Simple Honeysuckle Vine Basket
My husband has been clearing out some of our yard, which is full of honeysuckle
vines. Rather than waste the vines and let him burn them, I've been gathering
them so that I can make a basket from them. 
I was actually able to find a website with instructions on how to prepare honeysuckle vines for weaving: First you have to gather the vines, then you boil them for 10-30 minutes. After you do this, the bark will pull right off.
It's going to take me a while to get all of them done. I only have a small pot to boil them in, so I'm doing them one vine at a time!
Here are some of vines I collected before boiling:
And here they are after I peeled them (didn't take very long once they had been boiled!).
And... okay, don't laugh. Here is the completed basket:
Keep in mind, I have never woven a basket before, and also, the vines were very short and I had to keep replacing them (I didn't have a vine that was 15 ft. long as I needed). The basket is a little crude but the kids love it!
It was all in fun anyway!
I was actually able to find a website with instructions on how to prepare honeysuckle vines for weaving: First you have to gather the vines, then you boil them for 10-30 minutes. After you do this, the bark will pull right off.
It's going to take me a while to get all of them done. I only have a small pot to boil them in, so I'm doing them one vine at a time!
Here are some of vines I collected before boiling:
And here they are after I peeled them (didn't take very long once they had been boiled!).
And... okay, don't laugh. Here is the completed basket:
Keep in mind, I have never woven a basket before, and also, the vines were very short and I had to keep replacing them (I didn't have a vine that was 15 ft. long as I needed). The basket is a little crude but the kids love it!
It was all in fun anyway!
I love it, too.
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Oh my I think that is fabulous!!!
deezie
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Very nice! You should be very proud of your accomplishment.
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That has to be great for a first try! I think it looks really neat! Will the vines dry out and harden?
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Bethany,
I think they are beautiful..have you considered making homemade Easter Baskets for the kids? just a thought.
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Thanks all for the kind words of encouragement. It didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned, but the fact that the kids have been using it and having fun with it all this time has made me feel like maybe it was worth the effort anyway!
Shelly, that is a fantastic idea! I don't know if I'll have time to do any more baskets before then, but I could definitely make this one into an easter basket!
Tiffany, the vines already have dried and hardened!
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