I wanted something new to hang on our front door to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year. I had seen a pattern for a smaller woven heart and thought I could upsize it for the front door. After a failed attempt (it’s important to remember proportion when resizing), a false start with inappropriate glue, learning it is actually easier to work with the reed if it’s dry, and coming to terms with using copious amounts of glue in weaving this basket, I’m ready to share this tutorial with you!
Materials:
- 1/2″ flat reed (I purchase reed from here and here.)– You will need 16 29″ long pieces.
- scrap of 3/8″ flat reed (makes maintaining spacing easier)
- clothespins
- pencil
- yard stick
- scissors or basketweaving shears
- advanced performance instant adhesive– cyanoacrylate (I cannot stress enough how important it is to have the right glue for this project. This glue is available where model-building supplies are sold.)
- 2 large books
It’s very important in weaving this basket that all 16 of the weavers are the same length so that all of the ends match up nicely. Because you’re not going to wet the reed until much later, you may feel a bit like you’re wrestling an octopus, which is where the large books will be helpful shortly. To ensure that each of the pieces is 29″ long, use clothespins to keep the reed flat on your yard stick. Be careful to cut each piece straight across. These ends will be the edge of your heart, and you want them to look neat.
Like many other materials, reed has a right side and a wrong side. The wrong side is rougher and is a little hairy. To figure out which side is the rough side, take the reed in your hand and bend it up. Feel the side toward you, and if it’s hairy, that’s the wrong side. Don’t worry too much if you can’t tell which side is which. This basket will be woven wrong sides up. As you cut each piece and find the wrong side, number the end of each piece starting with one and ending with sixteen. This will make it easier as you weave to make sure you’ve got the piece you need.
Now it’s time to get started weaving! Take the first two pieces (#1 and #2), and place their ends under the large books, which will act as an extra pair of hands. Lay Weaver #1 flat and going to your left. Weaver #2 should be perpendicular going straight up from you. Glue Weaver #2 to Weaver #1 with #2 on top. This will form one side of the pointy side of your heart.
Be certain to line up the edges of the reed to be nicely perpendicular, apply a drop or two of glue, and use your new BFF, the clothespin, to hold Weavers #1 and #2 together. Let them sit for 5 minutes or so until the glue has had a chance to set. If you don’t, the weavers will move around. I know it’s hard to wait, but trust me on this.
Now take Weaver #3 and place it 3/8″away (using the scrap 3/8″ reed as a guide) from #1 and on top of #2. Place a drop or two of glue on #3, and glue it on the perpendicular on #2. Use a clothespin to keep it in place.
To finish setting up the weaving pattern, take Weaver #4 and place it 3/8″ from #2 and on top of #3 and #1. Place a drop or two of glue on #4, and glue it on the perpendicular on #1. Use a clothespin to keep it in place.
You’ll continue weaving the first side of the heart by alternating between the even and odd weavers. All pieces should be glued to the top of either Weaver #1 or #2 and on the perpendicular. Use your scrap 3/8″ reed to maintain even spacing, and be certain to use the clothespins to keep everything in place. Your finished first side should look like this:
The second side is more of the same, but you’re going to start with Weavers #15 and #16.
Take Weaver #15 and glue it on top of #16. Pin and wait a few minutes like you did with #1 and #2.
Keep using the 3/8″ weaver and the clothespins to keep the weavers in place. Use the next two photos as guides to weaving the second side:
When both sides are all woven, your heart should look something like this:
(Yes, that’s a cat at the bottom of the photo. George supervises basketweaving.)
Now’s where water comes into this project. You want to soak the reed between the two ends of the heart because you’re going to turn it outside in. There’s no need to get the whole basket wet– just the conters of the weavers.
Towel off the weavers and then gently turn your basket so the numbers meet up on the inside. The weavers have a tendency to get a bit twisted, so you may have to straighten them. Use the clothespins to help:
And now glue the sides of the heart together:
After you’ve glued, don’t be afraid to use the clothespins to hold the sides together. I finished my heart by spraying with oak colored Weaver’s Stain and used raffia for the hanger. How will you finish yours?
Happy Valentine’s Day!
