In Rus', basket weaving was quite common. Almost every peasant could weave a good basket if necessary. Well, basket makers weaved baskets for every taste: small and large, round and rectangular, oval and conical, with simple and complex weaving, with and without lids. It was difficult to manage without baskets on the farm. They wore clothes to the river; taken on the road, setting off on a long journey; they harvested crops in them; We went mushroom hunting with them.
In modern life, baskets also find various uses, and it’s hard to imagine a real mushroom picker without them. And willow is best suited for mushrooms. The willow branches from which the basket is woven contain a large amount of tannins. Thanks to them, the mushrooms do not spoil for a long time, and the air passing through the rods as if through a filter is cleaned of harmful microorganisms. In addition, willow twigs absorb excess moisture and, thanks to their thermal insulation properties, protect mushrooms from overheating.
First of all, you need to prepare good quality raw materials. More than 170 species of willows grow wild in our country. The rods of many of them, after appropriate processing, are quite suitable for weaving. Willow wood is famous for its flexibility and high ductility. Only some types of willows, for example brittle willow, are not suitable for weaving due to their fragility. Of the wild willows, the most commonly harvested for weaving are young shoots of willow, willow, and willow.
Three-stamen willow, popularly called belotal, whitevine or simply vine, is a small shrub that grows along the banks of rivers, lakes and other bodies of water in almost all regions of our country. The leaves of the belotal are oblong, long and shiny. The bark is greenish-yellow on the outside and lemon yellow on the inside.
Basket willow, also called broom and white willow, is a shrub or small tree. One-year-old young branches are yellow or olive-brown. The leaves are long, lanceolate, smooth above, and silky-tomentose, whitish below. The eye vein running along the lip is yellow and sometimes slightly brownish.
Along roads, on the banks of rivers and ponds, or not far from housing, you can often find a large spreading tree, sometimes reaching thirty meters in height. This is white willow, or willow. The branches of the willow are green-yellow, the bark is covered with silky hairs resembling a whitish coating. You've probably seen more than once how in a matter of seconds, as soon as a gusty wind blows, the willow crown turns from green to silver-white.
In the old days, peasants harvested willow using the so-called topless method. They cut off the top of a willow tree growing near the house, which was used for firewood and various crafts. By autumn, the remaining part of the trunk was densely overgrown with young shoots suitable for weaving. Most of the twigs were cut off, and by the next autumn new ones grew in their place. They do approximately the same thing in modern basket production, breeding cultivated species of willow - twig-shaped, purple and others - in special areas.
For weaving, rods aged from one to two years are usually used. For small, elegant weaving, annual shoots are taken, which in some species of willows are thin and long, like a cord; for weaving large items, as well as for making basket frames - two years. Willow rods intended for weaving must be long, thin, flexible, viscous, straight-layered and split well along the fibers. It is necessary to harvest only those rods whose surface, after removing the bark from them, looks clean and glossy.
For baskets, try to prepare rods at least 60-70 cm long with a diameter at the butt (at the cut point) of 5-10 mm. Typically, willow shoots on one bush have approximately the same physical and mechanical properties. Therefore, before cutting twigs from a bush, first check the quality of one of them. If a willow branch has a core that is too large when cut, and even with a brownish-reddish tint, do not take twigs from such a bush - they, as a rule, are brittle. For our purposes, we need branches that have a small, barely visible core when cut. And, of course, you need to choose fairly straight shoots, without growths and knots.
It is possible to harvest vines for weaving baskets almost all year round.
But most often basket makers prepare it in the spring or autumn. The bark of spring twigs can be easily removed without pre-treatment. But if the twigs are cut at another time of the year, then in order to remove the bark, they need to be soaked or evaporated. In summer and autumn, the rods are soaked in running water from a river or stream; It is also possible in a barrel or trough, but in this case it is necessary to change the water every day. The harvested vine is tied into a bundle, a load - stones - is placed inside and immersed in water. To prevent the rods from being carried away by the current, they are tied with a rope to a peg driven into the bank. The rods are soaked for one to two weeks.
Instead of soaking, you can steam them. Then the processing time will be reduced from one or two weeks to one or two hours. Place the rods in a tank or trough, fill with water and put on fire. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for one to two hours. Then take out the rods, wait until they cool down, and remove the bark with a pincer (Fig. 5).
There are many designs of pinch pins, but the simplest of them is a metal slingshot driven into a massive bench, table or log. The squeezer can be made from two metal rods. Hammer pointed rods of the same length into a wooden base at the same time. Wrap them from below with thick wire, laying turn to turn, to a height of 5-7 cm. Spread the free upper ends - you get a slingshot.
To remove the bark from a twig, insert it with the thickened butt part into the pinch and, pressing the twig to the pinch with your left hand, pull it towards you with your right. If the bark is removed only from one side, pass the rod through the pinch again. Sort the cleaned rods by thickness. If you were unable to prepare thin rods, then split the thicker ones into strips - halves and quarters. Remember that wood that is too damp does not split well, so dry it at room temperature.
Etch or paint some of the rods intended for artistic weaving. A grayish-brown color is obtained if the rods are dipped in a solution of iron sulfate for a while; brown color - in a solution of potassium permanganate or in a decoction of alder bark.
If you want bright colors, use regular aniline fabric dyes or colored inks. For a bucket of hot water you need about four packets of aniline dyes. Add a few tablespoons of acetic acid to the paint solution. To ensure that the rods are well dyed, soak them in the dye for three hours. Then rinse with clean water and dry at room temperature. Immediately before weaving, soak the rods in cold water.
To weave a basket yourself, you need, first of all, to master the various types of weaving and methods of sealing the side.
The most common is simple weaving. In some cases, to speed up the process, it is performed in two or three rows at once (Fig. 1). Although simple weaving is quite quick and easy, its strength is not high.
A variation of simple weaving is weaving in inclined rows (Fig. 2). By alternating rows of multi-colored rods, you can achieve great decorative expressiveness.
Rope weaving (Fig. 3) is used in cases where special strength is desired in some areas of the basket. For example, in flower beds, intersecting or parallel rods are intertwined with a “rope”.
Checkerboard weaving (Fig. 4) is used mainly for decorative purposes. Rods of two contrasting colors are laid alternately as in ordinary simple weaving, only not through one riser rod, but through two.
The beauty and strength of the basket largely depend on the correct sealing of the side.
The easiest and fastest way is through one riser rod. The first rod is wound behind the second, the second behind the third, and so on until the last (Fig. 6).
The side is also sealed with two rods, only through two riser rods (Fig. 7)
or with one rod - through two riser rods (Fig. 8). Using these methods, the ends of the rods must be brought inside the basket, and the remaining ones must be carefully trimmed with a knife.
Sealing the side with a “pigtail” takes more time, but it gives the basket special beauty and expressiveness. To braid the braid, the edge is first closed in a simple way through one rod. In this case, all the rods are tied together with threads of three and intertwined as is done when weaving a regular braid. When braiding a braid around the side, the used rods are trimmed, closing their ends under the braid, successively including more and more new groups of rods into the weaving (Fig. 9).
Instructions
Prepare material for weaving. Harvesting willow can be done all year round, but the best vine is in the spring before flowering begins. At this time, the branches are flexible and pliable, and it is easy to remove the bark from them. Also, very good material grows by August, by which time the willow grows long and even shoots.
The best rods for weaving are annual shoots with a diameter of 10-12 mm. Cut the willow branches with a sharp knife. Remove the bark from them immediately. Then leave the cleaned rods in the air for 5-7 days to dry.
If you are harvesting the material in the fall, or the branches have dried out before you plan to remove the bark, the twigs should be soaked for several days and then steamed in hot water. After this, immerse the willow branches in cold water and remove the bark.
You can weave from solid twigs or from so-called ribbons, that is, willow branches split into strips. This can be done with a simple sharp knife or a special device - a cleaver. The thickness of the tapes depends on the product and how you intend to use it. For small ones intended for storing various things, tapes 2-3 mm thick are suitable, and products for picking berries, fruits, mushrooms or storing need to be woven from strips 5-7 mm thick, or from whole rods.
To weave a basket, take 8 rods. Make cuts in 4 in the middle, fold them together and insert 4 rods into the split. This way you will have a base cross.
Take 2 thinner rods and begin to braid the crosspiece in a figure eight, that is, one rod is on top of the base, the second is on the bottom. Make 2-3 rows.
Spread all the base rods. You will get 16 rays. Add another branch so that the number of rays of the base is odd. Continue making the bottom, braiding each beam with two rods in a figure eight. When you get the bottom of the required diameter, add one more to the 16 rods of the base (there is no need to add to the 17th), secure them in the bottom. There should be 33 rods in total.
Choose a template to weave with. This can be an ordinary saucepan or bucket. Place it on the bottom and bend the branches of the base upward. Gather them into a bun over the template and tie them.
Then the racks need to be braided with a double or triple rope (figure of eight) in the same way as the bottom was braided. Try to place the rods as close to each other as possible. Adjust them to each other with a special device - a mallet. It should be massive enough and at the same time narrow so that it can fit freely between the racks. If the working branch runs out, substitute the next one, and hide the ends inside the product.
After you have weaved the walls of the basket to the required size, remove the template and seal the side of the product. To do this, place the rack behind the 2 subsequent ones and insert it between the bars of the basket wall. Then do the same with all the other racks. Cut off the excess protruding ends of the vine with a knife.
Attach a handle to the basket. Take a rod and sharpen it on both sides. Insert it into the sides of the basket. Now take a bunch of thin rods and insert them next to the handle base. Wrap a bunch of willow branches around the warp rod, trying to keep them as straight as possible. Braid to the end of the handle and tie it with a knot. Cut off excess parts of the rods with wire cutters or a knife.
Weaving willow baskets is a simple but incredibly exciting activity. Moreover, this type of needlework is practiced not only by the older generation, but also by young people. You can weave a product of absolutely any shape and size from willow vine, which can be an excellent gift for friends or relatives. It is enough to follow the step-by-step willow weaving pattern for beginners.
Modern products woven from willow branches are very popular. They decorate not only summer cottages, but also city apartments. In addition, they not only bring practical benefits, but also decorate the room.
I must immediately add that collecting branches for weaving does not harm the tree. On the contrary, it is able to rejuvenate and improve his health. This type of needlework is popular not only in villages, but also in big cities. It’s especially nice that willow weaving is an absolutely inexpensive hobby, because you can collect the necessary material yourself.
Willows are widespread in Russia. Therefore, finding a tree and collecting material will not be difficult. If you don’t want to do it yourself, then willow vines can be purchased in specialized stores that offer handicraft supplies.
The basket can be woven not only from willow twigs, but also from the branches of a walnut tree, grape vines and many other shrubs. The main condition: the rods must be flexible and long. There should be no branching on the collected braiding material. All collected willow vines are divided into:
- unrooted, that is, unpeeled branches;
- debarked is a peeled vine.
Both peeled and whole branches are suitable for needlework. Large household items are created from solid vines, such as fences, very large baskets, and various furniture. Vases, boxes, bread bins and other small products are woven from peeled branches.
Collection of material should be carried out in late autumn or early spring, when the tree does not have sap flow. In addition, during this period the willow vine is especially flexible, but in summer the branches are very brittle, so it is very difficult to weave from them.
If harvesting is done in the spring, the branches must be cleaned immediately. But autumn vines need to be boiled before cleaning.
The preparation process is simple, although you will have to spend some time on it. But the weaving technique itself is very interesting and fascinating. Although for beginners it will be quite difficult to weave a willow basket.
Required Tools
To work with willow branches, you need to prepare tools that will greatly simplify the process of wicker weaving. For beginning craftsmen, this point is especially important. To work you will need:
At the end of the work you will need stain or varnish, as well as brushes of the required sizes. They are needed in order to give the woven product a more aesthetic and finished look.
If all the tools are prepared and the willow branches are collected, then you can begin the basket weaving itself. But at the very beginning you will have to master some weaving rules and basic techniques.
Weaving technology
The traditional weaving technique starts from the bottom of the basket. After this, the walls, bends and handles of the product are woven. If you have no experience in this activity, then it is better to start with round-shaped products, as they have a simpler design. At the beginning you need to learn how to perform basic techniques, acting step by step:
- technique of weaving a rounded bottom;
- weaving using rope technique;
- layer weaving;
- bending
During work, it is necessary to constantly compact and compact the wickerwork so that the craft or basket does not turn out to be too flimsy and soft in the future. All branches should be located tightly and evenly to each other. Having learned these basic basics, you will be able to master more complex techniques for knitting willow baskets. The finished product can be decorated with braids, which are woven from birch bark and straw. Such handmade wickerwork will make an excellent gift.
At the very beginning, you need to properly prepare the material. To do this, you need to remove the bark from the branches and then leave it for 5 days (best in the open air). After this, you can proceed directly to the weaving process.
The technique is as follows:
- the bottom and edges of the basket must be woven using round and solid rods;
- the walls are woven with branches split into several parts.
To split the rods you will need a hardwood cleaver. You need to make a shallow cut at the tip of the twig and insert the prepared cleaver into it. Thus, the rod will split into the required number of parts. After this, you need to soak the split willow in cold water for three hours and remove the brown center from it.
Before you start weaving, you need to moisten the willow twigs. To do this, you can use a spray bottle, or simply place the prepared material in a deep container of water. Once the required amount of willow has been prepared, you can begin to work. To create a shopping cart you must complete the following steps:
As you can see, the wicker weaving technique is not as complicated as it might seem at first. It is enough just to properly prepare and prepare the willow material and strictly follow the weaving pattern. Even a beginner can perform these basic steps. And having already gained experience, you can start making more serious products, for example, weaving a rocking chair. In addition, such a hobby, if you have some skill, can become a fairly profitable business.
Wicker furniture creates a special sunny mood in the house. It is not only beautiful and elegant, but also durable and comfortable. Despite the apparent complexity, you can make such furniture yourself. The main thing is to know some of the features of weaving.
The most popular material for wicker furniture is willow.
Preparation of raw materials for work
The branches of many plants are used for weaving, but the most popular is willow. The thinner the core of the rod, the better the quality of the raw material. Rods with a thick core are also suitable for work. They are used to make the basis for large products. But for openwork and airy creations, it is best to choose a material with a thin “heart”. When harvesting, you should also pay attention to the width of the willow leaf. The narrower it is, the more elastic the vine will be and the more openwork the weaving will be.
Raw materials can be harvested from October until the onset of severe frosts, as well as in the spring. During this period, the rods are well cleaned.
Tools for weaving from willow: A - knife, B - pinch pin, C, D - splinter and work with it, D - flat planer, E - edge planer.
Before you start making furniture from willow, you should decide how it will be made. There are two types of wicker furniture: frameless and stick. The peculiarity of the first type is that ordinary sticks are used in the manufacturing process. In the finished structure they play the role of stiffeners. In products made by the second method, a supporting structure is constructed from sticks.
You can weave furniture in different ways. The main types are single, openwork and combined weaving. They allow you to create both integral surfaces and create patterns.
To fasten parts of wicker products, two types of joints are used: detachable and permanent. The first method will be convenient when you plan to disassemble the furniture, for example, for transportation. However, it should be noted that it is rarely used. The second type of connection is more popular. In this case, conventional fasteners (nails, glue) are used, which makes the finished structure more durable. Plus, this method is much easier to use, especially for a novice weaver.
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Frame making
You can make any thing from willow branches with your own hands. A small wicker sofa will always be appropriate both in a country house and on a balcony in a city apartment. To do such a necessary thing, you need to prepare. To work you will need:
- Willow twigs.
- Strong sticks with a diameter of 25-30 mm.
- Sandpaper.
- Hammer.
- Sharp knife.
- Secateurs or scissors for cutting twigs.
- Roulette.
- Self-tapping screws and small nails for fastening.
- Hacksaw.
- Glue.
- Screwdriver.
- Stain.
- Foam rubber and fabric for draping the seat.
First you need to prepare the material. Remove the bark from sticks and twigs and leave them to dry. Before starting work, lightly sand the raw material to protect your hands from splinters.
Elements of wicker furniture frames: 1 – sub-brace, 2 – sub-brace, 3 – crosspiece, 4 – horseshoe-shaped leg, 5 – U-shaped leg, 6 – I-beam, 7 – I-beam with two longitudinal rods.
Making a sofa begins with creating a frame. For the future seat, 4 blanks are cut from prepared sticks: 2 x 600 mm and 2 x 400 mm. You need to fasten them together with self-tapping screws to form a rectangle.
To make the sofa more stable, it is better to install 3 legs in front and behind. For the front legs, cut blanks of a length that corresponds to the distance from the seat to the floor, for example, 400 mm. They should be attached with self-tapping screws to one side of the seat frame at an equal distance, in this case every 200 mm.
As for the rear legs, then the height of the backrest must be added to the height from the seat to the floor. For example, a height of 250 mm is selected. Then you should prepare 2 legs of 650 mm each, which will be fixed on the sides. It is better to make the leg, which will be installed in the middle, higher, for example, 750 mm. This will allow you to make the back with a beautiful curve. Attach the legs to the seat frame.
To decorate the backrest, you need to cut a blank that will be longer than the seat. Using self-tapping screws, secure it to the upper ends of the rear legs. The result will be a back in the form of an arc.
The frame needs to be stiffened. The same sticks that were used for the frame itself will act as stiffening ribs. Be sure to mount them at the same height. First, the lateral and middle legs are fastened together. To secure these stiffeners, it is necessary to attach 2 blanks along the length of the seat. The next step is to connect the outer legs with the middle back one. The blanks are attached diagonally. The edge that will be attached to the outer legs should be placed at the level of the rib that fastens the back and front legs, and the other should be slightly below the seat.
How to weave a basket from willow twigs. Master Class
Of course, it is much easier to weave from newspapers, but if any of you consider weaving from newspaper tubes to be a frivolous activity, I suggest you try weaving a basket from willow twigs. You can also weave from reeds, birch branches, bast, birch bark, and so on. I consider the topic relevant, since the author collects willow twigs specifically in the winter months of the year. Note: if you are going to weave from fresh twigs, then do not forget that not all shoots are suitable for weaving. The branch needs to be bent in half and if it does not straighten or return to its original position, then it is not suitable for weaving a basket. A basket of freshly cut twigs will take a very long time to dry, several weeks, and will become deformed and change in size. It is advisable to dry the branches before weaving. Heavily dried twigs can also be made flexible by soaking them in water for a day.
To work, we will need willow twigs and a minimum of tools: a knife and garden shears. I found a master class on the English website bushcraft.ridgeonnet.com, there are many more publications on the topic of weaving from various natural materials and crafts for the garden, cottage and outdoor activities. If you have any questions, you can find the information yourself, although it is in English. You can use an excellent free text translation program. The Dicter program is an online translator, free software for the operating system Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. The program is very easy to use, with its help you can translate any texts from foreign sites, as well as text files and programs from any language in the world. You can watch a video on using the program on the website dicter.ru
