Coil Baskets

Julia May 13, 2012 5 Comments

Kapaa Middle School Art students loved creating forms with clay, so I thought we would try another 3-dimensional project introducing a completely different medium. I learned this coiling technique from my middle school Art teacher, and it has stuck with me through all of these years! We used simple clothesline for the baskets’ interior core structure, simultaneously wrapping it with colorful yarn to create patterns, and coiling from the center outwards to create the overall form. A paperclip was used to stitch the yarn through each coil and fasten it in place. Instead of yarn, raffia, sweetgrass, or even long pine needles can be used to achieve a more natural look.

The main themes for this project included visual and physical rhythm, radial symmetry, and 3-dimensional form. Most students seemed to really like this project, and some of them even worked outside of class to make additional handles and lids. The final critique was conveniently scheduled to fall just before Mothers’ Day!