PART 1 - How to weave a round willow basket - The base

The first in our comprehensive 6 part tutorial. The round base can easily be adapted to make a flower.
Running order
00:18 Starting the base
02:16 The slath
07:30 Tying in the slath / starting to pair
16:56 Underfoot base
18:38 Joining butts to butts
21:26 Joining tips to tips
24:01 Lock joint
25:54 Finishing off/ pricking off (trimming)

[@tinahart1712]

Wow! I have been looking to see if I can find any videos that would show me clearly how to weave a basket yours is by far the best and the most detailed I cannot wait to start thank you so much xx ❤❤

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

So glad you're enjoying them!

[@NoCallerID86753ohNine]

Thank you for this free tutorial. Willow basket weaving is a craft and I’m so grateful you shared your knowledge, I can’t wait to try my hand at basket weaving. I also loved the aesthetic of the fire place.

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fjalar4856]

Thanks to you I started this wonderful journey for the first time🙏

[@lesliewind338]

Decades ago, I was enchanted by basket weaving. This video awakened the totality of that time in my mind. I loved her tutorial for the perfection of the demonstration and explanation. Thank you!

[@theflyingfool]

10,000 years or more of expertise in willow basketry explained beautifully and clearly, thank you Rachel!

[@philliusphoggwick8299]

She's not that old!

[@theflyingfool]

@@philliusphoggwick8299 LOL yes I should have said the accumulated expertiseof generations...

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

@@philliusphoggwick8299 she is getting a bit saggy round the edges but we love her!

[@jerrettmckissen6259]

Thank you for such a thorough explanation.

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

our pleasure

[@leahvujic1936]

you are so descriptive and explain everything so well! thank you!

[@claudialawrance9840]

Thank you so much for this video series. You are an excellent instructor. I have been struggling to make willow baskets and this video series has cleared up so much. 😊

[@falkasete]

Thank you for such a good description. It really helps me who cant afford to take a course. You are excellent in teaching. Lots of love.

[@Kanvil]

Best video I've seen on base weaving! Thanks! Looking forward to more content!

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

Thanks Kate. We will be releasing the rest of the tutorials in this series in the next day or two

[@Kanvil]

@@musgrovewillowssomerset Excited to hear that!

[@Kanvil]

@@musgrovewillowssomerset Now that you have done this series, can we hope for more? Please?

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

@@Kanvil Hi Kate, We don't have any further filming scheduled at this time but we may release some short 'tips' videos in the future

[@Kanvil]

@@musgrovewillowssomerset Hope to visit next time I'm in the UK. I'll keep my eye out for available classes at Musgrove! Thanks!

[@Illusivem8ne]

I made my first willow basket using your videos. I love that you go slow, explain everything perfectly, and that you timestamped it as well. I appreciate you as well as your channel ❤❤❤

[@carvingthecottonwood]

This is an excellent tutorial, thank you so much!

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rappermusician]

very nicely desribed and shown - I am confident to try this myself now - many thanks

[@FrederikDevreese]

Well... thanks for the "to the point" showing! You made me start my first try today! Thank you for your video!!

[@callumglass]

INCREDIBLY detailed and extremely well filmed/edited. Bravo 👏 So excited to get my flanders red delivered 🙏😁 thank you!

[@philliusphoggwick8299]

Thanks really useful video, I will give it a go once my willow has grown back from all my messing around making silly spiral things

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

there's nothing wrong with silly spiral things!

[@panachereny]

Thank you for this comprehensive and clear tutorial

[@darrenhawkes3967]

Thank you for helping me.

[@bernadettegallagher3073]

Brilliantly explained

[@vallil3933]

The video is awedome...very very clear to understand .i would like to know how to select the slath thick and thin.

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

the slath are always the thickest weavers in the basket and come from the butt end of your longest rods. The medium weight roads become your uprights and the thinest/lightest become your weaves- all you need to do is look at the whole bundle and sort into 3 sizes before you begin your project- gives me an idea for another video!

[@veefranky2761]

Amazing tutorial. Yu are a great teacher ❤ thanks so much i will be trying this xx wears best to buy the willow. Many thanks x

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

why Musgrove Willows of course! have a look online and we are always happy to help via email if needed

[@NalanUnal]

Thank you for tutorial

[@RichieMcBride]

Nice one Rachel. Love it

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

always our pleasure Richie we know how much you love your baskets

[@hanankhalaf8813]

شكرا ليكي علي هذا الموضوع الرائع والابداع ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ بارك الله في هاتين اليدين باسم يسوع ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@АлександрЗорин-ж6л]

Ничего не понимаю на английском,но когда смотрю на Ваши руки и жесты-всё понятно!Спасибо.

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

our pleasure

[@MilaxiMarichal-cv8cm]

Muy bueno su tutorial .

[@katherinefritz3411]

Such great detail. Thank you

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

Thank you Katherine. Further tutorials will be available soon

[@SallyGulbrandsen]

Very impressive tutorial, thank you for sharing.

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

You're very welcome!

[@myselfportraitoverhere]

Omg... thank u so muchh❤

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

our pleasure

[@sarahmayson3058]

great video 😀

[@louisesusan]

Your tutorial was absolutely brilliant. So clear with great videography to help me understand the process. I have only just started looking into basket making and would love to learn. I am from the uk but now live in New Zealand. Im heading back over Christmas (2024) for a couple of months. Will or can you provide lessons? Also do you know of any other alternative to willow that i could use. I think it maybe hard to source here. Willow is definitely calling me however.

[@karencooper5396]

Great video thank you!

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

Thank you for your feedback Karen. Much appreciated

[@tanyalevin3240]

Thank you soo much for an excellent video, detailed, clear, great zoom in and wonderful to know what each part is called. I feel ready to start😊. The willow you are using, have you dried it first and then rehydrate it?

[@susanbarnwell2569]

Hi there, loved watching this. Can I ask where would I buy a set of Bodkins from - can you recommend any other useful tools for willow work and weaving please. Many thanks.

[@Anunnasboy]

Al go rhythm 🥁

[@TheTexasTakebyMissVikie]

✨💓💖💓✨ Thanks for Sharing Miss Vikie 🌈🦄🌈 Texas USA🇺🇸

[@TheVspankster]

Where can i purchase willow to weave with. Im in america

[@ОлександрІванчук-ц2з]

👍👍👍

[@ps0175]

Where can I buy supplies for this project?

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

You can order here at www.musgrovewillows.co.uk or follow the links in the video description :)

[@onegreenev]

I noticed you are using fresh willow instead of dried then soaked willow. That causes loose baskets when the willow dries out. I can't recommend using fresh green willow. First dry then soak then make your basket. Ive done baskets from fresh wild grape vine and they got super loose after they dried. All my previous small willow baskets became quite loose after they dried. Drying first is a must to pre-shrink your rods of what ever you are using then soak until pliable enough to weave without breaking or cracking. Good job on the tutorial except the use of green fresh willow.

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

We agree, for the purposes of the video we have used green willow but we would always recommend using dried brown willow, buff or white for weaving a basket for this exact reason. Thank you :)

[@oscarhammer9917]

I have just gathered an enormous pile of willow for basket making, and i appreciate the idea that the preferred way is to dry the willow, soak it, then weave it, but i also appreciate that i don’t need to wait in my enthusiasm for getting started, that thus is encouragement to start TODAY as opposed to waiting some days or weeks for the willow to dry.

[@SuchGoodVibes]

@@oscarhammer9917practice the weave with fresh, make the better one with dry 👍

[@nicimecca1758]

How long do you soak it and is it just in water?

[@Creative-Chaos]

Where do you buy willow?

[@philliusphoggwick8299]

I bought a small willow type tree (in a pot, like maybe £20 I dunno) from a garden centre, then on a whim cut some newer shoot branches off the next spring and stood them in jam jars of water for a couple days then planted in a pot and tended a bit. Most of the shoots grew to 6 ft thin trees same yr, now I can cut the branches off for weaving, willow grows back well I think.

[@sandradavidson3161]

Where do I order willow?

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

You can order here at www.musgrovewillows.co.uk :)

[@veronicaingvarsson-xv1qn]

Can I ask how long the stick are in the base of of your basket?

[@shokofehsalimi2677]

😍👌👏🙏❤

[@SergioLopez-qz6ul]

Sería bueno que se Pudiera leer en castellano. Plis

[@catharina2022]

Please keep your Camera on the work, only on the lady when she is not working, the in and outzooming is very distracting.......I like the weaving a lot!❤

[@20footloose]

Excellent tutorial and camera work too!

[@musgrovewillowssomerset]

Thanks footloose. There's more to come soon