[ Home ] [ Chat ] [ Events ] [ Features ] [ Forum ] [ Free Patterns ] [ Links ] [ Search ]

Make A Basketweave Snowflake Ornament

Use Black Ash Woodsplint And Sweetgrass In This Free Project

Make a tree full of black ash woodsplint and sweetgrass snowflake ornaments for your holiday celebrations. 

Materials

• 8 pieces black ash double satin woodsplint  3/8" x 5¼"
• sweetgrass for twining
• cord for hanging finished ornament

Supplies

• scissors
• ruler
• awl or WeaveRite™ tool

Procedure

Cut and Shape Spokes

• Dampen woodsplint before cutting
• Cut eight lengths of double satin (smooth both sides) woodsplint 5¼" long and 3/8" wide for spokes
• Narrow the centers of each spoke to 1/8" for about 1", then taper each end

Prepare Sweetgrass

• Soak a small bundle of sweetgrass in water for a short time, wrap in a moist towel and allow to mellow before weaving

Spoke Layout

• Layout the spokes in the sequence diagrammed below

Center Weaving

• Fold a blade of sweetgrass near its center point and begin twining around the spokes
• Add new blades of sweetgrass when necessary
• Twine until the center measures 1¾" across
• End twining by inserting the sweetgrass under previous weave to secure
• Trim any ends

Turning Back The Points

• Moisten the spoke ends
• Turn back points of alternate spokes
• Use an awl or WeaveRite™ tool to open up the weave
• Carefully insert ends into the weaving on the back side

Finishing Details

• Trim any stray ends
• String your ornament

Tip 

• This ornament can be varied by cutting the spokes into different shapes giving you a variety of star and snowflake shapes
• Dyed or natural raffia that has been split to a narrow width can be substituted for the sweetgrass
• Dyed spokes and natural weavers are another option