Preparing your Materials

• 1). Soak the willow for at least 12 hours.
  
  
• 2). Split the soaked willow with a sharp knife, and hold one end in your mouth as you tear the cut strip away from the stalk.
  
  
• 3). Remove broken pieces by gathering groups of willows into your hands and slapping them against your knee. Use your fingers to comb the broken pieces out.
  
  
• 4). Soak the remaining straw for about 10 minutes to loosen it up.
  
  
• 5). Wrap the soaked straw in a damp towel while you work.
  
  

Coiling the Straw

• 1). Wrap one strip of willow around the the end of a straw bundle to secure it. Trip the straw ends beyond the point of the willow strap.
  
  
• 2). Continue to wrap willow around the straw four times, then begin curling the straw into a spiral shape, drawing the willow through the middle of each spiral and pulling taught. Do this five times.
  
  
• 3). Use an awl, open a hole in the spiraled straw.
  
  
• 4). Stitch willow through the straw under one of the wraps. Pull stitches tight.
  
  
• 5). Wrap willow strip around and around the straw, stitching through the bundle to create a coil.
  
  
• 6). Add straw to the basket as it gets larger by weaving new ends into the old ones.
  
  
• 7). Add willow as needed by pulling new strands through and hiding the ends behind the coils.
  
  
• 8). After the bottom of the basket reaches about 6 inches in width, start to curve the spiral upward to make a bowl shape.
  
  
• 9). After the sides reach about 5 inches in height, cut the ends of the straw bundle at an angle.
  
  
• 10
  
  Wrap the ends of the straw into the willow stitches.
  
  
• 11
  
  Stitch over the rim with willow in the opposite direction of the first round of stitches.