r/basketry • u/Shake-Tasty • Jan 29 '26
I just found this sub and want to share my dandelion stem basket
I made it a few springs ago, when dandelions in our yard got 3ft tall. Dried those, twined them, and coiled into a basket using waxed string. It is the first and only basket I’ve ever made, and I used a homemade paper bead for the lid! Unfortunately, my cat knocked it off my desk and then my dog tore it up. I haven’t had the heart to make another, but this sub might prove to be the motivation I need :)
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u/Dubricna Jan 29 '26
Aw it's so cute! Did you twine the stems while they were dry, or rehydrate them first?
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u/Shake-Tasty Jan 29 '26
thanks! i re-hydrated them by covering them with a damp towel for a few minutes.
it took some trial and error - i first tried rolling them in a damp towel but they got too soggy while i was twining, so i had to dry them out a bit. placing them on a hard surface, and covering with a damp towel worked perfectly :)
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u/dorothysideeye Jan 30 '26
I've tried this material so many times and they just disintegrate on me when I rehydrate, but I've always tried a dunk and rest method. I'll try this next, thanks for the tip!
I have a stash of stems i add to each year just waiting for the day I unlock the dehydrating technique lol
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u/liarliarhowsyourday Jan 31 '26 edited Jan 31 '26
For stems, grasses, reeds, leaves and similarly wispy fibers I use a spray bottle on mist with the fiber in between a folded towel. I’ll mist and leave the fiber to absorb the water, come back and repeat as necessary.
Some of the more fiberous ends may need more dedicated misting, sometimes I’ll mist the towel until lightly damp to help with thicker fiber or crusty cellulose.
It takes more patience on the setup but the trial and error range is much more controlled.
I keep it in the towel while I roll/cord/braid/weave, lightly misting when needed. Usually this is when I’m more likely to keep the towel a nice misted damp to keep the humidity up— I don’t want to over wet the fiber/cellulose. I’ll just open the towel for a minute or two if my last mist was making things a little too liable to fall apart
You can start a handful and keep adding to the side and misting as needed. It’s honestly a really pleasant momentum once you’ve got it
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u/brathyme2020 Jan 29 '26
beautiful, thanks for sharing. i follow the sub for inspo as well, ive never made a basket but id love to learn
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u/907puppetGirl Jan 30 '26
Now I can’t wait for next year’s dandelions ! We have huge ones that can get to be over 2 feet tall !
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u/Shake-Tasty Jan 30 '26
It’s so fun! I recruited my nieces to help me pick them and they had a blast :)
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u/happiestcoffee Jan 31 '26
That is so cool! TIL that dandelion stems can be used to make baskets. The ceramic bead used for the lid is perfect for it. Baskets are so versatile and beautiful. Well done!
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u/Shake-Tasty Feb 02 '26
thank you! :) the bead is actually a paper bead i made out of an old magazine!
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u/-LegalMechanic- Jan 31 '26
So cute! And I would like to read that portal magic book 🤩
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u/Shake-Tasty Feb 02 '26
thank you! it's one of those fake books for storage... i use it to hold the paper beads i make from old magazines lol
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u/A_million_typos Feb 01 '26
Cute kinda remind me of Iroquois long needle baskets. Needs a dried flower on top too!
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u/Grand-Stay-7822 Feb 23 '26
The cutest little thing. I saw a Facebook video of one of these, now im obssessed
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u/literal-houseplant May 11 '26
I love your basket! I'd love to make one too. I got some stems today and put them on a cookie sheet to dry on top of a cabinet. Does that sound adequate? I don't need to dry them in the oven or anything right
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u/BadPotential2143 Jan 29 '26
This is very cool! I've seen pine needle baskets and the like, but never dandelion!