Basket Weaving

Basket Weaving is known to have played a role in every civilization ever, throughout history. It has been around for 10s of thousands of years. The materials are readily available an the functions are numerous. Baskets have been custom made to carry just about everything from food and water to babies. Weaving is also used to make hats, traps, strainers, moulds, umbrellas, chairs, mats and the list goes on.The methods are simple but require a bit of practice. It takes a very skilled weaver to make a basket tight enough to hold water, but it has been done.

The students are learning how to weave a basic basket. While weaving the reeds have to soak periodically and so while their basket is soaking they are working on Celtic Knot Designs. These two projects work well together because drawing a Celtic knot requires the same rhythmic, over and under pattern.