Unusual ways and examples of wicker weaving. What you need to know about weaving willow baskets: materials, technologies, manufacturing process

Weaving from a vine originates in ancient Egypt and ancient Rome; during excavations, wicker chairs and lodges were found. In ancient times, various baskets were woven from willow. In the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, caskets, bread bins, baskets and baskets, baby cradles, carts were created with the help of basket weaving. A master class on simple and quick weaving from a dense vine will help you quickly master the technique for beginners.

In Russia, initially, in most cases, baskets and fishing tackle were woven, later, with the development of trade, weaving began to be used to pack transported goods in boxes for sale. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, before the Great Patriotic War, many factories were created on the territory of the country for growing cultivated willow and weaving furniture and household utensils from it. Entire plantations, abandoned during the war, began to revive and re-create factories for weaving, mainly baskets. There were entire villages that were engaged in basket weaving.

Initially, vines were used for weaving, but more often in Europe and Asia, flexible willow twigs were used for weaving. In addition, in Asia, furniture is woven from materials such as rattan and bamboo.

Due to the fact that in today's Russia there are few masters in wicker weaving, some have become interested in how you can weave a basket of willow vines with your own hands, because there is a desire to have such a natural thing with a special aura in everyday life or in the interior. The natural energy of this item brings coziness and comfort to the house.

Harvesting vines for weaving products for beginners

Before starting to create a wicker item, you must first make a blank for weaving.

You can, of course, buy ready-made rods to immediately start weaving, but it’s better to learn how to prepare the material yourself, this will help later in working on the product.

For weaving, shoots of the first year of growth are used, and they are harvested all year round. It is necessary to cut the branches at an acute angle with a knife or secateurs, so as not to harm the tree, it is more useful to leave 3-4 buds on the branch remaining on the tree. When collecting branches, it is important to check them for flexibility: the first branch cut from a tree must be bent in the place where the thicker end, if it has not cracked, then it is suitable for decorative weaving. Spring shoots have a very soft bark, so without pre-treatment the bark can be removed, and if the shoots were collected at another time of the year, then the rods must first be soaked for 1-2 weeks or steamed for 1-2 hours, or boiled for 20 minutes, removed bark. The shoots after cleaning from the bark must be dried, otherwise the rod in the finished product will delaminate and break. The rods should be sorted so that it is convenient during painting and weaving. Before work itself, the vine is again soaked in water to gain flexibility.

Painting can be done with aniline dyes, a solution of potassium permanganate or herbal decoctions, immersed in the dye for a while, then the rods are rinsed with clean water and dried on a flat surface, preferably on the floor, so that there are no stains in the color.

Some rods are too thick for weaving small and medium sized items, so some tools will be needed to cut the rods into narrower strips, tires.

A pinch or pinch helps to remove the bark from the rods.

Mastering weaving with a simple master class

Immediately before weaving, it is necessary to soak the willow rods in hot water, and also during work it will be necessary to moisten them with water - all this to maintain the flexibility of the rods.

For beginners, weaving from a vine is better to start with a simple element - from the bottom, this is the basis of many wicker items, using a photo or video master class.

It is better to take rods for weaving with a margin, because. for beginners, rods often break during work, it is necessary to soak or wrap with a wet rag for the bottom seven or more sticks with a diameter of 4-7 mm, about 20 cm long, and more, depending on the desired size of the bottom and thin twigs (up to 3 mm in diameter) 30 pcs. and more, the length of which should be at least 50 cm. The thicker ones go to create the skeleton (beams), and all the beam sticks are braided in the form of a rope.

The first step is to make a cross, around which weaving will then be carried out. You need to take 3 thick sticks (you can take four for each side of the cross), on them a third of the thickness is cut off in the middle part and the ends are sharpened from a thinner edge, for the convenience of pushing other sticks into the crack. The other three or four sticks in the middle must also be split in the middle with a knife or an awl.

This should be done carefully so as not to split too much or the entire stick, because this can no longer be corrected, and the product will be defective.

Then it all comes together.

It is necessary to turn all the inner sticks, on which part of the thickness was cut off, to one wrong side, and the fit of the outer sticks to the inner ones, in the place of the crack, should be as tight as possible.

Now you should take two thin twigs and start the braiding process. The ends of the so-called rope must be hidden in the crack of the axle sticks.

Two twigs diverge in directions, one will first go above the axes, an arc - under the axes, then they change position. It is necessary to braid the inner guides first.

Two rows are braided (you can make three such rows of braid), then you need to move the axes to the position of the rays, like the sun, in a circle so that the distances between all the rays are equal. The scheme in the photo below:

The braiding begins not of three sticks at once, but each individually in the same manner.

When the twig with which the braid is being braided ends, you need to weave the next twig of a similar size and color, in such a way as shown in the photo.

We must try to ensure that the ends of the ended twigs go to the wrong side, then the front side of the bottom will be smooth and beautiful.

The twigs must be taken in different lengths so that the build-up occurs evenly in different places. The larger the bottom of the product, the greater the distance between the rays of the cross, so if the product is large, you need to use more rays.

For the oval bottom of a basket or cradle, a similar cross pattern is used:

Furniture for skillful hands with a description of the work

Furniture weaving is already done by skilled craftsmen in this craft with their own hands, because it was necessary to weave a lot of various bottoms and baskets for these bottoms and gain experience. Also, for making furniture with your own hands using wicker weaving, you will need not only experience, but also a greater variety of materials and tools. Furniture requires strength, because. a greater force of gravity will act on it than, for example, on the bottom of a basket or cradle, therefore, a frame of sticks (thickness 2 cm or more) is first constructed. Next, you need to attach racks to the frame, which will later be braided with thinner twigs or strips / ribbons from rods; in the process of weaving, regularly perpendicular racks are added for rigidity. You can braid with various types of weaving.

Harvesting vines for weaving products for beginners

Before starting to create a wicker item, you must first make a blank for weaving.

You can, of course, buy ready-made rods to immediately start weaving, but it’s better to learn how to prepare the material yourself, this will help later in working on the product.

Some rods are too thick for weaving small and medium sized items, so some tools will be needed to cut the rods into narrower strips, tires.

A pinch or pinch helps to remove the bark from the rods.

Mastering weaving with a simple master class

For beginners, weaving from a vine is better to start with a simple element - from the bottom, this is the basis of many wicker items, using a photo or video master class.

This should be done carefully so as not to split too much or the entire stick, because this can no longer be corrected, and the product will be defective.

Then it all comes together.

Now you should take two thin twigs and start the braiding process. The ends of the so-called rope must be hidden in the crack of the axle sticks.

Two twigs diverge in directions, one will first go above the axes, an arc - under the axes, then they change position. It is necessary to braid the inner guides first.

The braiding begins not of three sticks at once, but each individually in the same manner.

When the twig with which the braid is being braided ends, you need to weave the next twig of a similar size and color, in such a way as shown in the photo.

We must try to ensure that the ends of the ended twigs go to the wrong side, then the front side of the bottom will be smooth and beautiful.

For the oval bottom of a basket or cradle, a similar cross pattern is used:

Furniture for skillful hands with a description of the work

Bast weaving has been known since very ancient times, even when our ancestors made bast shoes. Over time, people began to weave containers and household items of various kinds and purposes (boxes, baskets, cradles, etc.). Now basket weaving allows you to create unique and unusual decorative elements, and household items simply diversified their arsenal and style.

Christmas wreath

Necessary materials:

vine (you can use any grape plant, both wild and cultivated), you will need about 10 vine sticks, 0.5 cm in diameter and about 2 meters in length (the number of vine sticks depends on the desired thickness of the future wreath);
glue gun;
natural materials for decor (cones, Christmas tree branches, acorns, berries);
decorative materials (burlap, balls, bows, beads, money, boxes).

Weaving is best done from freshly cut vines. If the vine is dry, you can moisten it and it will regain the necessary moisture and elasticity.

The order of weaving a Christmas wreath:

We take one stick of grapevine and turn it into a ring, as shown in the picture.

With the second stick, you need to braid around the previously obtained ring.

At the beginning and at the end of the action, the edges of the working vine must be fixed between the rods of the first row of weaving.

In the process of weaving, the vine tends to break; in this case, at the point of breaking, you need to cut off the twig, and fill the end between the previously woven rows.

For the accuracy of the finished product, you need to ensure that all the rods in the weaving process lie in the same direction.

The finished ring from the vine can be left without decor, as a talisman, or you can decorate it.

Using a glue gun, you need to glue all the previously prepared decor elements to the vine ring.

You can fill the wreath with twigs and cones using your own imagination.

You can add various kinds of bows and even artificial snow to the wreath.

Weaving a decorative braid

This example will follow the contour of a plywood board with rounded corners.

Necessary materials:

plywood board with rounded corners;
nail;
hammer;
pencil;
drill and drill, depending on the thickness of the rods of the vine;
wire cutters or secateurs;
vine.

First you need to take a plywood board and on the sides you need to mark with a pencil the future holes for inserting the rods of the vine, about 3 centimeters should be left between the marks.

Use a nail and hammer to make small indentations on the marks. With a drill, drill holes about 2 centimeters.

The rods are best used wet, as they are more flexible, so insert the rods into the holes as needed during the weaving process.

Insert rods about 30 centimeters long into the holes.

Weaving a braid must begin from left to right from the place where three paired holes are drilled one after the other. From three places we will have four rods of the vine.

For convenience, we will call these structures of rods “strands”.

Take a separate stick and bend the middle strand through it, using the tips from the picture.

Take the first strand of rods and wind it behind the third, over the second.

We bend the third strand over the first strand wound behind it

We take the second strand of four rods and wind it up behind a strand of two rods over the third strand, which still consists of four.

We bend a pair of strands of rods.

We attach four rods from the first to the already bent pair strand. We have formed six rods in one plane. Further, the upper waves of the braid will consist of four rods, and the lower waves of six.

Start the third strand of four rods behind the next paired strand.

Bend a pair of strands of rods.

Attach four rods from the second strand to the already bent pair strand.

In the fourth strand, we have already formed six rods. We take only four of them and start the next pair of strands for four rods.

We bend a pair of rods by attaching four rods to it. So a wave of six rods is formed.

Repeat the step in which you need to take four rods out of six.

Continue weaving in a circle until the end and the beginning of weaving converge.

Take four of the six rods in the top wave and wind them behind the first strand.

The last time you need to start the next four rods out of six, for the strand from which the weaving of the pigtail began (the strand, which was first bent through an auxiliary stick).

Weave the lower wave with the rods that are left and add four rods in order to each woven section, two more. And cut off the two unused rods at the end of the entire weaving.

Also, at the end, you need to cut off all the protruding rods only carefully so as not to spoil the leading ones.

basket weaving

For weaving, you will need a willow vine, however, not all vines are equally good for this business, some types may break when working with it. To check if the vine is suitable for the job, bend it 90 degrees, if it does not break, then it will do. The vine must be dried before you start working with it.

However, before the process, the dry vine needs to be moistened to make it easier to work with. The duration of the soaking of the vine depends on its length, the longer the vine, the longer it needs to be soaked.

In addition to the vine itself, you will need:

scissors;
secateurs;
long nail or sharp stick.

The initial stage is the creation of a base for the basket. Make eight sections from a fairly thick vine. For a basket of this size, as in the master class, lengths of about 30 centimeters are enough.

Take four pieces and in the center of each of them make a cut about 5 centimeters long.

Insert the uncut pieces into the cut ones in the middle to form a cross.

Now examine the lengths of the rods and select the thinnest of them, as well as the longest. Of these, it is best to start weaving. Take two pieces and insert the thin ends into the cuts, as shown in the picture.

To start making the basket, we will use the "Twist" weave. It's actually quite a simple technique, but it might not work for you the first time if you've never tried it before. It consists in the following: you need to hold two twigs, and then twist them one above the other so that they change places. Each twist is always done in the same direction. To better understand the technique, look at the pictures.

Wrap four pieces each time, make two rows. This will help secure the base of the basket. Try to pull the twigs as tight as possible and place them as close to each other as possible.

After you finish two rows using the same twisting technique, you need to wrap each piece with rods separately.

Separate the segments from each other by tilting them. Make the distance between the segments as uniform as possible. After you complete this row, your twigs should be distributed like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Make a few more rows.

Soon your weaving sections will become too short, and you will need to lengthen them in order to continue working. It is best not to add two vines at the same time, as this can make the weave weak. See the picture for how to do this.

The end of the new segment must be inserted between the last two rows, and then bent. After that, cut off the old vine and continue to weave the basket. When adding new twigs, connect the thick end to the thick one, and the thin end to the thin end.

Once you've made the base for the basket, insert another vine in addition to the 16 you have in the base (simply sharpen the end of the vine and insert it into the last two rows). You will have to apply some effort, if necessary, you can expand the distance between the braided rows so that the segment is easier to insert.

Cut off those twigs with which you wove earlier, and continue to weave with only one inserted (above the twig, under the twig, and so on). You can add new twigs by simply tying the new one to the old one. Continue weaving until the base reaches the diameter you need. In this case, the base is 20 centimeters.

Now take sections of the vine of medium thickness. You need to create the sides of the basket. Sharpen the thick end of each of them. Insert these segments next to each of the "knitting needles". Cut off the ends of the old knitting needles at warp level.

One of the new twigs, bend it to the left under the two adjacent ones, and then bend it up, as shown in the picture. Repeat in the same way with the rest of the twigs. After that, take all the twigs in a bundle and tie.

Now insert three twigs to the left of the three twigs at the base of the sides. Take the leftmost one, bend it to the right behind the two adjacent ones and in front of the third, then turning it outward. Continue in the same way and make two rows, then untie the twigs.

Count the number of twigs, take the same amount. Insert a twig to the right of each knitting needle at the base, tilting it to the left and winding it behind the adjacent knitting needle and in front of the third, and then bring the twig out again.

When you insert the required amount, you can start weaving. Weave until the segments are short.

It remains to make a bezel. To create it, take one of the twigs and bend it to the right.

Get it behind two adjacent twigs, in front of the third and fourth, then behind the fifth and bring it out.

Repeat in the same way with each of the twigs. At the end, cut off the excess length of the segments.

Weaving from a vine is a very ancient type of needlework. Such weaving is quite fascinating. And although now some are replacing the vine with ordinary newspaper tubes, wicker weaving remains quite popular among modern needlewomen. In this article you will find a master class on weaving from a regular vine, which is perfect for beginners.

Before you start weaving gizmos from the vine, learn a little about harvesting the vine. Harvesting vines for weaving requires special knowledge. Usually the vine is harvested in winter, it is necessary that the vine be from mature wood. Next, you need to process the vine: clean it from the bark, for the ease of this process, you need to immerse the vine in hot water, namely hot, not cold, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. To choose the right vine, look at the color of its bark, if it is red or orange, you can check for strength: bend, forming a right angle, if the vine has passed these tests, you can safely take it for yourself.

Weaving products from a vine with a job description for beginners

A wide variety of baskets and vases are created from the vine. There is also do-it-yourself furniture weaving from a vine. But to weave furniture, you need a great desire and experience in this matter. For beginners, it is better to get by with a regular basket, which can also be very useful in everyday life.

For weaving from a vine you will need:

Hot water tank
sharp knife
wicker

First you need to weave the bottom, to do this, decide what shape it will be. In our case, the bottom will be round. So, let's begin!

We take five sticks and make holes in their middle into which we insert the other five sticks. So we got the cross. We insert rods for braiding into the same holes and begin to braid the center with a rope in two rods. Weave two rows like this. Next, we move the two rods apart, leave the central one in place, again braid two. And again weave two rows like this. Now we braid two rows of one twig.

Having finished pushing the risers of the cross, we proceed to braid them with layered weaving, as shown in the photo.

We insert under each riser at the tip of the rod, selected for layered weaving, continue to weave until we reach the desired size of the bottom.

In order to weave the walls of the basket, it is necessary to lift the rods and begin to braid them. Raised twigs are called risers.

There are many weaving techniques. The most common is rope. It is with it that we will weave our basket. We will do this with a rope in two rods, i.e. two rods. The previous rod presses the next one from above and, bending around the base twig from the inside, comes out. Then the same is repeated with the second rod and so on. Weave like this, gradually expanding your basket. Be sure to imagine how high your product will be and, having reached half, insert the ends of the rods bent in half into the weaving, which will serve as the handles of your basket. Such handles most often consist of three or four twigs.

Next, continue weaving the walls of the basket. When you reach the desired height, braid the side of the basket and its handles, this will give the basket completeness and prevent it from breaking quickly. Weaving this edge also has its secrets. To competently weave the edge, you need to take any riser and start it for the next two with access to the outside. Next, take the next riser and do the same. And so on, with everyone else. Carefully cut off the excess twigs with a sharpened knife. And that's it, your basket of vines is ready!

Please note that it is important that the rods lie as close to each other as possible. To do this, many craftsmen tap them with a mallet during weaving.

And this is a basket created by layer-by-layer weaving. Such weaving is also very popular among needlewomen. For things layered weaving, we need the same number of twigs as risers. This weaving is done simultaneously with all the rods: each rod goes around the next riser from the outside, then the next riser goes around from the inside and is brought out. We repeat the same in turn with each rod involved in weaving. Weave like this until you reach the desired height. In the same way, gradually expanding if it is a basket.

Thematic videos on the topic of the article

Weaving from a vine is shown in the videos provided below, you will find many secrets that will be very useful to you in your work.

Vine is the oldest material for weaving various devices: dishes, furniture and decorations. Recently, weaving from a vine as a type of creativity has regained its popularity - environmentally friendly materials and natural motifs in decorating home interiors are back in fashion.

Product types

The vine is a flexible pliable material from which it is convenient to weave a variety of household items. Most often, craftsmen use willow twigs and vines - they are the most flexible and strong enough not to break during the work process.

Among the wicker products you can find the following:

furniture - armchairs, tables, racks, large baskets for things;

dishes - baskets, trays, bread boxes, vases;

decorating elements - floor vases, figurines, caskets, Christmas-tree decorations.

Baskets, tables and chairs made of wicker are made more often than other items due to the simplicity of their design. In some cases, their creation is similar to macrame weaving: the same technique of alternating knots and free parts of the threads.

Toys from a vine began to be created in antiquity. But now this creativity has been revived thanks to the growing love for environmental materials.

Types of creativity

This concept, many novice craftsmen can confuse with the techniques of weaving products from the vine. Weaving differs not only in the way it is created, but also in appearance and tightness of the rods. In addition, weaving from a vine of the same type can combine different techniques.

solid weave

The classic view of the creation of products from the rod. With continuous weaving, there are no decorations in the form of openwork holes and patterns on objects.

This type is used to create baskets, chairs and tables - due to the tight fit of the rod, the product can withstand a lot of weight well.

openwork weaving

This type is characterized by many openwork and twisted elements in the product. It can be slots, waves and loops.

Most often weave souvenir baskets, biscuits and vases of this type.

Twisted weave

This type of weaving was forgotten for some time. And only in recent years has received a second wind. With its help, they create miniature products like Christmas toys and figurines, armrests for furniture.

The peculiarity of this type of weaving from a vine is that the rods are not intertwined, but twisted together. In this case, the product is given a certain shape.

spiral weave

High demands are placed on products from this type of weaving, therefore, mainly professionals are accepted for its implementation. Rings of rods are taken as the basis, which are braided through one with a special tape.

The vine in this case should be especially flexible and not leave creases. Therefore, instead of willow vine, spruce or pine roots are often used to start the spiral weaving. In addition, the diameter of the beginning and end of the rod must be almost the same so that the ring is uniform.

Braiding tape is cut from the top glossy layer of willow vine. It should be thin and elastic, but very strong.

There is also a figured type of weaving from a vine, which is based on combining several types of this creativity in 1 work at once. As a result, the work of the master is not correct geometrically, but with corrugated edges in the form of waves.

Weaving techniques

Weaving from a vine is carried out according to 1 simple principle - initially the master builds the frame of the product with long strong rods in the form of a fence. After that, thinner flexible twigs are taken, which braid the base in a certain order, forming a pattern.

Currently, there are many different techniques for weaving wicker products. In addition, for each part of the product - whether it be the bottom, walls or edge - a different method is used.

But the techniques presented below are considered basic and easiest to perform. Therefore, beginners are advised to initially engage in their development, and then move on to more complex ones.

simple weaving

The easiest weaving technique. In addition, it is universal - with its help you can weave any kind of products.

To perform a simple method, start braiding the frame rods with one vine through one: 1 rod in front, 1 in the back. For the next row, change the order of braiding - now the first cheat is braided from behind, and the second - from the front, so that the rows form an interesting diagonal sequence.

To speed up the process and diversify the pattern, you can weave 2, 3 or more rows in the first order, and also 2 or 3 in the second order to increase the width of the resulting pattern.

Weaving in oblique rows

This technique is also called the layered method of creating products from the vine. In this case, the same number of braiding vines is taken as there are rods in the frame.

The first twig goes around the first vine in the frame in front, the second - behind, and is brought out of the product. Repeat this with each vine, gradually weaving the layers of your work.

This method is best suited for circular weaving - creating baskets, baskets, large round household baskets.

For a variety of patterns on the product, you can also take 2 and 3 rods to perform one action.

Rope weaving

An interesting way of weaving from a vine, which is often used to separate one layer of patterns from another. It is possible to weave a rope from 2 or 3 rods. The pattern looks like a small twisted rope.

For weaving from a vine into two rods, go around 1 vine of the frame behind with 1 working rod and bring it out. Repeat the action each time with the upper rod that was just used, pressing the lower one.

Weaving in 3 vines is based on a slightly different method - you need to go around not one, but two pegs of the frame, and not from behind, but from the outside. After that, the vine goes around the third riser from the inside and is brought out. Weaving in 3 vines can also be used for circular braiding products.

Willow wreath: master class

If you have never tried your hand at creating complex twisted wicker products, but really want to learn this type of needlework, start with the simplest - weaving willow wreaths for interior decoration.

This master class does not require special knowledge in the field of weaving. At the same time, it will help you learn how to properly handle wicker in your work.

Collect willow twigs 30-60 centimeters long and clean them from the top glossy layer. Forty elements will be enough for you to create 2-3 wreaths. After that, soak the vine in water for about 4 hours to make it more flexible. At this preparatory stage is over - you can get to work.

Weave a ring from the first twig. To do this, start wrapping the thin end of the rod around its thick part.

Take the second element and braid it around the first.

Hide and fix the thin tip between the gaps of the wreath.

Using the same technology, start wrapping the rods around the already formed base.

Leave the finished wreaths to dry in a warm, dry place for about 3-5 days. After that, they can be used as a finished decor element or a base in a more complex master class. Such blanks are often used to create wreaths for Halloween or New Year.

Unusual ways and examples of wicker weaving. What you need to know about weaving willow baskets: materials, technologies, manufacturing process

Harvesting vines for weaving products for beginners

Mastering weaving with a simple master class

Furniture for skillful hands with a description of the work

Harvesting vines for weaving products for beginners

Mastering weaving with a simple master class

Furniture for skillful hands with a description of the work

Christmas wreath

Weaving a decorative braid

basket weaving

Weaving products from a vine with a job description for beginners

Thematic videos on the topic of the article

Product types