Avana's Mini World: A 'how-to-do' on making baskets

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

A 'how-to-do' on making baskets

I still don't know what will be sold in the open place/market stall of the Italian diorama, but I do know I want there to be lots of baskets in all different shapes and sizes.
They won't be fancy wicker baskets (though I want to learn to make those some day), but the simple, natural looking ones you see in (miniature) Italian nativity villages :)

There are so many tutorials to be found, that I have the feeling that I only discovered the tip of the iceberg :) And what I didn't know is how many different techniques there are. I want to try as many as possible for this Italian shop ^^

I remembered making this basket a little over 3 years ago, when I'd just started making miniatures. The method was a very simple one, just some paper and string, but the result very nice, I think. I might do some of those for this project as well. The tutorial can be found here.

I started this time with this helpful tutorial by El Rincón de Manora. Very easy, with great results.

To make taller baskets I used Prym glass-headed pins, 0.80 x 48mm, my father once gave my. To get the weaving straight up, I'd put something of the same size in the middle (in this case a cork).

I used embroidery thread with this basket.

This one had no bottom, and I used some
distress ink to colour it. Least favourite so
far but maybe I can make it better (a)

I drybrushed a bit of brown acrylic paint
and that blended nicely with the matt
varnish I used right after.

After making those baskets I tried a different technique using embroidery thread. I like the look of that one, though I won't be making a lot of those because they are just a bit to neat for the Italian scene in my humble opinion :)
To make this little brown basket also was more time-consuming, compared to the others, and it took more than 6 mt of thread.

But working on that brown basket I got inspired to use the same method and make this lilac shopping.beach bag :)

Last monday we had our monthly crafting club. I'd soaked the jute twine (I think that's what it's called?) in a cup of coffee for about ten minutes, early that morning, and I really like how that turned out. Love the colour itself and the way the twine looks a bit more coarse.

I've made another round, tall basket with that twine, because somehow I've lost the other one I'd made.

I had struggled with the way to made a rectangular basket, because you need to work with an odd number of pins. Then I found this tutorial - wich is helpful anyway but - that explained how you could work with an even number of pins by using a double thread.
I added a bottom to the rectangular form later which I made by weaving a flat little mat with the coffee coloured twine. I attachted braided twine around the bottom edges and two handles.
This is my favourite so far, not so neat for the glue part, but that's okay, I'll be making better ones ^^

For more tutorials and example of baskets you're welcome to take a look at my Pinterest board.

Somewhere along the way I've also found a site with lots of tutorials. I saved the list but forgot to save the link to the website itself. So not my list, and if you know where it's from, I would be grateful if you'd let me know!

Bead Baskets - from Specks and Keepings

Easter Basket - from Mouse market

Hats and Baskets from Coiled Thread

Accessories Basket for Kitchen or Bath - from Miniaturas y Casas de Munecas

Baby Basket - from About.com

Baskets from Needlepoint Canvas - Photobucket album

Baskets from Needlepoint Canvas - from Casey's Minis

Basketry Techniques by Jicolin (French) includes laundry basket

Bushel Basket from Cardstock - from 1 Inch Miniatures

Easter Basket - from Joanne's Minis

Garden Basket - from 1 Inch Minis

Gift Baskets - from Danielle Muller