Materials: 3/8" flat reed for spokes, flower curls and weavers, 1/4" flat reed for weavers, leaves and stems, #2 round reed for twining, 1/2" flat reed for weavers and rims, small seagrass for rim filler, one 6 x 8 D handle and medium binding cane for lashing.

Preparation: From the 3/8" flat reed cut 7 spokes 16" long. Mark the centers of the spokes on the rough side. Dye five medium pieces of 1/4" flat reed dark green. Cut from the dyed 1/4" flat reed 4 spokes 6 1/2" long. Dye a very smooth and flexible piece of 3/8" flat reed maroon, navy, rust or rose for the flower curls. Soak all material in warm water for a few minutes.

Base: Place 4 of your spokes vertically on the table. Place the handle horizontally on top of the 4 spokes at the center marks. Adjust the spokes so they are all under the handle. Now place the remaining 3 spokes on top of the handle in between the first 4 spokes. The first and last spoke will be under the handle and the center spoke will be on top of the handle. Use a spoke weight to help you hold everything in place. Twine 3 rows, with the #2 round reed, around the spokes and the handle. Be sure you treat the handle just like a spoke when twining. Start the twining on a center spoke and end the twining on the same spoke and the spoke to the left. Turn the base so you are looking at the bottom of the handle. You will insert the dark green stem spokes on the first, third, fifth and seventh 3/8" spoke. Tuck one end of each stem under the rows of twine across the bottom of the handle. The long end of the stem will be woven with the 3/8" spoke as one for the first 3 rows. The front of the basket is the side with the long end of the stems.( The stems do not weave up the back of the basket.) Wet the spokes and bend each spoke up at the edge of the twine to begin the side weaving. Be sure to bend the stems up with the 3/8" spoke that they are on top of.

Side Weaving: All rows are woven in a start and stop weave. Alternate from the front and back of the basket for starting your weaving. Tip: The spokes are close on this little basket. So it is best to use thin flexible pieces of reed for weaving. Start the first row of weaving on the back of the basket on top of the third spoke. Be sure you start on top of this spoke or you will not be able to do the rows of curls! This first row weaves inside the handle. (The side without the stems) Weave 3 rows of dark green 1/4" flat reed. Remember to weave the stem spokes and the 3/8" spoke as one for the first three rows. For the next rows, you will just weave over and under the 3/8" spoke. Leave the green stems out of the weaving.  Rows 4 through 10 are woven with natural 1/4" flat reed. For row 11 use 1/4" flat reed, but now you will weave over the 3/8" spoke and the stem as one again. Rows 12 and 13 are 1/2" flat reed. Trim and hide the ends of the stems under the weaver on the 13th row. Rows 14 and 15 are 3/8" flat reed. Wet the spokes. Cut the inside spokes off flush with the last row of weaving. Tuck the outside spokes to the inside of the basket, hiding the ends under two rows of weaving.

Rims: Place a piece of 1/2" flat reed on the outside of the basket. Start this piece at the back and wrap towards the front. Be sure to leave an overlap. Place another piece of 1/2" flat reed on the inside of the basket over the last row of weaving. Start this piece on the front of the basket. Use seagrass for a rim filler and lash all pieces in place with medium binder cane.

IT IS BEST TO LET THE BASKET DRY THOROUGHLY BEFORE DOING THE FLOWERS AND STEM CURLS!

Flower curls: The flower curls are woven on the two rows of 1/2" flat reed. Start on the left side of the basket. With rough side facing up, tuck the end of the 3/8" flat reed under the handle on the row of 1/2" closest to the rim. Form a letter C (you will always have the rough side facing up when you weave under the stem and the 1/2") and bring the 3/8" piece under the green stem only. Make the letter C and bring the piece up to the first row of 1/2" and under the second spoke. Continue across the front of the basket in this manner. End the piece under the handle on the right side of the basket. Look at the diagram for reference. It is easier to show

how to weave flower curls then it is to write how to weave the curls!

Stem curls:  The stems are woven on the second row of green at the bottom of the basket and the last row of 1/4" flat at the top of the basket. They are woven in the same manner as the flower curls, just weaving over more rows. Use the diagram for reference.  TIP: When ever you do curls on a basket, try to weave the curls in a size that is smaller then the rows that you are weaving them on. It is always easier to weave curls on a dry basket with the curling material just damp not soaking wet.