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WILDWOODS CRAFT KITS educational and fun!

BASKETRY Basketry is an ancient human craft that can be found in almost all cultures. It is the process of taking raw plant materials and weaving them together into a useful or decorative shape. Basketry has been and continues to be an important trade in many cultures across the world. While some basketry is utilitarian, other woven items are artistic expressions of the basket makers. Like any handwork, the art of basketry offers the basket weaver some gentle quietness while weaving. There are four basic types of basketry weaving: Coiled, Twined, Woven and Plaited. PLAITED Plaited Basketry uses wide materials such as strips of palm, yucca leaves or split river cane as horizontal and vertical wefts and warps that are woven under and over each other at right angles to make flat surfaces. The flat surfaces can be shaped upward into the sides of the basket or can be left flat for wall hangings or mats. A wide variety of designs can be realized. Many tribes in North America created plaited baskets. TWINED Twined Basketry starts with a rigid framework of spokes or rods (called warps) around which two strands (called wefts) are alternatingly wrapped and twisted. This techniques is found in many Native American tribes such as: Nez Pierce, Yakima, Chinook, Creek, and many others. WOVEN Woven basketry includes splint basketry and wicker basketry. Splint basketry involves using strips of flat shaved wood often river cane, to weave under and over rounded spokes or ribs that radiate from a central crossed start. In splint basketry the handles and rims of the basket are often made from flexible vines. Wickerwork uses rounded weavers that move under and over rounded spokes. Some North American Tribes specializing in this type of basketry are: Cherokee, Hopi, Crow, Chinook and many others. Early immigrants to the Colonial America also used this technique in their basket making. COILED Coiled Basketry involves coiling grasses or similar materials such as pine needles while wrapping and securing the coil with a sewn strand of thread or plant string. Coiling allows for a wide variety in design and creativity, both in materials and patterns. While coiled basketry was made by many native tribes across North America, some of the tribes that are well known for this style are: The Navajo, Apache, Seminole, Shoshone, Paiute, Pomo, Chumash, Maidu, Cahuilla, Miwok, and many others. TRADITIONAL CRAFTS OUR KITS COILED • Pine Needle Basket Kit • Quick Start Pine Needle Basket Kit Round • Quick Start Pine Needle Basket Kit Oval • Coiled Basket Kit (Basic) • Coiled Basket Kit (Expanded) • Braided Raffia Hat Kit • Pomo Canoe Basket Kit • Pine Needle Ornaments Kit • Pine Needle Wreath Kit • Pine Needle Heart Ornament Kit • Pine Needle Wreath Ornament Kit • Pine Needle Basket Ornament Kit • Pine Needle Picture Frame Kit SPLINT • Egg Basket Kit • Spiderwoman Basket Kit • Shaker Cheese Basket Kit POTTERY • Pueblo Pottery Kit OTHER CRAFTS • California Gold Quilt Patterns • Hummingstik • Wood Buzzer Kit