HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN WICKER BASKET
WICKER BASKET
Tools:
knife, garden scissor and a cane or a wedged cylinder
BASKETRY TOOLS

IWICKERSt is necessary to cut six rods from the thicker extremity of the wickers; the length of such rods will determine the diameter of the base. Make a small cut to half length on three rods and insert the others three to form one cross. Wrap a thin wicker between the arms of the "cross" to tie the rods.<
You can now begin to weave the base. Take two wickers and begin to interlace alternating them over-and-under every rod of the "cross", gradually forming twelve spokes. After two or three turns, you go on using three wickers in the sequence #1 - #2 - #3 until the base is completed: #3 goes over #2 and #1 and becomes #1, #2 becomes #3 and #1 becomes #2 and so on, always alternating #3 with #1.

TWISTED WICKERS

Take now as many wickers as the spokes of the base and insert them next to every rod. Raise the wickers perpendicular to the base and tie them up.

 BASKET BASE

On this "frame" you weave with three wickers as for the base and after some turns you can untie the wickers. You can choose the shape and the height of the basket. When you feel the basket is of the "right dimensions", you can make the handle. Divide ideally the basket in two parts, take two wickers of the frames for each side and insert others wickers in number you think sufficient for the size you want to give to the handle.

HANDLE WICKERS

Starting from one of wickers of the frame, add one or two wickers, twist them dragging gradually all the wickers to finish the edge of the basket off. When the turn is complete, enlarge the twisted wickers with the wedged cylinder, insert and fix the extremity of every wicker. Back to the wickers we have left for the handle, two for part more those that we have added

 
the green wickers added for the handle

WICKER BASKET

The handle
Twist and tie on top the two groups of wickers. Bundle them and give the wished height to the handle. Fix the two extremities under the edge of the basket with the help of the cylinder.To obtain a more uniform surface cut the wickers extremities emerging from the woven.
Your basket is made!

INTRECCIO
L'INTRECCIO
Giorgio La Sala
Colle Val d'Elsa (SI)