas have been sprayed with pesticides? Yes it is true. I never ever want to discount anyone's concerns regarding this topic and my answers come from books I've read so I'm only giving you my best answer. If you are still concerned, use a liner of some sort for all baskets that come in contact with food products. With your coffee filter basket, just don't use the very bottom filter and use that bottom filter as a liner. Basically I'm going to tell you to use your best judgement with all this.

A similar question I've been asked in the past is about using dyed reed and the dyed reed coming into contact with food. Same applies with dry on dry as mentioned above. My personal feelings with this, as I use Rit dye, are as follows. Rit dye is for fabric. We use cloth napkins and such that have been dyed, so I have never been concerned about my dyed reed possibly touching food products either.

Perhaps some of you readers have heard other things regarding this topic. Please leave a comment and let me and others know.

Super question and I appreciate you asking.
Baskets of Blessings Everyone,
Nancy

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

How to Dye Reed

Dear Friends, I know this is an old post but just this past week I've been asked about dying reed from four different weavers.  I never mind answering questions, but that is telling me that it is time to post this again.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy

Today I would like to post my directions on how I dye my reed. There are several dyes on the market, but I use good old Rit dye and this is my recipe.

I use a large enamel pot and work outside on an outdoor propane burner. I fill the pot about 1/2 full of water which in my case is about 2 1/2 gallons of water. I get the water up to a boil and add one box of powdered Rit die, 1 cup table salt and 1 cup white vinegar. I use powdered Rit only because it cost less than the liquid, but liquid is fine. I use the salt and vinegar to help get the color to really set well. Yes, it will fade if placed in direct sunlight, most dyes will but the salt and vinegar just seem to help keep it from having any natural fading. Using my recipe gives me really rich colors. Once the water is boiling, I turn off the heat and add my reed. I will add 2 1/2 pounds of reed to this mixture. Any more than that, it just doesn't get the intensity of color that I like. Usually I will dye 1 pound of 3/8" flat and 1 pound of 1/4" flat. Then I use 1/2 pound of another size of my choice. This just seems to be what works for me. I open up my pounds of reed and submerge them into the pot of dye doing one pound at a time. I have a big set of barbecue tongs to help push the reed down into the water. Sometimes it wants to float and most times I have to turn it to be sure it gets complete coverage. I have plenty of newspaper on the ground to catch drips and to also lay the reed on to dry once it has achieved it's color. Getting the color usually only takes a few minutes, but I have been known to let the reed soak for up to an hour. Dying reed is a simple process and very fun to watch the colors appear. I don't wear gloves, but I do wear old clothes. Please don't dye it in your kitchen. Accidents can happen too easy and oh what a mess! Also, be sure to visit http://www.ritdye.com/ for color charts, techniques and ideas.
Baskets of Blessings,
Nancy

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Technique Tip Tuesday - Balancing the Weight of your Basket

Good morning Friends,
In watching my YouTube videos you have heard me say as you weave each row, rotate your basket approximately 90 degrees when you start the next row.  This is with basic start-and-stop weaving (not continuous weaving).  The reason I say as you begin to weave the next row to give your basket a 90 degree turn is to do the starting and stopping in various areas of the basket, not all in the same area.  The location where you start-and-stop adds just a bit more weight to a basket and can add a very tiniest of bulge with the extra thickness of reed.  Your basket will sit better if the weight of the reed is distributed around all sides of the basket. 

There is one exception to the rule-of-thumb above.  When you are weaving a wall basket, you may do all you start-and-stops on the back side of the basket.  This way, the front side of your basket will be perfectly flat and pretty.  Any extra weight or even slight bulge will never be noticed on the back side of your basket.

One final note...As you do your rim, on the inside and outside of your basket, do make sure the overlap is in two different areas of your basket.  I usually place my overlap on opposite sides of the basket again to balance the weight and look.  If I know one side of my basket will be facing outward where most people will view it, I do not place the outside overlap on the viewing side of the basket.


In the photo above, where I have my arrows, is where I've overlapped the rim.  As you look at this basket head on like this, you do not notice the overlaps, as both the inside and the outside pieces of rim overlap in the direction to the BACK side of the basket.  This way, you do not see the cut end of my reed which happens to be 1/2" flat/oval.
This is just one more simple basket weaving technique to give your basket that high quality you're after vs. one that is rapidly mass produced.
One more thing.  This is my Kitchen Counter Basket and I have the free pattern for you HERE.
Happy Weaving Everyone,
Nancy

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Importance of Signing Your Basket

Dear Friends,
While we are busy with company I am sharing with you another favorite blast from the past. Enjoy!
Nancy


When you weave a basket, you are an artist. You are its creator. Be proud of what you have made and let others know it was you who wove this basket.

Sign your basket.

I sign most of my baskets on the base on a spoke or a stake. If it is has a base made from twining, sign it on either the underside of the handle or on the inside of the rim. Be sure to use an archival pen that will not fade. I use a fine point Sharpie style marker. You may find that if your basket is just very slightly damp that the marker will not bleed into the reed. You may also wish to include the date that you wove it as well as what number of basket it is. Is it your first basket? Second? So forth. Early on I numbered my baskets until I reached 100 and then it just became difficult to remember.

Is your basket a gift for someone? If so, you may want to write a brief message on the bottom as well such as "Happy 16th Birthday Katie, Love Mom". This will help all know the occasion for which this basket was created.

Beyond a long-lasting signature, some artists like to further establish the link between generations of creators and collectors by keeping journals writing why they created a specific piece of work, significant life experiences, relationships involving the work, and living locations. If your baskets are showcased, It’s also a good idea to track the dates and location of exhibitions, and any accompanying press coverage from those events. Keep a list of customers that purchase your baskets—complete with their name, date, location, and where the basket resides—is also a good step toward providing the chronology of a particular piece.

You never know what future life circumstances will bring to you and honestly, you may become quite famous and your baskets may be as sought after as some paintings or sculptures. There are artists today who will even microchip their artwork. (ok, I'm not going to that extreme, but I wanted you to know some people do that)

Sign your basket.
Your great-great grandchildren will treasure it even more knowing it was you who wove it.

Baskets of Blessings,

Nancy

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Blogger: Basketmaster's Weavings - Technique/Tip Tuesday-- Making Basket Curls


Hi Friends Here is another blast from the past.
Enjoy!

Blogger: Basketmaster's Weavings - Edit Post "Technique/Tip Tuesday--Making Basket Curls": "Technique/Tip Tuesday--Making Basket Curls
The above picture is the January kit of the month. I've had people ask, 'How did you make those curls?' 'Are those curlie Q's made from reed?'
Yes, those curls are made from reed. I used 11/64' flat reed and rolled it around a 1/4' dowel rod. Soak the read well first, 15 minutes at least. Then secure the end of the reed to the dowel with a clothespin and just keep wrapping. Secure the other end with a clothespin as well. Let the reed dry completely before removing it from the dowel. You can then pull on the coils slightly to give them a springy look.
You can do the same thing using round reed as well for a pretty look. Once the reed is removed from the dowel rod, cut it into desired lengths and wire to your basket. Try using several colors or a color with natural for a pretty basket embellishment.
Happy Basket Weaving,
Love,
Nancy"

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

"Technique/Tip Tuesday - Basket Weaving Tips"


Another Blast from the Past.
Blogger: Basketmaster's Weavings - "Technique/Tip Tuesday - Basket Weaving Tips": "There are times when round reed needs to be bent and it can be very frustrating to have a piece of round reed snap in half. A simple solution to keep this from happening is to have in your tool kit a needle nose pliers. When needing a crisp bend in the round reed, pinch it with the pliers first and then bend the reed. This virtually eliminates the risk of the reed breaking. Of course it goes without saying, make sure your reed is plenty wet.

Baskets of Blessings,"

Monday, December 21, 2009

"Technique/Tip Tuesday--A Professional Finish"


Blogger: Basketmaster's Weavings - "Technique/Tip Tuesday--A Professional Finish": "Technique/Tip Tuesday--A Professional Finish Another blast from the past today.

Before cutting and tucking your spokes, fold down the spokes that are to go to the inside of the basket. Measure those spokes so that when you cut them, the end will be hidden behind one of your weavers. The goal is not to have any rough ends showing to give you a professional look. This way, when someone is looking at your basket, they do not know where pieces of reed have started and where they have ended.
When tucking your spokes in, try to go under the very top weaver. Again, this gives a more professional look to your basket.
Take a look at the finished product. You don't see the spoke hidden behind the weaver. I always say, this is a big difference between our beautiful handwoven baskets and those that we purchase at the store.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy"

Friday, December 18, 2009

Basket Weaving Tips and Techniques

Dear Friends,
Over the next couple of weeks there will be days in which I'm going to be pulling some blog posts from the past. The content is still as valuable today as it was when I first wrote it. I hope you are enjoying the holidays and spending time with family and friends.

Love and Blessings,

Nancy
Basketmaster's Weavings: Technique/Tip Tuesday--Spoke Weight: "have a couple of favorite basket weaving tools, but today I'm going to talk about my #1 tool, the Spoke Weight.

When I first learned how to weave we would put our dishpans full of water on the table to hold our reed in place. While this worked, it was very space consuming. The spoke weight is a heavy metal weight that also is a ruler. It is perfect for holding reed in place and measuring to get the exact length of reed or space between reeds. This is a must have tool for basket weavers.

Here is my tip. What if you don't have a spoke weight and don't want to put the dishpan on the table? What if you do have a spoke weight yet your basket is large and you need more than one. Here's what you do. Go to your pantry and get out a bag of dried beans and use that as a weight. Dried beans are inexpensive, the plastic bag keeps the beans dry, and they don't take up hardly any additional table space. Use 2, 3, or 4 bags if needed. It is a handy homemade kitchen tool to make your basket weaving just that much easier!"

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Tip Technique Tuesday - Basket Embellishments - Basket Weaving - Basket Making



Dear Friends,

As I'm sure you've seen on many of my baskets, I like to adorn them with some type of embellishment. The holiday season is the PERFECT time to pick up some fun little things for your basket. Pictured above are two packages of tree ornaments that are made for miniature or small Christmas trees. They are great on the front of a basket. These ornaments can be tied and hung from a basket handle. You can wire them on or glue them to the basket.

Be on the lookout during the Christmas season for things that will give your basket that extra boost. As it gets closer to the season, ornaments like these will go on sale up to 40% or 50% off. If you're willing to wait until after Christmas, things may be picked over but you could save 75% or more. Keep in mind pretty ribbon to embellish your basket as you are shopping as well as tags. Some Christmas tags don't look too Christmasy (is that a word?) and these tags can be used year round. Another item I watch for are small floral picks. You can stick these picks into a basket and as the seasons change, pull them out and replace with something else. Raffia is another item that can be found year round, but at this time of year will be found in Christmas colors. Tying some raffia onto your basket gives it a beautiful country look.

What ways do you embellish your baskets?

Nancy



Grab a cup of coffee and take time to enjoy some posts from the past

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