HDPE traditionally woven basket - Library - Precious Plastic Community

HDPE traditionally woven basket

soniarucci

Published 1y. Edited 1y.Published over 1 year ago. Last edit about 1 year ago.

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Traditional techniques were developed around the locally available materials. In our post-industrial society plastic garbage is everywhere, unfortunately ready to harvest right where our ancestors collected the raw materials for their craft. Nowadays collecting plastic and build something durable with it is an act of indispensable awareness against the legitimised poor quality of single use, doing it "the old way" is an invitation to rethink the myth of productivity and what it led us to. Tradition is constantly evolving and our society can evolve with it.

< 1 week

Medium

extrusionHDPE

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1239

1 Extruding the thread

This will be the only step that requires a Precious Plastic machine so you don’t need to own one but you can book a few hours at the closest lab available in your area. Use a cardboard tube* to extrude a long and UNIFORM thread of plastic. Many thicknesses can work for your project, usually bigger pieces require a thicker structure but that’s not mandatory, EXPERIMENT. I recommend something between 1 and 4 millimeters for optimal flexibility. You can make different nozzles to add interesting textures to your final piece. *The plastic will unstick from the tube as cooling down so secure the starting point by attaching it to a ring of plastic previously fixed in the top part of the tube. **make sure to attach your new threads well to avoid them to fall when still too hot and subjected to deformation.**

2 Weave the base

Prepare a group of 6 sticks and one of 5, choose sections of thread equally thick cut them with the same length (about twice as wide as your final base). Plastic is very slippery, unlike natural fibers, so secure the sticks flat one next to the other with tape or a clip before proceeding. Cross the two groups of sticks in the centre. Pick a new spool of thin thread and secure one end along one side of the group of 5 then start weaving by going under - up - under - up the cross arms for two rounds, then up - under - up - under for other two times. Now remove the tape and split the two groups in couples so weave going alternately up and under each couple until the thread is over. Ignore the initial end or your weaving thread for now, you will cut it once you feel like your weaving is solid enough. **Plastic offers no grip so begin the weaving with a couple of loose loops to secure the sticks before pulling.**

3 Add a new strand

No matter how long your initial weaving strand, it won’t be enough to complete a full basket, so you’ll need to a new one soon. Imagine your base as a weel made of spokes. Start BEHIND the opposite spoke to the end of your old thread and insert the new strand there. Weave BACKWARDS until you reach the end of your old thread so the make the new run along the old as if they were one in front and behind four spokes. Keep weaving onwards with the other end until you reach the desired dimension of the base. You have many pattern possibilities so check this youtube playlist or any other video or book about basket making to get different ideas. (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL06agbW9cHNRtK88-g9B1TLGbGz6LqD5d&si=-9jiRg3RFT9vL6ob) At this point I skipped the border making because of the lack of grip but continuously wove the base into the sides. (see next step)

4 Build the sides

Once your base is large enough secure the border by adding another thread and twining (see first picture) for one or two rounds. Prepare now 11 or 22 new strands, depending on the thickness of your thread and the size of your project. These will be the SPINES of your basket so you want them to be twice as long as its final height. Cut the ends diagonally so you will have a sharp point, so insert the strands in the base along the spokes. Bend the spines upwards and secure with tape, an elastic band, a chord or what you have. No need to cut the spokes, you can bend them upwards together with the spines but you're better secure the ends to the spine so they won’t move while you weave. You can place a weight in the centre of the basket to keep it flat and in place while weaving. **The shape you give your basket now will be (more or less) the final shape so keep in mind**

5 Using molds and guides

Molds are objects that can be put inside the basket to get a specific result, you only have to bend the spines according to the shape of your mold and weave tightly around it to transfer its shape to your basket. Almost anything can work as a mold, a vase you already have, a box, even your laptop, maybe. EXPERIMENT. In alternative you can use guides. Imagine a guide as a section of your basket and cut the shape you want out of wood, cardboard, plastic, whatever, paying attention to leave a margin of at least one centimetre. Poke along the margin’s outline as many holes as your spines and pass them through the holes so secure the final ends with an elastic band. Weave until you reach the guide so remove it and weave until the next one. *to remove your middle guide more easily you can cut the holes open and close them with tape once the guide is in place*

6 Finish your basket

To secure the ending twine for at least one loop so remove the elastic band that was keeping the spines together. For the border you have several options, the easiest consists in inserting the free end of each spine in the wall of the basket, along the spine right next to it but you can also brade the spines together. Bend the 1st spine behind the 2nd and pull it in the front. Repeat for the 2nd and the 3rd. This process will create also 3 hooks that we will need in the end. When you bend the 4th behind the 5th add also the 1st. Repeat until you won’t be left with any more spine up so tuck the tail of the 9th spine into the 1st hook, the 10th into the 2nd and the 11th into the 3rd. You could cut the final ends but I suggest to just weave them along the border to better block it. You’re done!

7 Enjoy and share with the community

Exhibit your handmade plastic basket in the best spot of your favourite place, take a picture and share it with the Precious Plastic community. P.S. I want to be proud or your creations so send me pictures, videos or tag me on social media.

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