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    Spools of basket reed on the floor

    Beginners Guide to Basket Weaving Materials

    You are here: Home / Basket Weaving / Beginners Guide to Basket Weaving Materials
    Spools of basket reed on the floor
    Pile of reed
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    Basket weaving with reed

    There are many different basket weaving styles and traditions in the world. Check out Beginners Guide to Basket Weaving for an overview of basket types and techniques.

    Here on Textile Indie we are going to focus on baskets made from the rattan plant. This is called basket reed. The pieces we’ll be weaving with are made from the inner parts of the rattan vine.

    Rattan is a vine that grows in Indonesia. It is part of the palm family (genus Calamus).

    The vines are harvested by cutting into long lengths and then processing for different purposes. For basket weaving it is put through a process to produce several different shapes and widths of basket reed.

    Reed types

    Reed comes in a variety of sizes and types. Knowing these will help you understand reed basket pattern material lists. It will also enable you to design beautiful baskets because you know what is available.

    Basket reed comes in five different types:

    • Flat reed
    • Flat oval reed
    • Oval-oval reed
    • Round reed
    • Half round reed
    Reed types diagram: flat reed, flat-oval reed, oval-oval reed, round reed, and half-round reed.

    Flat reed

    Flat reed is flat on both sides and approximately 1/16″ to 1/8″ thick.

    Profile view of flat reed.

    Flat-oval reed

    Flat oval reed is flat on one side and beveled on the other. At the center, the thickest part is approximately 1/16″ to 1/8″ thick. If you put two pieces flat sides together you would create an oval.

    Profile view of flat-oval reed.

    Oval-oval reed

    Oval-oval reed is rounded on both sides.

    Half-round reed

    Half-round reed is round on one side and flat on the other. It differs from flat-oval reed because the curve of the round side on the half-round is much more pronounced. If you put two pieces flat sides together you would create a circle.

    Round reed

    As the name implies this is a reed that has been cut into a long round cylinder. There are many different diameters available. More on sizing below.

    Round reed in different diameters.

    Reed sizes

    Reed types are then identified by the width of the reed.

    So if a pattern calls for 1/4″ flat reed, that means you will need flat reed that is 1/4″ wide.

    You can find flat reed and flat oval reed as wide as one inch and as narrow as 11/64 of an inch.

    Flat reed, flat-oval reed, oval-oval reed, and half-round reed are all sold by width in fractions of an inch or in millimeters.

    Round reed sizes

    Round reed is sized by millimeter and often sold by a number (example: #0, #1, #2…).

    Round reed sizing chart:

    #0 round reed = 1.25 mm in diameter

    #1 round reed = 1.5 mm in diameter

    #2 round reed = 1.75 mm in diameter

    #3 round reed = 2.25 mm in diameter

    #4 round reed = 2.75 mm in diameter

    #5 round reed = 3.5 mm in diameter

    #6 round reed = 4.25 mm in diameter

    #7 round reed = 5 mm in diameter

    #8 round reed = 5.75 mm in diameter

    #9 round reed = 6.25 mm in diameter

    #10 round reed = 7.5 mm in diameter

    Seagrass

    Another material that I like to use in my basket weaving is seagrass. This is a tightly twisted grass rope that is used in different functions in basket weaving as an accent to the reed.

    Seagrass is produced in several different sizes. Sold in millimeters or by a number (example: #0, #1, #2…).

    Seagrass in different weights.

    Seagrass sizing

    #0 seagrass = 2.25 – 2.75 mm

    #1 seagrass = 3.0 – 3.5 mm

    #2 seagrass = 3.5 – 4.0 mm

    #3 seagrass = 4.5 – 5.0 mm

    #5 seagrass = 6.5 mm

    Other materials- experimentation

    Baskets can be made from a variety of materials. Don’t let the list above stop your imagination from working. These are just materials used to make baskets from reed. You can always experiment with new materials.

    Other basket making materials could include: wire, paper, yarn, branches, grass, or seaweed.

    Basket Handles

    Adding a handle to your baskets adds to its usefulness and well as design.

    There are several different handles available to choose from.

    For more in depth information on handles and handle resources visit Beginners Guide to Basket Handles.

    Bin of assorted basket handles for handwoven baskets.

    Handle types

    • U handles
    • D handles
    • Swing handles

    U handles

    A “U” handle is a handle that is curved and open on the flat side.

    These handles can be tucked in to the sides of baskets. Like a bushel basket.

    "u" style handles.

    D handles

    A “D” handle is a handle that is shaped like the letter d. It is flat on three sides while curving around the forth side.

    These handles work great for market baskets.

    Assortment of "d" style basket handles for basket weaving.

    Swing handles

    A swing handle comes in multiple different styles, the overall idea is that where it meets the rim of the basket it swings to one side or the other.

    Basket with a swing handle

    Handle creation

    Just like the materials you can weave into the walls of your basket, you can create a variety of handles using other materials. Feel free to experiment with new ideas and materials to create your own handles.

    Material resources

    Basket weaving materials can be found online from several different suppliers. Here are a few that I have ordered from.

    Basket Makers Catalog

    BasketWeaving.com

    https://basketweaving.com/

    More information

    Beginners Guide to Basket Weaving

    Basket Weaving Tools: What You Need to Get Started

    Beginners Guide to Basket Handles

    Free basket course link button

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