A slotted base has slots cut around its edge that hold the stakes, so you can start weaving without gluing them down. This is the basic method behind most Williams Family Mill kits. Your kit’s own pattern comes first; this guide explains the idea.
What you need
- A slotted base in the shape and size of your basket
- Stakes, the upright pieces of reed or cane that form the frame
- Weavers, the long flexible pieces you weave over and under the stakes
- A mold, if your pattern uses one, and a matching fitted rim
Steps
- Prepare the reed. Reed and cane bend more easily when damp, so dampen them as your pattern directs.
- Set the stakes. Press one stake into each slot. The slots are cut to hold stakes without glue.
- Shape the frame. If you are using a mold, fit the base to it and guide the stakes up along its sides.
- Weave. Pass a weaver over one stake and under the next, row after row, pushing each row down snugly against the last.
- Stop at the guide. Kit molds carry a guide that shows where to stop weaving and cut the stakes so the rim fits.
- Finish. Trim the stakes and add the rim as your pattern describes. See how to attach a fitted rim.
Want a first project that includes all of this? Try the Heart Trinket Basket kit or browse all complete kits.
About the mill: Williams Family Mill is a family business in Burgaw, North Carolina. Candice Williams has taught basket weaving for several decades, published patterns and served as Vice-President of the North Carolina Basketmakers’ Association. Questions? Call 910-599-0446 or contact the mill.