Willow Rod: Weaving Features, Preparation for Creativity and Feedback

Weaving wicker baskets is an interesting and creative, but not an easy exercise. In order to create a product from the branches, it is necessary to do a lot of work: raw material preparation, barking, painting. Weaving from willow rods is a laborious process, but the beauty that comes out from under the skillful hands of a master is worth it.

Willow

A large number of plants belong to the family of willow trees, these are:

• Sedge,
• Rakita (bay leaf willow),
• Willow (goat willow),
• Almond willow,
• vine,
• Tamnik (red flower),
• Wind,
• Sludge.

Plants have different height and length of branches. In nature there are both shrubs and huge trees 30 meters high.

Preparation for work

The first stage of weaving is harvesting the vines. Without it, there is no way. Professionals harvest branches for a year ahead. It will take a lot of energy and time, but the resources spent are worth it. The optimal harvesting time for residents of the middle belt is August-September. At this time the vine is already ripe, and the movement of juice along the rods is coming to naught. If you prepare raw materials in August, there will be no problems with its cleaning from the bark (barking) and splitting.

Strongly it is not necessary to be engaged in preparation in June and July. Last year's shoots at this time bush, and the fresh are not yet fully matured. Young shoots are grassy and friable, not suitable for work.

Collection of vines

You can cut a vine while walking through the park or the river bank, the lake. It is desirable to dedicate the collection a few days. Sliced raw materials should be processed in the first few hours after slicing. Later it will dry up. It must be cleaned and split. If for some reason you could not do it at once, then there is a way out. You need to boil or steal bars for 40 minutes.

Be careful, untreated rods should not be soaked in a snow-white bath, they will color it in brown due to the release of tannins. It will be very difficult to clean the tub.

The method of "revitalization"

If you have enough time and you do not want to brew a vine, then you can use the "revitalization" method. Put the branches in the water, dipping the thick ends by 5-10 cm. For germination, you need about 28 days.

Vine staining

Why do you need to color the branches, before weaving from willow twigs? Sometimes, in order for the product to "fit" into the interior, it needs to be given a certain shade. Masters for changing the color of natural raw materials use:

• Dyes,
• Mordants,
• Pigments.

In addition to changing the appearance, painting protects the product from aging, burnout and precipitation.

When collecting raw materials for weaving, pay attention to the fragility of the vine. The main property of willow rods is rigidity. For weaving different parts of the product will require raw materials of varying degrees of rigidity. For example, to weave the rack of the basket, we need denser branches. For the weaving of transverse elements need flexible rods.

It is believed that the branches of annual bushes are more flexible, but less durable. It is better to cut raw materials from several different trees and determine its stiffness during operation.

Master-class "Wicker basket from the vine"

A basket of willow twigs is a beautiful and functional thing. Traditionally, Easter cakes are placed in them for lighting in the church on the eve of the bright Easter holiday. With such a stylish basket you can go to the market or to the store. The needlewomen can store their materials in them. The younger members of the family are happy to put toys into wicker baskets. When you become a real professional in this matter, you can weave a big chest for storing children's treasures for the kids.

Materials for work:

• awl,
• Sharp knife,
• Rods,
• Secateurs.

Take four branches and in their center make a hole of 3 cm. Four more insert into these holes. You will have a cross, which will be the basis for further work. Insert two more rods into the crosspiece and start to braid them. Now it will be necessary to braid each branch separately. Try to keep the elements flat and tight. Gradually, you will get a smooth circle. When you braid the first two circles, you need to take two more elements and push them between the first branches.

The walls of the basket

To make the walls you need a willow rod of medium thickness. To begin with, we will build the foundation for the walls. Along each rod from which the bottom consists, it is necessary to place a new branch. We remove the ends of the old branches. We continue our work with new raw materials. Each new branch is carried to the left and down, and then upwards. Do the same with the rest of the elements. The most recent rods can not be turned down. They should be twisted around the branches that go first. Now the elements of the weaving must be securely fixed, otherwise the basket will not hold the shape.

Three new branches enter the game. The leftmost element is bent to the right in front of other branches that are located in the immediate vicinity. We set them up for the third element of the weave and return it to its place. The same fate must be comprehended by the other two twigs.

On each rack in a circle, add one branch. Twist each element of the rack. Add the branches until the whole basket of willow twigs is braided. Finish the weaving will need to be using three elements. All unnecessary should be cut off. The branches with which the posts end, you need to bend down and weave into the product.

Knitting weaving

Such articles made from willow rods, like a basket, usually end with a handle. Let's consider the stages of its manufacture. The base will require a thick branch of blackberry or willow twig (vine). Bend the element and imagine in the head what size the basket handle will be. You need to cut off all unnecessary things. This is an important stage, and here it is appropriate to "measure seven times, and maybe you will not have to cut it". If you cut off excess, then the basket does not come out neat. Sharpen the ends of the rods with a knife and insert them into the places where you would like to have handles.

Take five thick branches and arrange them around the base of the handle. Extend the length of the edge of the basket. This will serve as an additional fixation of the handle to the basket. This must be done on both sides. Next, you need a thin willow rod. They will wrap the pen in several places. This is almost all you need to know about weaving wicker baskets. The information is enough to try to create your own masterpiece.

Wreath from the vine

For many people, a traditional decoration for a house on holidays is a wreath adorned with cones, nuts, flowers, Christmas toys, Easter souvenirs. Such decor is an amulet and has a sacred meaning. In the process of weaving you must have pure thoughts. Wish all households health and good luck, and everything will come true.

To create a wreath you will need:

• twine,
• Willow rod.

We'll start working with pre-prepared branches. Determine the size of the product. Take the four branches and tie them sequentially at the palm of an adult's palm. So add the branches and close the circle. The base is ready.

Now add the branches for a greater thickness of the product. All the following rods weave in staggered order, as shown in the photo. To ensure that the wreath has a neat appearance, all slices should look in one direction. If the plans hang it on the wall, then they should be on the back of the product. Willow rope fix among themselves tight. You can connect the elements with a twine.

When the product is ready, it must be dried. This will take 3-4 days. Do not immediately take on the decor. The branches of the wreath will lose elasticity and will not try to straighten. If you notice protruding cuttings, then before decorating the product, they need to be removed with a pruner.

New Year stars in a rustic style

New Year decor in a rustic style is suitable for a country house. The emphasis here is on the rough texture of natural materials. Shades of products, as a rule, are earthy, muffled, but at the same time they create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort. In the article we propose to learn how to make simple New Year toys in rustic style - stars from vines, which can be hung on a Christmas tree or decorated with a fireplace. Be careful with toys in this style, a large number of such decor elements can create a heavy atmosphere.

To make one toy you will need:

• 2-3 rods with a thickness of 6 mm;
• Thin flexible branches of a rod with a thickness of 3 mm;
• copper wire;
• Ruler;
• Secateurs.

You can make a star of any size. The optimum height is 12 cm.

Take 5 thick sticks. Smooth the two pairs with thick wire, leave one stick free. Spread the ends of the twisted branches on one side. Form a pair of stars from two pairs. Attach a free wand.

We are braiding a star

Hold the edge with your hands, remove the wire from one corner. Take a thin willow rod and wrap it around the corner. At the end, make a few turns, fixing it in this way. Do the same with the other corners. You will get a little rough, but stylish toy in a rustic style.

Reviews of this craft

Weaving from the vine is an ancient kind of craft. From the Slavs it is passed on from generation to generation. This kind of needlework can be an additional source of income for the skilled workers. Some are so addicted to this time-consuming, but creative process, which makes the spinning work the main job.

Many who start to practice this kind of needlework say they have become more calm. The lesson removes irritability and adjusts to a meditative mood. Procurement of raw materials is also an excellent occasion to spend time in nature and do manual labor. Especially it concerns people who weave large products or have an extensive client base.

Products of this type of raw materials are environmentally friendly and durable. Baskets and household items, woven by professionals, will serve for at least several decades. A great gift for young parents - toys from willow vines. Children can safely pull them in the mouth, lick. Harm will not bring such a present. When manufacturing items from a willow rod, no harmful impurities are used. The products do not emit toxic fumes. In the baskets of this raw material it is possible and necessary to store food.

From the willow rod you can find stunningly beautiful furniture: bookshelves, rocking chairs, baby cradles and much more. Products are pleasant to the touch, they carry energetics of wildlife, they have pleasant shades. They fit perfectly into almost any interior. Wicker tables and chairs will decorate your veranda. A perfect gift for an elderly person and not only - a wicker rocking chair. Such a piece of furniture was also chosen by nursing mothers.