Paper Basketry

Paper strips were cut using a
pasta cutting machine.

Baskets, boxes, and bowls, whether functional or decorative, can be constructed with a variety of materials. At the September guild meeting of the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild, paper—a flexible, versatile and readily available material—was the medium of choice for a program on how to make small woven baskets.

Painted paste paper is first cut into strips. A pasta cutting machine, scissors or a rotary cutter and mat can be used for this step. Starting at the bottom of the basket or container, strips are laid out and woven using a basic, plain weave pattern [over-one and under-one]. This weaving pattern is easy enough for beginners yet interesting patterns can be achieved by varying the placement and sequence of the colored strips.

To form the sides of the basket, the paper is slightly folded or crimped and the weaving continues.

Starting with 8 strips, the bottom of the basket is formed.

At the basket's opening, there is a variety of options for finishing: trimming the paper ends with a diagonal cut, curling the ends, and weaving the ends back into the sides of the container, to name a few. A small dot of glue can be used to hold the ends in place, if necessary.

Woven paper baskets.

This is a fun project for novice weavers, children of all ages, and anyone interested in 3-dimensional weaving. Resources such as Making Creative Baskets: Alternative Materials, Simple Techniques, are available for inspiration, instructions and further exploration.