Saturday, September 5, 2015

DIY -- Woven Pot Holder Baskets





These pretty little baskets are made from strips of t-shirts!


Supplies:

strips of cotton stretchable fabric (like t-shirts) get some here
a coffee can
a round knitting loom (should be close to the same size diameter as your coffee can bottom)
                                       and these tools



First we will make the bottom of the basket using our round loom and cotton strips.



1.  Measure, cut and secure the strand for the first direction on the loom.  Keeping your strand attached to the skein, wrap around the loom twice then tie onto the outside knob on the loom leaving the excess to hang for the moment.  Skipping the first two spots on the loom (ones on each side of the knot) begin stringing fabric strand around each knob on the loom.  Continue until you reach the opposite side not looping around the last two knobs.

tie a knot leaving excess to hang
wrap around loom twice
continue to the opposite side skipping the last two knobs
loop around each knob on the loom


2.  Measure and cut the strand of fabric to begin weaving.  Begin by skipping over the first two knobs on the loom in the opposite direction to cross over the strand already on the loom.  Cut a hole in the middle at the beginning of the strand, hook this end over the first knob we will use, remembering to skip the first two.  Cover each knob as you did with the first strand, skipping the last two directly across from the first two skipped, wrap the strand around the loom twice and cut.  This is your weaving strand. 

cut a whole in the beginning of the strand  


cover each knob skipping the first two

 Remove the strand from the knobs except the end we cut a hole in and begin weaving in and out just like you are making a pot holder with a square loom.  Work the weaving strand over and under the strand on the loom, when you come to a knob, go behind it, come around it, begin weaving again .

begin weaving, under and over and around the knobs
When you reach the opposite side and you have woven around all the knobs except the first two at the beginning and the last two, secure that strand to the loom underneath the woven fabric and let it dangle for now.

3.  Sew to prevent unraveling, secure with a knot and remove from the loom.  Untie the knot we used to secure the bottom strand to the outside knob on the loom.  Thread the strand through the plastic needle and begin sewing pulling the strand through the loops of fabric around the knobs and also catch the strands between the knobs.  Pull each stitch from the bottom upward encasing the edge with the stitching.

sew the edge from underside toward the top going up
through each loop on the knobs and between knobs



As you come to the opposite side where our weaving strand ended tie a knot to your sewing strand and keep on sewing until you come all the way back around.  Tie a knot with your sewing strand to one of the loops to secure.

remove the round pot holder from the loom

Tie knots to the pot holder with any long strands remaining and trim.  You have a round pot holder that would be good for starting a rug, using in the kitchen or use it for the bottom of your woven basket like I did.

tie knots to the pot holder with any remaining strands and trim


Let's weave a basket with cotton strips on a coffee can.

1.  Wrap your can.  With the strand still in tact to the skein begin by wrapping the beginning of your strand around the can and tying a knot to itself, make this one tight.  Then with the long end of the strand begin wrapping round and round the can.  Make sure you don't have any crisscrossed over each other.  Decide how tall you want your basket.  When you come to that point, tie another knot to itself and trim.  Try to make the beginning knot and ending knot even with each other.  You will have one knot at the top of your basket and one at the bottom where we started wrapping around the can.

tie the fabric strip around the coffee can

try to make beginning and ending knots in line with each other


2.  Measure and cut strands for weaving.  Be sure you cut your strand long enough to go up from the bottom of the can to the top twice for the desired height of your basket plus 3".

3.  Attach the bottom of the basket.  Using the strands, loop the middle through an area around the edge of the round pot holder.  That one strand just became two, using those two strands weave over and under the fabric we wrapped the can with.

loop a strand through a hole in the edge of the round potholder

that one strand is now two begin weaving up the side of your basket
Continue attaching strands around the edge of the round potholder and weaving up the side of the basket until you have the bottom attached and your basket is completely woven.




4.  Finish the top of your basket.  Once your weaving is complete, tie a fabric strand around the top edge of the height you'd like your basket to be.  Make sure all the strands are underneath this one we just tied around the can.



tie a strand around the can where the top of your basket will be


 Begin looping each strand around top strand, bringing it back up behind the top strand on the basket.


loop basket strands around top strand on the can





 Once you have looped all the strands around the top basket strand, begin tying knots with two strands at a time.
tie knots with two strands at a time going all the way around the can


Once you have gone all the way around, go back around again using two strands, one from each of the previous knots, tying knots again.


tie knots all the way around the can again using two strands from separate knots on your first row

Take your basket off the coffee can, trim all loose hanging strands and admire your beautiful basket.