TUESDAY BASKET WEAVING TIPS–
In an effort to post more about basketmaking here on my blog, I searched YouTube for what was interesting and new to me about how to make a birch bark basket.
I ran across this excellent video tutorial on “How to Make a Birch Bark Cornet Basket”. I hope you find it as interesting and helpful as I did.
Below the video, I’ve posted a bit about how I harvest birch bark and incorporate it into my antler baskets and birch bark basket necklaces.
I love working with birch bark and have a lot of it growing here on our property in northern Minnesota. I prefer to harvest from trees that have already been cut down rather than living trees.
But if harvesting birch bark from living trees in northern Minnesota, the best time of the year is in June, when the wild roses bloom.
When I’ve missed that window in June and need birch bark strips for weaving, I take the easy way out and just harvest from our firewood piles!
Notice how I’m also wearing my signature birch bark and smoked reed hat?
Most of my birch bark ends up being winter bark, but I’ve also taken birch bark from felled trees in the early summer in June, when it almost pops off itself. Easy, peasy, but the misquotes are really bad at that time, and so are the ticks.
I incorporate birch bark strips into many of my antler baskets, and also teach birch bark necklace baskets.
What have been your experiences? Have you learned to make birch bark baskets? Have you taken any classes? Do you harvest your own birch bark?
I have also taken classes on how to make birch bark baskets with Russian Basketmaker Vladimir Yarish at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota, which was really fun.
*Hot Tip: A good source for purchasing Russian-harvested and processed birch bark strips is Etsy. I’ve gotten some excellent strips myself.
What are your thoughts about this blog post?
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~~Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much ~~
Happy Weaving, until next time!
I searched all the shops in your “source for birch bark” link and didn’t find any birch bark options. I search anything birch but the only thing that came up was a couple books. Is there a good source for birch bark strips for basketry?
Thank you
Julie,
I have recently updated this post about birch bark basketmaking to include Etsy as a source for Russian birch bark strips or tapes.
Hope this helps! Happy birch bark basketmaking!
where do you get spruce root?? I can’t find it anywhere. Is there something else I could use to repair a birch wastebasket? thank you!
Joan, I’m sorry to tell you that spruce root is not readily available from conventional cane and basket suppliers. It’s usually only provided by the instructor when a class is being held or you purchase one of their basketmaking kits.
Native Americans gather and use spruce root a lot in their basketry and birch bark canoes. They have forests that they gather from on a regular basis since it’s part of their heritage and is sacred.
To gather spruce root, it’s necessary to actually dig up and then process the roots before using them in either basketry or canoe building.
I lived up in northern Minnesota for the last 15+ years, where spruce is very prevalent. There were a lot of spruce and other pine trees on the property that I harvested from.
But many weavers will approach the logging companies and request they harvest before the trees are cut, especially since disturbing the root foundation of the trees is not an issue if they will be cut down, anyway.
You might try using seagrass as a substitute or even try Danish cord, willow or red osier dogwood, depending on what might suit your birch wastebasket the best. Good luck and I hope I was helpful!