A basket is typically a wooden container that is constructed from hardwoods and is made using a variety of materials, such as twine, hardwood splints, and plastic. Most baskets are typically made of natural plant fibers, while other materials including metal wire, horsehair, or baleen can also be utilized. Baskets are usually woven manually by hand. Today, woven baskets are commonly used in gift basket making. There are many different types of baskets that can be used to store gift items.
Some popular basket-making materials include twine, straw, plastic straw, bamboo fibers, corn cobs, dried beans, coconut nuts, and even fish, meat, or vegetables. The basket can be made with or without a handle. A handleless basket can have the handle tied on a string so that it can hang, while other types of baskets may be wrapped in cellophane and secured with a metal clip. There are also those that have a built in rafter that add height to the basket. If desired, one can even buy readymade baskets at specialty stores.
There are two types of basket making processes: basket weaving and basket manufacturing. Basket weaving is the process in which yarn is drawn through a loom. This is typically done by interconnecting small lengths of different fibers. When this is done, the resulting basket can then be woven together to create a single, larger fiber. Other types of baskets, such as cellophane-wrapped baskets, are created by wrapping a fiber using a heat gun or by pressing individual strands of yarn together.
With basket manufacturing, a variety of tools are used to wrap and secure the individual fibers together. This process is known as weft weaving. Weft wools are usually made by soaking goat hairs in water until they are completely softened. After this process, these hairs are woven into coarse-woven fibers and the resulting basket is used for basket weaving.
Today, most people prefer basket weaving because it is easier to make these baskets with natural, unscented yarns. However, there are people who choose to use synthetic materials for their basketry. They feel that using synthetic products allows them to create unique, one-of-a-kind items. Some people even create woven baskets out of materials like felt and feathers.
While not everyone agrees with the basket method of making baskets, there are still people who appreciate this centuries old art form. In addition to acting as a useful container, basket weaving has served to decorate the home, garden, yard, and museum art. For this reason, there is no reason that you should not incorporate basket-making into your lifestyle. Just remember that you can easily find instructions on how to make beautiful baskets by just looking up some online resources.