Natural Fibers| Baskets | Crafts

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The craft of basket making using natural fibers was often associated with home activities in early colonial America, such as collecting eggs and making cheese  Many Native Americans created beautiful pieces of art in their weaves. My Aunt taught classes on weaving and we liked to spend a day with her learning new techniques and the stories behind the baskets.

I like the weave in the bottom of this cheese basket. Cheese curds would be poured into a cheese cloth placed in the basket and then a weight would be placed on the cheese to remove excess water or whey.

Decorative Basket

Since I have no window directly above the sink in my kitchen, this loosely woven square basket, with some out of fashion porcelain fruit is a metaphorical smile. The "basket full of smiles," is a dust magnet and can be easily removed and sprayed with water right there at the sink. Easy, peasy, and sparkling once again.



























Repairs can be made to baskets with the knowledge of one secret. Soak your reed in water first, that will make it pliable and easy to weave through an area just as though you are sewing on a button. 

My Egg Basket

The first basket that I created was an egg basket made with grapevine for the handle and upper edge. Not bad for a first attempt. I keep this above a shelf I have to keep crafts organized.

Natural Fibers

Use Grapevine, Reeds, Rushes, Grasses, Abaca

Reworking a rustic corner with hanging herbs and Mustang grapevine I am still looking for the right "something". During November, December, and January the climate allowed display of a continually blooming Christmas cactus tiered atop the pot of sedum. 

Grassroots Horticulhhture

2006-2017

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Family | Altingiaceae

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Gardening | Plant ID

sweet gum

Liquidambar                                                                  

American sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

The leaf can be easily identified by the 3-5 pointed star shape. Sweet gum belonged formerly to the witch hazel family (Hamemelidaceae), but has been assigned to the Altingiaceae family with Liquidamber being the only cultivar in the family.

The sweet gum tree is easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained, non-alkaline soils in full sun.  The trees are winter hardy in USDA hardiness zone 5-9. The tree shape is rounded to columnar and has a ball shaped fruit. Often selected as a fast growing shade tree it can provide beautiful fall color. The fall color has a wide range; including golden yellow to bright red and crimson red. The gumball seed pod, called a multiple capsule, will attract small birds but can become a nuisance when they dry and fall to the ground.

In the spring a new crop of gumballs begin to form, green throughout the summer, but gradually drying out to become spiky brown seed-carrying hulls or complex "seed capsules." In the sweet gum the globose fruiting heads are composed of numerous tiny capsules, each bearing one or two winged seeds and a number of immature seeds.  The capsuled fruit provides seeds to small  birds in the summer and fall. Chickadees, finches, and nuthatches will begin pressing their small beaks into the sweet gum balls’ many chambers, extracting the two edible seeds that each chamber contains. 

If you enjoy working with children on natural crafts, gather the sweet gum seed pods and peruse ideas on this Pinterest board, jam packed with something for all ages. 

Sweet Gum Bark

A brilliant red sweet gum leaf against a canvas of golden ginkgo leaves

All material © 2007-2019 by Jeanette Hyden for Grassroots Horticulture

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How to Make a Pine Cone Wreath | DIY

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Supplies:

Circular wire wreath frame 12”

Floral wire, Paddle Wire 22 Gauge 110 Feet-Green

Wire cutters

Gloves

Elongated Pine/Spruce Cones (30) to frame the wreath.

Rounded and pyramidal shaped cones,

(you will be creating clusters of 3 to 5 cones before attaching the cluster to the frame)

Use elongated cones such as from Norway Spruce to form the frame of the wreath.

Cut 10” – 12” (30) wires for the elongated cones.

Bend one wire in half and attach it to a single elongate cone at the top.

Wire all 30 in this same manner.

Attach these to the outer frame.

Cut wire for clusters and form groups (3-5 cones) with rounded cones. After I have several clusters created, I start to attach the clusters. Fill with clusters.

You can accessorize with a bow.

Link to Cones from Evergreen Trees on Pinterest

All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar. --Helen Hayes

©  Grassroots Horticulture

2000-2015

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