Peppermint Twist ­ NEW for 2006 2006 by GH Productions Inc. The Basket Maker's Catalog Enjoy this easy to make basket. The Peppermint Twistmakes an excellent gift for your family and friends. Features a filled bottom, French Randing and decorative side handles. Size: 4" x 3" x 4 1/2" tall including handles. Please print this FREE pattern and share with your friends.

Materials for Peppermint Twist Basket: Click item for more details. Click ADD to add item to your cart, use your "back" button to return to this page.

Quantity Description Item Add to Cart

30 ft. 1/4" Flat Reed Natural ­ Stakes, Weavers and Handles

Item 1014

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12 ft. 1/4" Cherry Dyed Flat

Item CH14

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Reed ­ Randing

3 ft. 7 mm Flat Oval Reed Natural ­ Rims

Item 3370

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3 ft. Fine Fine Cane ­ Lashing

Item 4214

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Notes: Read all directions before beginning your basket. Read each step all the way through before beginning that step.

Supplies / Tools:

Pliers Stapler

Scissors or Shears

Carving Knife

Clothespins (spring type)

Pencil

Measuring Tape

Container to hold water

Basketry Packing Tool

Old Towel

Hints in working with Reed:

1. Soaking a few minutes in warm water is usually long enough to make reed or cane flexible. If reed becomes dry while you are weaving, re­soak or spray until pliable.

2. Do not over soak your reed; it will become mushy. 3. After soaking the dyed reed, rub with an old towel to

remove excess dye. 4. Flat Reed has a smooth side and a rough side. You

can determine the rough side by sharply bending a wet piece of reed in half. The rough side will usually fray or splinter more than the smooth side. Work with the smooth side of the reed to the outside of the basket.

5. Keep your weaving even and the rows touching as you make your basket. Pack the rows following completion of each section.

6. As you weave, gently move the stakes to keep them vertical, to maintain equal space between stakes and to maintain the needed circumference.

7. Reed should be completely dry before being stored.

Preparing the Base: Cut 5 stakes 12" long from 1/4" natural flat reed. Cut 7 stakes 10 1/4" long from 1/4" natural flat reed. Using a pencil, mark these stakes 4" from each end on the rough side of the reed. See Figure 1.

Figure 1. Cut 4 filler pieces 4" long from 1/4" natural flat reed.

Dampen your stakes and fillers. Using your pencil marks as guides (rough side up) layout your base as follows:

1. Place a 12" stake vertically on your work surface. 2. Cross over with a 10 1/4" stake. 3. Place a 4" filler piece vertically over the 10 1/4"

stake and next to the 12" vertical stake. 4. Place another 12" stake under the 10 1/4" stake

and touching the 4" filler piece. 5. Weave a 10 1/4" stake under the 12" stakes and

over the 4" filler piece leaving about 5/16" space between horizontal stakes.

6. Weave a 10 1/4" stake over the 12" stakes and under the 4" filler piece leaving about 5/16" space between horizontal stakes.

See Photo 2a.

Photo 2a

Alternately weave the 4" filler pieces and the 12" stakes across the 10 1/4" stakes aligning pencil marks. The 12" stakes and filler should touch each other. See Photo 2b.

Photo 2b

Now weave the remaining 10 1/4" stakes across the filler pieces and the 12" stakes leaving about 5/16" space between horizontal stakes. Your base should measure about 2 1/4" wide and 4" long. Check to make sure your base is rectangular, the stakes are evenly spaced and that 4" of each stake extends beyond the base on all four sides. See Photo 2c.

Photo 2c

Upsetting your Basket: Dampen your base. Upset your basket by creasing every stake at a right angle to the base. Crease the stakes at the edge of the base. See Photo 3.

Photo 3

Weaving your Basket: Begin weaving (on a long side of the base) by placing a wet piece of 1/4" natural flat reed on the outside of the second stake from the left. The smooth side of the weaver should face to the outside. See Photo 4.

Photo 4

Weave around your basket using a plain weave ­ over one and under one. This may be confusing on row 1. A good way to think about this is: the weaver is weaving "outside" the basket on the upright stakes and "inside" the basket on the stakes which are lying on the table. The stakes lying on the table will be picked up by row 2. To make your splice, overlap the ends of the weaver for a distance of 4 stakes. Cut the weaver so it will be hidden behind a stake when the stake is upright. See Photo 5.

Photo 5

Start row 2 on the opposite side of the basket from the row 1 splice. See Photo 6. Where row 1 is inside a stake ­ row 2 will be on the outside of the stake, etc. Weave around the basket in a plain weave picking up the stakes that were lying on the table. Overlap ends when you complete the row. Weave 1 more row in plain weave for a total of 3 independent rows. Pack rows of weaving. Adjust stakes so they are vertical and evenly spaced.

Photo 6

Cut 24 pieces 5" long from the dyed 1/4" flat cherry reed. Wet the pieces and bend the pieces across your fingers to make them more pliable. Wipe off any excess dye from your reed with an old towel or paper towel. Start the randing on a long side of your basket. Place the end behind a stake and behind the third row of weaving. Now weave over the first stake to the right and behind the third stake to the right and over the fourth stake to the right. The weaving will be slanting to the right. See Photo 7.

Photo 7

In the space to the left of the first row of randing, weave another piece of the 1/4" dyed cherry flat reed just like the first row of randing. See Photo 8 ­ showing 3 rows of randing. Continue weaving until you have woven 23 rows of randing into your basket.

Photo 8

On the 24th row of randing the weaving may be a little tight ­­ adjust the stakes and other rows of randing if needed. See Photo 9.

Photo 9

Working around your basket, weave each piece of randing behind the next stake to the right, over the second stake to the right and behind the third stake to the right, leaving the end to the inside. See Photos 10 and 11.

Photo 10

Photo 11

Weave a row of independent plain weave with the 1/4" natural flat reed above the rows of randing. Weave this row using the same over and under pattern as row 3 of the plain weave. Now is the time to "pack" the rows. Working around your basket, straighten the stakes and make all the randing rows slant at the same angle. See Photo 12.

Photo 12

Cut the randing flush with the edge of the stakes on the INSIDE of the basket. See Photo 13.

Photo 13

Weave 2 more independent plain weave rows from the 1/4" natural flat reed for a total of 3 plain weave rows above the randing. On the third row, cut the weaver to butt against itself instead of a normal 4 stake overlap. See Photo 14.

Photo 14

Cut all the stakes level with the top row of the basket. Cut 2 pieces 6" long from the 1/4" natural flat reed for your handles. Wet these handles. From the INSIDE, on the narrow end of your basket, on the second stake from the left, slide one end of the handle behind the third row from the top and behind one row of randing. Bend the handle around and, on the second stake from the right side, slide the end behind the third row from the top and behind one row of randing. Repeat for the other end of your basket. You may need a tool to help open a space for your handle. See Photos 15 and 16.

Photo 15

Photo 16

Staple the top row of weaving in 6 places. Staples must penetrate the weaving and a stake. Staple one side of each handle. Squeeze each staple with a pair of pliers to keep the pointed ends of the staple tight against the basket. See Photo 17.

Photo 17

Your rims will be made from 7mm flat oval. The length of your outside rim will be the measurement around the top of your basket plus 2 1/2". The length of your inside rim will 1" shorter than the outside rim. In order to form a smooth joint where the rims overlap you need to carve some of the thickness from both ends of each rim. Soak your rims for a minute or two. To determine exactly where to carve, attach the rims around the top of your basket (with clothespins). Mark the rims where they overlap — marking the rounded side of one end of the rim and the flat side of the other end. See Photo 18. Mark both rims then remove rims from your basket.

Photo 18

Carve the rounded side of one end at an angle and the flat side of the other end at the same angle using a carving knife or hand plane forming a smooth overlapping joint as shown in Figure 2.

Attach the carved rims to your basket with clothespins. The rims should cover the top row. With a wet 3 foot piece of fine fine cane lash your rims to your basket. Start by tucking the end of your lashing up under the inside rim, over the top row and down behind the outside rim. The shiny side of your lashing should be to the outside as you lash. See Photo 19 and Figure 3.

Photo 19

Working left to right from the outside of your basket, bring the free end of your lashing over the rims and between two stakes to the inside of your basket just below the rims. Pull this stitch tight. Continue lashing into every space between stakes. Keep your lashing tight and secure with a clothespin as you lash. See Photo 20.

Photo 20

To finish, tuck the end under the third row of weaving from the top on the INSIDE of your basket. Pull tight and clip the excess. See Photos 21 and 22.

Photo 21

Congratulations! Enjoy your Peppermint Twist Basket. Photo 22