Making a Basket From Coppiced Hazel and Bramble Stems

[@juliajacobs1848]

I can remember making baskets at school, I think we soaked the hazel in hot salted water first to make it supple. Mine was not at all symmetrical and a bit pokey. The Institute for the blind had a shop where they sold fantastic hazel woven goods made by the blind which made mine look like a bunch of twigs.

[@thomasherzog86]

id assume they have more experience and practice than a schoolkid doing it for the first time.

[@magical_onion9854]

@@thomasherzog86 WOW, really? that wasn’t very clear to me

[@Colganology]

Fantastic. And brought back memories of my grandmother making truggs. She soaked the brambles in seawater which made them as tough and pliable as leather.

[@KismetLizard]

My Granny did the same! She's also the one who taught me about mushrooms :) She had almost no formal education but was one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever met.

[@fifisflowers]

@@KismetLizard The School of life

[@Careful3890]

@@fifisflowers That’s the best! ❤

[@CragScrambler]

I remember going for mushrooms as a kid, we just used old bread bags though 😉

[@KismetLizard]

@@fifisflowers Exactly :)

[@jenisinjapan]

Always impressed at how diverse your talents and interests are! Definitely inspires me to take more interest in stuff like basket weaving here that I've never really thought much about before.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

I think my grandma told me that to make the wippy branches more elastic and less likely to break you should put them into water for a while (overnight or something). Doing it with "raw" wippy branches requires careful selection of only the most green and flexible to not just snap all the time. Once they are wet they really become more like a rope

[@benjaminmack7567]

At one point you described it as an informal basket, which sent my mind wandering as to what a formal foraging expedition would be like? Wellingtons and tuxedo? I suppose Marie Antoinette playing at being a milk maid comes to mind! Either way it gave me a giggle!

[@infinitetrains9971]

you are so talented at so many things Mr. Shrimp! i always want to do something new after watching your videos.

[@bbgdaryl]

What a dream life you live, sir. To just wander nature and taking bits of her gifts to make delicious meals and wonderful crafts. I'm very jealous.

[@donaldknapik2706]

I love your eclectic taste in video subjects. I never thought watching someone weave a basket could be so relaxing. Thank you for what you do.

[@onebackzach]

It's interesting to think there was a time before cardboard boxes and plastic bags when baskets, barrels, and wooden crates were the standard for moving goods. I read in "The Forgotten Arts" by John Seymour (highly recommend the book) that woven baskets were manufactured so economically that people would treat them as disposable and often times burn them after using up the goods contained within.

[@pennyflowers6731]

Your lust for life and interest in EVERYTHING is inspiring

[@sunblest]

3:26: "something something omelette, something something eggs" *Offended poultry noises in the background*

[@Jawst]

You're so lucky to have such generous friends with such an amazing land! I didn't realise you could use green Hazel to make baskets! I shall definitively be trying this one!

[@evanrobison567]

"Something, something omelet... something, something eggs". Definitely love the dry humor.

[@MRoderick89]

I never realised how simple it actually is to make a basket like that just takes patience . I will have to try this sometime. Thanks for the video Mr Mike as Babatunde would say 👍

[@AlissaSss23]

Who's Babatunde?

[@MRoderick89]

@@AlissaSss23 from Africa everyday

[@magi267]

I can't wait to see you foraging with it. That was fun to watch.

[@MichelleLWhitney]

I love a rustic homemade basket! Ever tried weaving one from paper? You roll a bunch of tubes from strips of waste paper (circulars, magazines, catalogs, etc.). I used a round chopstick to roll them. Then flatten and attach together with bits of glue as you weave. I used heavy duty cardboard or scrap wire for the basket frame. I wove multiple to fit in odd-sized household spaces years ago to help make those spaces useful and organized.

[@silva7493]

I'm ALWAYS learning about new things from your interesting and fun videos. I'm well past the middle of my sixth decade, and I never saw anyone make a basket before. I think yours is quite beautiful, and it's clearly functional. I now know about "coppicing", and "damsons", both of which I've not heard of before. I learn new words, techniques, foods, things I must try, about people, places, scams, and the list goes on. Thank you!😊

[@hopefullyexisting1531]

whenever a new atomic shrimp video comes out, i always travel to the past to watch it, its a lot more serene

[@MamguSian]

I love the colours of the basket, and congratulations on your lovely creation. It's functional and full of character, and I love it.

[@ZephyrysBaum]

How do you see it early???????

[@pixie706]

I seem to remember the same from a while back

[@MamguSian]

@@ZephyrysBaum I'm a time traveller. Not supposed to let you lot know it's possible but someone else already will have let the cat out of the bag so I suppose it's ok

[@AlissaSss23]

Hold on. Hold on....hey!

[@eugenetswong]

@@ZephyrysBaum they see it early, because they joined a club.

[@liamboyd555]

Very relaxing viewing for a Saturday morning in autumn

[@SilverDragonJay]

what a cute little basket. Very aesthetic, 10/10, it might not be perfect but that only adds to its charm.

[@CannibalChxrry]

I've always wanted to weave baskets and chairs and whatnot. It's fun to watch, and fun to learn, very nice video, Shrimp! Much love to you, Jenny and Ava!

[@bookedsam]

Wow! Youve gotten an extra 300k subscribers since last time I checked. I hope you get a million soon!

[@CravingBeer]

It's tricky to wrap around. To warp around, right on time is tricky.

[@Steel-Star]

Mr. Shrimp would make for a great hobbit I believe

[@susanhoughton1104]

My mother-in-law told me that, in the depression here in the plains of Kansas, they made baskets of buck-brush. It’s a small bush with runners like brambles but without thorns. Dried, trimmed, and soaked, it made fine baskets. Deer eat the top of the plant in winter and when I’m in the woods it trips me all the time! (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus)

[@AtomicShrimp]

I've seen the white berried species of that (S albus) in the UK as a garden escape - I might give it a try for basket making.

[@catherinering2079]

I always love how resiliently creative you are, any issues you just work through. I’m sure there’s plenty we don’t see or you give up on but it’s inspiring to watch you work!

[@sukiecat]

Learned how to make a basket AND the truth about time travel. I expect nothing less from this channel.

[@teriofshalott]

Just when I thought I couldn’t love Atomic Shrimp videos more, he throws in a Withnail and I quote

[@andrewcoates6641]

The best way is to coil your materials into tight bundles and fully submerge them with weights(stones or bricks are handiest) and if you can add materials such as oak chips / sawdust which is high in tannins, or onions to the water it can act as a dye on the exposed wooden materials, another trick to speed up the process of softening any of your materials is to add ashes to the water which makes a lye solution.

[@linforcer]

"something something omelette" reminds me a lot of how in one of Dan Harmon's roleplaying worlds, they canonically say only the first half of our popular sayings, and it was funny every time they called back to it with something like "Well you can't make an omelette." and just stopping short.

[@NOKORUS_The_Eldritch_One]

For anyone watching this in the future, yes I'm a time traveler and yes I traveled in time to watch the vid early

[@MamguSian]

Hey! I thought we were supposed to keep that a secret. Now you've let the cat out of the bag there's no telling what repercussions there'll be. I don't fancy your chances when they find out.

[@zenith_tetris]

@@MamguSian Can you teach me how to become a time traveler?

[@sarahstrong7174]

Oh I was going to do that yesterday but wasn't sure what to put in my sandwiches for the journey. Miso might have been good.

[@sarahstrong7174]

Do you think pulling the brambles stems through a small loop or two of stiff wire, at an angle, would de-thorn them. (I have heard of people using old unwanted jumpers for the purpose but I was thinking of something harder & more durable & quite small & easy to carry.) I am envisaging a loop of wire (probably looped around several times) big enough to put a hand in, which has two smaller loops in it which you would pull the brambles through.

[@sarahstrong7174]

Lovely basket. Proud of you. Might try that but need to work on my de-thorning equipment & technique.

[@olliesmith1663]

Another charming, laid back but educational video! I love all your content, you are talented in so many different ways. I always learn something new from your videos and they make my days that much better. Thankyou, Mike

[@scottbelcher9026]

Ahhh good morning! Perfect timing for me here in the US, Kentucky! It looks so nice out there!!! I’ve just woken up and suddenly I’m outside in nature on a nice, breezy day!!! :0)

[@GetOfflineGetGood]

I've always wanted to try basket weaving and now that I've seen this video, I have no excuse not to. This looks fun

[@eugenetswong]

Mr. Shrimp, thanks for sharing your knowledge on this. It's gopd to have a trusted content creator share ideas with us that we are not looking for. Currently, I am interested in upcycling plastic to create a laundry basket. I figured that basket weaving might help. Thanks!

[@PlayaSinNombre]

If you search “plastic cordage” there are several videos on how to cut a large soft drink bottle into strips to use as rope.

[@eugenetswong]

@@PlayaSinNombre ah, yes! Good thinking.

[@lwoods507]

What a lovely early autumn video. Thank you for sharing, and I hope your bramble scratches have all healed by now!

[@kayagorzan]

Two time travelers walk into a bar

[@rubsey1]

One was knocked unconscious. The other had a badly bruised forehead.

[@likebot.]

Are you sure they were two? LOL.

[@debbiehenri345]

I bought a bundle of 10 Salix viminalis cuttings this Spring - because I want to push myself into making use of the basketry book I bought 15 years ago and then left to gather dust. The willows have since grown a couple of feet (despite the 3 months of no rain and very hot sun we had in Scotland immediately after planting). I don't think I would want to use brambles. I have enough with trying to dig and prune them out of my garden each year. I would think loganberry stems might make a good weaving stem too. Less painful to handle, these stems grow ridiculously long and will take over acres of ground if you don't keep an eye and prune them back annually, but I suspect they stay whippy and soft enough to weave well into the Autumn. One thing my basketry book says is to soak stems used for weaving first (going into details about cold baths, running streams and arthritic fingers), keeps the stems more workable apparently. Right about the mushrooms! It's been really, really good for Penny Buns so far, never known a year like it. Also, there are Wood Hedgehog mushrooms growing in troupes locally (normally, it's just one here, one there, and they have to be cooked separately as a little dish so the family can savour them).

[@PlanetZhooZhoo]

Nice basket.... open enough to let small particles, etc through but still hold the harvest. The lovely Julia came here a few times to prune my huge old apple tree. Small world.

[@lisaboban]

You are definitely the person I want to live with when the zombie apocalypse happens!

[@FloydFreed]

Would letting the sticks and brambles soak in water before weaving make them more pliable? An interesting experament would be to try and make baskets out of found materials in an urban environment, a good way to pickup rubbish and turn it into something useful.

[@f.k.burnham8491]

Thanks for the basket making video. I really reminded me of art class in school where I made a fishing creel for myself. Even after almost 60 years I still have it and use it. It was not a real true thing of beauty to some eyes, but it works extremely well, and I am quite proud it, and since it still works, I think I did a rather good job. I used rattan for it.

[@littlespinycactus]

Perfect Saturday morning viewing. For future reference, I have found the following methods effective for putting piles of prickly prunings in their place. Lay stem on firm surface; place foot near the thick end; pull swiftly through beneath sole of boot (adjust foot pressure relative to breaking strain of stem). Absent a firm surface: loop stem round a tree trunk of suitable girth and texture; grab an end in each hand; pull back and forth in a sawing motion.

[@sarahstrong7174]

That sounds worth trying. Do you reccomend any particular gloves?

[@serioushex3893]

there's something very satisfying watching that getting made. nicely done. Looking forward to many foraging adventures with the new basket :D

[@darkwing3713]

Amazing that you can make a basket out of bramble. It looks pretty solid. I wonder if it would have been easier if you have more warp (the sticks that you weave the bramble vines over and under). With more warp sticks you wouldn't have to wrap around to keep the shape when going under.

[@lizadams7662]

This was lovely. Difficult day for me, news of a death so it was very helpful to see this journey from gathering materials to making and then even filling a fall basket. Thank you.

[@geraldcapon392]

I love your stuff, its all very interesting. I wasn’t as lucky as you to pack it in so early, but luckier than most I retired at 60 over ten years ago, I don’t regret moving to France in 82. Coppiced hazel is interesting, in mesolithic graves they have found masses of hazelnut shells indicatin that this was perhaps the first agricu,ture, so hazelnuts are a deep part of our heritage and still there. Keep it up mate.

[@lewisbwilliams]

I'm convinced Mike is a Withnail fan. I'm sure that's the second reference to the sink scene at 2:22

[@AtomicShrimp]

I am. Interestingly though, I have to think a bit when people notice. The gloves quote has just been absorbed into my vernacular by now

[@PyakuKem]

Gorgeous basket; especially the shot at the end with the fruit and mushrooms 😍😍😍

[@miked2662]

When you go foraging for smaller specimens, you could line the basket with some linen! I really enjoyed this video.

[@dawnmagee3354]

Watching this brought back so many great memories! The gentleman across the street lived in a barn he'd refurbished and ten year old me thought it was the coolest thing! He gave basket weaving classes and I learned so much. I'm actually interested on why you didn't soak your materials. You are a plethora of information I I honestly want to know. I'd be interested in watching you make another trying the wet method. Great effort sir! Thoroughly enjoyed this video 😊

[@AtomicShrimp]

Soaking is normally a process for materials that have been dried. Bramble baskets are typically something that you'd make out in the field, directly from green vines, with minimal facilities or equipment.

[@dawnmagee3354]

@@AtomicShrimp cool! Thank you for the knowledge. 😊

[@blessall4ever]

What a charming natural container you created! Expecting to see you making a weird apple-mushroom pie next💚

[@fookdatchit4245]

lol

[@TakeWalker]

I'd never heard of coppicing before, and now I know that "copse" isn't just a charming, old-timey way to refer to a group of trees. :D

[@dawfydd]

Here i thought his friends were just like "okay well if wandering around making a basket all day makes you happy knock yourself out" but infact i imagine they were like "i bet you cant do better than our awesome baskets." I had no idea why at first i didn't think Atomic Shrimp would be friends with like minded peeps, i dunno maybe because on youtube he seems like the only one of his kind can be hard to forget there are more peeps just like Atomic Shrimp who are just lovely peeps!

[@homeskateco.538]

Nice to have made something from bits, however rustic it may be! Nice work, Mike

[@EllieChristine744]

What a wonderful rustic basket. You did a great job!

[@KarenBowers4]

This has been one of my favorite videos. I do love all the cooking. Absolutely loved watching you make the basket. Now I need to see what I could use in California to make a basket.

[@mariasun170]

Thank you very much, I never thought I could make this but watching you aspires me and this seems like a really fun satiafying stress releasing project

[@mackenziedrake]

It's a very nice basket, and it will work for you for years. I'd call that a win. I'm glad you were able to find some nice fruit and mushrooms as well. It's been awhile since I've had a fresh plum.

[@feldinho]

If life gives you lemons you have to break some eggs

[@ladle7188]

Was down around the portsmouth area last week shrimp. Honestly it is gorgeos, i am very jelouse you have such lovely wild areas.

[@Moewenfels]

I never thought you could strip brambles this easily off thorns, very cool :D

[@TheGramaLady]

I wove baskets for years. I never did anything so rustic; but, I enjoyed watching your process.

[@inge6280]

Very nice, I have those materials at my garden…mmmm…inspiration

[@bridgetisadreamer]

Just what I needed for a relaxing Saturday evening :) seeing your basket fill up with orchard goods is just lovely :3

[@jonathanfinan722]

Again, 24 carat Jack Hargreaves, complete with tawdry shed.

[@AhmedKhoga]

we use heat to soften the branches ( direct flame for wet branches or steam for dry ones ) thank you

[@tarikdamm7528]

The next video is gonna be about constructing a basketcase for it. And the Shrimp is clearly the perfect guy for that.

[@vidhoard]

So satisfying! I'd love to see you make more baskets!

[@sarahnash7174]

Loved watching you build this, then loved seeing you fill it!

[@keepitreal5941]

When Tesco sold me a substitute Christmas star decoration in this style- they called it shabby chic! So maybe throw some silver glitter on the outside & sell it for £50. Job's a good 'un

[@LoveoftheDarkFiberArts]

"something something omelette...something something eggs" I'm going to borrow that! LOL

[@mikeski8827]

Those damsons are such a gorgeous blue!

[@johnosullivan675]

A ring spanner is a perfect tool for dethorning brambles.

[@donnabrasher3303]

It's lovely, nice to see that old ways are not lost and live on for future generations.

[@brianartillery]

A pair of welder's gauntlets might be the thing, Mike. They go high up the wrist, and are as tough as old boots. I work in a scrapyard, and although not a welder, use them all the time, to pick up recalcitrant, and extremely hot, pieces of metal that sometimes escape the hammer mill - if they can deal with that, a few thorns shouldn't bother them at all. At 10:08, I was pleased to see the old roadsign in the background, showing a man having trouble with his umbrella. (Roadworks ahead, actually) My mum said that to me when I was about four or five, and have never been able to see it as anything else since - despite knowing full well what it signifies. Lovely video, (I've always loved the word 'Trug' - it's both odd and amusing) and yet another that reminded me of the late, great, Jack Hargreaves. Nice one. How long will a basket like that last? I've always wondered.

[@WaddedBliss]

I was going to suggest welders' gauntlets. I use mine for welding and dealing with thorny plants.

[@AtomicShrimp]

That's what I used on day 2 - much better

[@karendiane5]

This is what weaver birds do every year!

[@inge6280]

Very nice foraging basket!

[@CarJul666]

Now I too want to make a basket. A very inspiring video. Thank you.

[@timbervalleyproductions]

Superb video as always!

[@hannamcowly]

Hi Shrimp. Great video as always. Will you make a video where you cook or bake something with the apples? We‘ve got so many apples and pears this year an I am simply overwhelmed.😅

[@PlayaSinNombre]

Townsends recently did an apple dumpling video.

[@johnl8996]

You definitely have a lot more patience with basket making than I did. I did it once many years ago and was about ready to throw the thing across the room at the halfway point.

[@kristinamichalowski6787]

Beautiful basket!!

[@artgoddess80]

It would be so cool to see a second part video where you make a dish from the items you gathered.

[@bittehiereinfugen7723]

Maybe we'll see that tomorrow?

[@recklessroges]

Where I'm going to wrap or bend the weavers I gently crush them with the handle of my knife to prevent them snapping. Also works with turns and folds when making a corn dolly from lavender stalks.

[@PoptartParasol]

Great video, my baby was laughing herself silly when she saw you weaving the basket. Who knows why 😂

[@PARKSGAMING82]

tip if you soaked the material in water it makes it more pliable and less likely to split

[@I.____.....__...__]

2:10 Did that bird just do a Wilhelm Scream? 🤨

[@robertdenson488]

your channel is great! you never know what you will find ,but it is all excellent. Thank you from coastal Alabama, USA

[@stansfieldmcelroy]

Great Saturday morning video Mike. It must be great to have friends with an orchard

[@samhenwood5746]

Brilliant video as always, I’ve made baskets when I was younger very tricky but fun to do 🤗Thanks 👍

[@unnamedchannel1237]

Trying to get rid of the GF junk not make more for her

[@TheAmorable]

Initially came for the scamming content, stayed for the absolutely amazing cottage core content

[@30matey]

this video was pretty cool loved watching you make this video i could have watched alot more i hate seeing this type of videos you end its so relaxing and interesting to watch and its always something different

[@fookdatchit4245]

Nice foraging/scrumping basket

[@deniseodaniels7356]

beautiful basket. i always try and dont do it good. i quit. love this. thank u for sharing.

[@gravic48]

Funny you should post this today; one of my Facebook memories today, from 2 years ago, was a small lidded pot I had made from long pine needles after following a KZbin video.

[@jennifermurray4387]

This was AMAZING 👏...Thank you good sir.

[@hattyburrow716]

Beautiful orchard!

[@Varangian_af_Scaniae]

Really nice rustic basket.