When I was first learning how to twine as a beginning basket maker, I was always on the hunt for different tips and techniques. One day, while at TJ Maxx, I started looking at imported baskets and seeing how they were made.  And suddenly, I saw what I've come to call a "u-shaped" method of expanding your basket when twining.  

Why should I add spokes to my basket when twining?
That's a great question!  If you're creating a straight cylinder, you might not need to as you can keep the same amount of spokes and shape from top to bottom. But, if you're like me and you like more bulbous or gourd-shaped baskets, you have a need to go from a small start with just 3 or 4 stakes into a wider, growing bottom, giving you that beautiful bulbous look.  To do that, you'll need more spokes as you grow wider to keep your basketry stitches looking beautiful, tight, and somewhat equidistant. Below is a step by step tutorial on how to do this. 

Of course, this is just one part of learning to twine well. If you want to learn to twine baskets with natural materials like foliage or other natural materials, be sure to grab my comprehensive online basket weaving course called "Twining with Soft Natural Materials."  And, since you're here on my website reading this article, just use the coupon code "NewSubscriber75" to get a 75% discount as my thank you.

Step 1
Once you're into your basket about 3-5 rows, you'll start to notice the stakes are getting wider and wider apart, making your weaving loose. (See image below). That's when it's time to add some additional spokes.

Step 2
Cut a spoke the same length and width as what you started with and, from behind, place it in the gap. (See below) Yes, it's loose and unattached at this point but don't worry. Just go ahead and weave it in as normal. 

Step 3
Now that you've woven the first part of this new spoke in, continue to weave and bring the other end of the new stake up into the next gap on the other side of the next existing spoke in your basket. You can see below what that should look like.

So just to review, you add in #1 which is new, weave #2 which is existing and then bring #3 around from the back which is the other end of the new spoke.  Then continue weaving.

Inside View
Here's what that newly attached u-shaped spoke should look like from the inside of the basket. Since you'll be adding multiple u-shaped spokes, try to keep your u-shape consistent throughout the basket. In this small-size basket, I would only add 4-6 U-shaped expansion spokes at a time. Otherwise, you'll expand too quickly and see it from the outside of the basket. That's not what we're going for. You're doing for a seamless transition, invisible to the glance.

Here's what all 4 u-shaped expansion spokes look like. Notice, they blend on the inside and they are invisible from the outside.  Once in, you just continue weaving as normal. If you continue to widen your basket, you could add more and more of these rows as needed. Again, just make sure you don't add to many at once so it causes you to notice the expansion spokes.

See the bottom side of the finished basket below with no easily visible transitions between the existing spokes and the new ones I added in with this method.

For basket weaving enthusiasts who find joy in harvesting and processing their own natural materials, cattails offer an abundant and versatile resource. These tall, reedy plants, often found in wetlands, are a traditional material used in crafting durable and aesthetically pleasing baskets. This guide will walk you through the process of locating, harvesting cattails, and preparing them for weaving, helping you create beautiful, functional cattail baskets from start to finish.

Understanding Cattails

Cattails (Typha spp.) are aquatic plants commonly found in marshes, ponds, lakes, and riversides. They are easily recognizable by their long, slender leaves and distinctive brown, cigar-shaped flower spikes. These plants have been used for centuries in various crafts, particularly in basket weaving, due to their strength, flexibility, and abundance. 

Cattail leaves are ideal for weaving because they are long, flat, and fibrous, making them easy to manipulate into intricate patterns. When dried, cattail leaves become strong and durable, ensuring that baskets made from them can withstand regular use. Cattails are perfect for twining, rib basketry, plain weaving and plaiting, all of which I teach in my online basket weaving courses. 

Locating Cattails for Harvesting

To begin your journey into cattail weaving, the first step is to locate a suitable stand of cattails. Of course, if it's not on your personal property, be sure to ask for permission! That being said, cattails thrive in wet environments, so you’ll often find them growing in dense clusters in marshes, along the edges of ponds, lakes, rivers, and even roadside ditches. They prefer shallow, slow-moving water, making them a common sight in wetlands and along shorelines.

When searching for cattails, it’s essential to consider a few factors:

• Accessibility: Choose a location where you can safely access the plants without disturbing the surrounding ecosystem. Ensure that the area is not protected or restricted, as some wetlands are conservation areas where harvesting is prohibited.
• Quality: Look for healthy, mature cattails with long, green leaves. Avoid areas where the plants appear diseased, discolored, or stunted.
• Abundance: It’s best to harvest cattails from areas where they are plentiful. This ensures that your activities have minimal impact on the local population and allows the plants to regenerate for future use.

When to Harvest Cattails

The timing of your harvest is crucial to ensuring that the cattail leaves are at their peak for weaving. The best time to harvest cattails for basket weaving is in late summer to early fall, typically between August and October. During this period, the leaves are fully grown, but they have not yet started to wither or turn brown.

In late summer, cattail leaves are still green and full of moisture, making them easier to work with during the initial stages of processing. As the season progresses into fall, the leaves begin to dry naturally on the plant, which is ideal for long-term storage and weaving.

How to Harvest Cattails

Harvesting cattails is a simple process, but it requires care to ensure that the plants remain healthy and that you collect high-quality materials for your basket weaving projects. Follow these steps for a successful cattail harvest:

1. Prepare Your Tools: You’ll need a sharp knife or a pair of pruning shears to cut the cattail leaves. Wear sturdy gloves to protect your hands from any sharp edges on the leaves or other plants in the area.
2. Select the Leaves: Choose mature cattail leaves that are at least 3 feet long. The longer the leaves, the more material you’ll have to work with. Focus on leaves that are green and free from blemishes or signs of disease.
3. Cut the Leaves: Grasp the base of the cattail leaf near the soil or water line and cut it cleanly with your knife or shears. Be careful not to damage the surrounding leaves or the plant’s root system. It’s good practice to leave some leaves on each plant to ensure its continued growth.
4. Bundle the Leaves: As you harvest, bundle the cattail leaves together to keep them organized. Use a piece of twine or a rubber band to secure the bundle. This will make it easier to transport and process the leaves later.
5. Harvest in Moderation: Take only what you need, and be mindful of the environment. Harvesting in moderation ensures that the cattail population remains healthy and sustainable for future seasons.

Processing and Drying Cattails

Once you’ve harvested your cattail leaves, the next step is to process and dry them for weaving. Proper drying is essential to prevent mold and to ensure that the leaves become strong and flexible for basket weaving.

Initial Processing

1. Rinse the Leaves: After harvesting, rinse the cattail leaves with clean water to remove any dirt, insects, or debris. This step is especially important if the leaves were harvested from a muddy or polluted area.
2. Sort the Leaves: Lay the cattail leaves out and sort them by length and thickness. This will make it easier to select the right leaves for different parts of your basket weaving project.
3. Flatten the Leaves: If the cattail leaves are particularly thick or curved, you may want to flatten them slightly before drying but that's not required. This can be done by gently pressing them between two flat surfaces, such as boards or heavy books, for a few hours. Honestly, I usually just let them dry like you see below and do any other processing after they are dry.

Over the years, a recurring question from my students, who come from all walks of life, has been about the alternatives to natural materials for weaving, especially when access to such resources is limited. It's a valid concern, particularly for those living in urban environments like apartments or condos, where the opportunity to grow and harvest natural materials is almost non-existent. Yet, the passion for weaving remains strong among them, leading to the inevitable question: How can a basket weaver continue their craft under these circumstances?

The good news is that the world of basket weaving is as diverse as it is creative, offering numerous alternatives that maintain the essence of natural weaving without the need for foraging in the great outdoors. I've explored and experimented with various materials over the years and have found several "store-bought" options that not only emulate the look and feel of natural weaving materials but also add their unique touch to the craft. Here are three of my top picks that I often recommend:
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1. Raffia: This material is a gem in the weaving world. Available in a rainbow of colors and easily dyeable, raffia doesn't require any preparation like soaking, making it ready to use straight out of the package. It's incredibly versatile, perfect for techniques like coiling, twining, and even making cordage for rib basketry. The ease of use and the natural texture make raffia a favorite among urban weavers.
2. Grapevine Wreaths: You might have seen these in craft stores like Walmart or Hobby Lobby, intended as decorative items. But here's a weaver's hack: you can deconstruct these wreaths, give the vines a quick boil to make them pliable, and voilà, you have excellent weaving material. It's a simple yet effective way to repurpose and weave something entirely new and personal.
3. Commercially Available Cordage: The variety of cordage available today is astonishing. Materials like jute, hemp, waxed linen, and even Italian spring twine offer a wide range of textures, sizes, and colors to choose from. Depending on your project, you can opt for natural hues for a subtle, earthy vibe, or dive into the spectrum of colors available to bring a vibrant energy to your work.
   
   

And let's not forget about Twisted Paper, sometimes known as "fiber rush." This alternative is readily available and offers a spectrum of colors to choose from. It requires no preparation, making it an excellent choice for those spontaneous weaving sessions. The ease of use and accessibility make it a go-to for many urban weavers looking to bring their creative visions to life.

In essence, the art of basket weaving doesn't have to be confined by the availability of natural materials. With a little creativity and exploration, the alternatives can provide not only a practical solution but also an opportunity to experiment and innovate within the craft. Whether you're nestled in a bustling city apartment or have limited access to natural resources, these materials ensure that your weaving journey continues unabated, bridging the gap between traditional craft and contemporary living. So, to all the basket weavers out there in less leafy locales, fret not—your craft can flourish with these wonderful alternatives at your fingertips.

Ever since I have been weaving, I have tried weaving in new materials and trying new ideas with my sculptural baskets. Early on, I started using copper with my baskets and began to incorporate the material into my pieces in different ways. From copper fern and rhododendron leaves, to weaving in copper wire like in the video above, copper has allowed me to expand my work. 

Complementing the natural, woody fibers of vines and barks that are my primary weaving materials, copper adds a flash of color and smooth texture. Copper leaves bring in another aspect of nature to my sculptures. In the video above, I show you how I weave copper directly in with barks to create a piece like these below. 

Due to the thick and woody bark, larger parts of grapevine have lots of texture. The wild grapevine itself grows up along existing vegetation by sending out narrow vines which coil around plants' branches and foliage to help support the vine. These tendrils appear in curls shooting out from the main parts of the grapevine. I love how these fit into the baskets because they extend out beyond the vine and are great interest points. 

Grapevine runs rampant in deciduous forest throughout the South. You will find grapevine in most forests you visit if you're in the Southeast, as will you find it growing along roadsides or along fences. You will not have a difficult time finding grapevine near you, so likely it will be a great, free resource to harvest and weave!

Over the years, I have utilized a random weave technique. It is a great way to get cool shapes using a variety of materials, including grapevine. The random weave has no discernible pattern making the pieces truly one of a kind. The tendrils in grapevine also add cool details to the baskets as they protrude from the baskets themselves. Grapevine baskets are also well complemented by copper wire and branches mixed in along with the weaving. Check out more about my grapevine baskets here. ​

Recently I was honored to participate in the Ikebana International Regional Conference held here in Asheville, North Carolina.  Having always loved Japanese basketry design and Ikebana, I hoped for a great experience.

There were over 300 ikebana artists, instructors and enthusiests in attendance and the conference at the Renaissance Hotel downtown and I was one of 9 artists selected from Asheville's incredible creative community to provide containers suitable for Ikebana.  

During the one day I was at the conference, I was blown away by the wonderful reception to my work from artists around the world.  They really GOT what I've been trying to do for 21 years, which is use basketry as a sculptural form, not just a functional object.  Funny enough, their appreciation for the sculptural nature of my work was deepened by their desire to use my work functionally in their ikebana arrangements.  I'm happy to say, I have many beautiful pieces now living all over the world!

Additionally, because of the success of the conference, the Southern Highland Craft Guild, of which I am a member, had 10 Ikebana artists do a collaborative exhibit at our recent Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands this past July.  The artists used guild members to provide ikebana containers for their incredible arrangements.  I was honored to have Terri Ellis Todd, a renown ikebana instructor and artist select my work for her incredible piece, pictured above.

If you are an ikebana artist, I'd encourage you to check out more of my work here on the Current Inventory page as you look for unique ikebana containers for your work.

Many people have asked me over the years how I harvest the inner bark of tulip poplar trees for my hand woven baskets. So, instead of writing an article, I thought I'd try a video.  Let me know what you think!  ​

Wisteria is a great ornamental plant that can be trained and used for basketry.  It’s runners have been known to run 50 feet or more when given an unobstructed area like a yard or wooded area nest to where it’s planted.  Many people grow wisteria as a trellis plant and let the runners get very long each year and then harvest them at the end of the season (like honeysuckle, bougainvillea, confederate jasmine and other ornamental vines._

Harvest in the winter time as with other vines because the sap is down, although summertime harvesting for wisteria is not out of the questions, since most of the time it’s long, straight runners don’t have any leaves.  For example, the place I get most of my wisteria for the year is a man’s house who lives close to me - his wisteria runners run under his deck and have none - ZERO - leaves in the summer.  The runners grow about 20-40 feet in length and there are hundreds.

OK, so when you get them home, I’d recommend coiling and drying the vines. You can, however weave wisteria green because it’s such a woody vine, yet very flexible, there’s almost no shrinkage.  If you want to boil it know that the bark will come off usually.  HOWEVER, the bark, especially on the runners that are pencil to finger thickness is excellent for cordage and fine twining - kind of like honeysuckle bark but MUCH better.  It’s actually akin more to kudzu bark, in that it stays together in one long strand much easier than does honeysuckle.

You can twine with wisteria very nicely or you can use it in random weaving which is what I use it for alot.   The larger wisteria you can split like kudzu, by taking a knife to the end and making a vertical incision down the center of the vine. Pull evenly and hold the vine between your knees as you split.  If it starts getting off center, simply pull to the fatter side as you split until it evens back up OR just re-clip it again with your sharp garden clippers or knife.  Wisteria without the bark dries a very nice ivory white and very smooth.  With the bark, it’s a beige color.  

Of you’re planning to plant Wisteria around your house or condo, just make sure you’re ready to keep an eye on it during the growing months and train it where you want it to go.  Otherwise you will have a beast on your hands - and PLENTY of weaving material.

For more information on Natural Basketry, visit http://www.matttommey.com/basket-weaving-classes.html and download my free PDF called "7 Tips for Making Baskets with Natural Materials".

​Inside I'll tell you what materials are good for making baskets, when to harvest, how to store and protect them, and even common tools used in the harvesting process.  ​