simple custom baskets

Its the end of school year and I wanted to give my little one's Pre-K teachers a thank you gift and decided to give them a handmade basket with a cake pops in them.  I looked through my basket pattern books and could not decide what kind of basket to make... days past by and Oh my there is only a week left in the school year!!! I found these apple shaped wire which I wanted to incorporate it so figured to make them a rectangle shape basket. (I know some teachers don't like apples but that's what they are getting)  I wanted a basket about 8X4.5" which I thought would be a multipurpose, handy, useful size.  though I could use 5/8" reed and use less stakes but I went with 1/2" since I have lots of 1/2" in my scrap and lose bin. So I did some calculation, base length or with + 2 height of the basket + extra for tucking and came up with 19.5"(cut 5) for long piece, 16" (cut 9)for the short and 12" long 3/8" (cut 4)flat reed for fillers.  Mark all pieces on the center on the rough side.

laying out long pieces horizontally, putting the filler pieces in between them lining them up on the center line.  take the short piece and weave over the filler piece and under the long piece over the center line. weave 4 more on each side of the center piece.  Base should be 8X4.5" now cut the filler piece in half long ways to the nearest vertical stake on both side. fold and tuck like the illustration.

twine using either no 2 or no 3 what ever you have laying around is fine, I used colored just because I think its cute, you can use dyed or natural its your choice, it is your basket.

spray down your reed to make sure they are not brittle, upset stakes, and start weaving with what ever you like, have on hand and rim and twine! you have your custom one of a kind basket.  I still need to lash it, I'm going to do that later tonight but here is is..

I used 3 rows of 3/8"flat and 3 rows of 1/4" dyed piece. the blue was little bigger.. maybe it was 7mm not sure, and the green was 1/4"Flat Oval, because that's what I had on hand. Then two more row of 3/8" then a 1/4" as a rim row, rim with 3/8"flat oval.  I think they all turned out cute.. minus the lashing.. I think I will lash with 3/16 or 11/64 flat oval.  Oh I also used no3 seagrass as a rim filler.