Start your basket-weaving journey
Basket-making is a handicraft. A basket weaver uses reed, yarn, branches, vines, plants, or fibers to form an object that can hold items for easier transport.
Basket making has been around for centuries, and many cultures create a unique style of basket using techniques passed down for generations.
Textile Indie focuses on basket weaving with a rattan. Rattan is a vine that grows on trees in Indonesian jungles. It is harvested and stripped into different widths, shapes, and lengths to form the reed used for basketry.
Rattan basket weaving employs many different techniques. Twill weave, continuous weave, triple weave, braids, plain weave, and others. Baskets can be simple shapes and styles, like a market basket, or complex, like an egg basket.
Learn how to make rattan baskets using the tutorials, patterns, videos, and resources suggested on this page. I’ve organized all Textile Indie’s basket weaving information for you.
Tools and materials for basket weaving
The list of tools needed to start basket weaving is short and inexpensive. Many items are lovely, but you can substitute everyday objects around the house.
Basket weaving reed and supplies are also relatively inexpensive for a handicraft. Baskets make fabulous home decor and gifts and are practical for organization. Basketry is a useful and economical hobby.
Basket weaving tutorials
Below is a collection of my basket tutorials. The 2-hour basket is a great place to start. Afterward, move on to the handled basket (the market basket). There are related videos for both of those baskets if you want to see the process in action.
Step-by-Step Guide to Weaving a Handled Basket corresponds to the 6-part market basket course.
Basket weaving tutorial videos
Basket weaving inspiration
My inspiration videos are often hyperlapse (sped up) and satisfying to watch. Inspiration videos are not meant for detailed instruction but creative inspiration – and maybe meditation!
Some of the baskets do correspond to a full tutorial. If so, I will like the tutorial in the YouTube description.
Basket weaving process
Process blog posts and videos go in-depth on one technique or step in the basket weaving process.
You will see a growing selection below. If you have a specific basketry question, leave a comment on any of my YouTube videos, and I will do my best to help you.
Basket making courses
If you want to go deeper into your basket-making journey, consider taking one of Textile Indie’s basketry video courses. These courses take you step-by-step through the weaving process. You’ll walk away with a completed basket and learn many basketry techniques you can apply to future basket projects.
See all Textile Indie basket courses
Textile Indie Shop: Basketry Supplies
Check out the Textile Indie Shop for kits, tools, and other materials to pursue basketry.
I keep an updated list of my favorite resources and suppliers on the Rattan Basket Weaving Resource page.
And last but not least, we come to my favorite basket resource – Basketry Immersion: A Year Long Journey community. For a complete description of everything you learn, click the link below.
Basketry Immersion: A Year-Long Journey
Check out Textile Indie’s self-paced basket program if you want to learn to weave beautiful baskets. Twelve different basket designs with video and written instructional support to learn foundational basketry techniques. Over the course of twelve months, you will receive one basket pattern and a video with supporting instructional material each month. Start at basket one and weave all twelve.
