I want to weave now!
Hands up if youâve experienced wanting to weave and realising you havenât the right plant fibre or you have to dry the fibre first? đď¸
Although fibre collecting and preparation for basket weaving and basket making can be frustrating due to the time and effort involved, it doesn't have to be that way! Nature is pretty amazing and has provided us with solutions to feed our fibre fix quickly!
There are some plants that are good to use almost immediately because they are already dried - all you need to do is rehydrate them for your project rather than starting from scratch.
These can be gathered and used straight away or stored for later.
Which plants can I use for basket weaving that require very little preparation?
Philodendron leaf sheath
The leaf sheaths are at the base of where the leaf stems emerge. Youâll see a new shoot coming wrapped with this beautiful protection, this sheath is around the new leaf, when it pops the sheath is left behind and is the softest loveliest piece of fibre you could weave. The older the sheath, the drier it will become - but to rehydrate it takes no time at all.
Jacaranda leaf stalks
The leaf stalks are left behind when the leaf has decayed and disappeared. Itâs a woody kind of stem with a little knobbly end and gives a really nice feature in your work. These take very little time to rehydrate for use.
Pine needles
These are an attractive and alluring fibre to add into your basket weaving. You can usually collect them beneath the base of a pine tree. Depending on the species of the pine tree will depend on the length of the pine needles. The pine trees that have really long Pine needles are Pinus palustris keep an eye out for this species. They are really flexible and usually don't need soaking.
Cordyline
There are many varieties of Cordyline plants. These include Cordyline Australis, but, as the name might suggest theyâre not limited to growing in Australia and actually originate from New Zealand. Cordyline, also known as Torbay or Cabbage Palm grows all over the world. As the plant grows the leaves at the base are dry out and no longer sit upright as the leaves above. These dried leaves are normally removed to make the plant look more neat. But don't throw them away! These leaves are perfect for use as they have already shrunk, simply hydrate them and you are good to get weaving!
Yucca plants
Yucca plants are similar looking to Cordyline Australis. They almost look too stiff and spiky to use! I have found that you can either collect them green and leave them to dry, or pick them off the plant already dried. Once rehydrated theyâre quite lovely to use they quite soft and spongy and best split to use.
Daffodils
It is recommended when you grow daffodils that you leave the leaves on the plant after they have flowered and let the leaves dry so the goodness goes back into the bulb for the next season.
These dried leaves are perfect for collecting by pulling them off the plant. Theyâll easily release from the base giving you a readymade fibre. Iâve done this several times, it is a beautifully soft fibre to work with.
Day lilies
Day Lilies are interesting because when you see them they look really green and fresh. But, if you put your hand down into the leaves, you will find dead leaves you can gather and they are ready to use straight away! If you pick them in the morning, you will find the morning dew will make them moist enough to use without rehydrating. If they are completely dry, a quick two minute dip in a bucket of water will get them fully prepped!
Agave attenuate
This is a smaller agave variety, and if you look at the plant, the bottom leaves will have died off - these are the ones you can pick. The leaves will need to be soaked overnight or longer as theyâre quite leathery, but itâs a fantastic fibre to use. These can be cut up the middle and used.
Poa grasses
Many Poa grasses are ideal as a filler in weaving - particularly Tussock grass which can be used as a filler for coiling in basket making.
Palm Inflorescence
If youâre lucky enough to live where palm trees grow you might find some interesting species of palms that have beautiful inflorescence (the flower bearing stem) that naturally falls from the tree when they are dried. You can utilise these in your basket making!
Many weavers think that you can only access these palm trees in warmer climates however, the Date Palm, Phoenix sp. will grow in cooler climates so donât forget to look out for these in your location.
They will grow in the UK and cooler parts of the US. One that is particularly popular in botanical gardens is the Canary Island Date Palm; this will have a big inflorescence that falls to the ground and usually gets discarded by the gardeners. Look out for the gardeners that care for them and you might score one of these beauties for yourself.
Corn Husk
Corn Husk is generally easy to find. If you don't grow corn or know someone who does, just pop in to your local supermarket and pick up a couple of cobs.
Once you have the cob, peel back the leaves from around the corn husk you will have a whole pile of lovely, pale leaves.
If you remove them and they are still a bit green let them dry out for a couple of days - then you can split the leaves; these are beautiful soft leaves to weave with.
Green leaves
There are a couple of plants that can be picked green and used within a day or two.
New Zealand flax, Phormium tenax, is one of my favourites because it can be picked, stripped and used. It is a strong fibre which will stand the test of time and is ideal for most weaving techniques.
Matt Rush or Lomandra is another strong fibre to use in basket making. It has the tendency to shrink, so I suggest picking and stripping this and leave the fibre for at least two days before use.
This is a great list to start you off weaving with fibres and basket making right away!
We want to hear from you! In the comments below, tell us about what fibres you love using that require little preparation!
đđ
If you'd like to learn more about plants and making baskets or sculpture using plants we have two detailed workshops to check out.