Coiled basket weaving with paper raffia

1   Wrap a piece of paper raffia (approx. 1 m) around the maize cord. Secure the end of the paper raffia underneath the wrapping. NB: Don't cut the maize cord before finishing the basket completely.

2   Thread the piece of paper raffia onto a blunt needle. Twist the end of the paper raffia covered maize cord into a coil and secure by sewing around two rounds of cord.

3   Continue twisting paper raffia around the maize cord. Twist the maize cord into a coil. Secure with a needle threaded with paper raffia as shown in the photo.

4   When the paper raffia runs out, join the new piece of paper raffia by twisting it around the two ends.

5   When changing colour, join the new piece of paper raffia following the same procedure as described above.

6   Try securing the two cords together with roughly the same spacing for an even look.

7   Do use several different colours of paper raffia. Finish each colour of the paper raffia opposite the same place as where you started.

8   When the base is finished (approx. 20 cm diameter), place the maize cord (with the paper raffia wrapped around it) on top of the last round of the base. Now continue upwards to create the edge of the basket.

9   Change the colour of the paper raffia along the edge as well.

10   Finish with 3 rows of white paper raffia wrapped around the maize cord.

11   Cut the maize cord at an angle to make it flat. Sew with the paper raffia over 2 rounds of cords on the remaining 2 cm of the maize cord to secure the end. Now secure the end of the paper raffia.