Pine Needle Baskets	Pine needles, or any other plant material, should be gathered and dried thoroughly in the sun (for bleached colors) or in the shade (to retain green color). Before the basket can begin dried vegetal material should be soaked in warm water for at least a half an hour to regain its flexibility. Over-soaking for hours may damage some basket materials.

Embroidery thread or waxed nylon string is very suitable for coil basket stitching, and can be easily threaded onto a needle. Natural materials, such as split roots, birch paper, basswood inner bark strips, or raffia may also be used, but you will probably have to splice in new strands quite often. The instructions provided here apply to right handers for which the direction of work usually spirals counter-clockwise, (clockwise for left handers). The 'best side' of a basket can be depend upon which side is stitched into; from the outside - in, or from the inside - out. Generally the side of the basket which the needle and string enters into is the 'best side', although careful attention to where the needle enters and exits can result in a neat, orderly appearance on both sides of a basket.

Coiling with Embroidery Thread

Coiling Techniques

Instructions for Coiled Pine Needle Baskets