Finishing Techniques for Woven Willow Baskets

Why the finish is the making of a basket

A basket can be sound in the weave and still feel unfinished in the hand. The difference is almost always in the last hour or two of work: packing the weave down, upsetting the stakes, working a border, binding a rim and setting a handle that does not cut into your fingers. These steps add strength where a basket actually takes strain, and they hide the loose ends and uneven stakes that make a piece look homemade in the wrong sense. None of it is technically difficult. It simply rewards patience over speed, and a little water at the right moment.

Packing down and trimming the stakes

Before you begin the border, go over the whole basket and pack the weave down. Willow shrinks as it dries, and any slack you leave now will open into gaps later. Work a rapping iron, or the flat back of your secateurs, gently against each row of randing so it sits tight on the row below. Do this every few rows as you weave, and again just before finishing. If the willow has stiffened, mist it and wrap the basket in a damp towel for half an hour to let it mellow.

Next, trim the side stakes. For a rod border, leave roughly 10 to 12 centimetres standing above the top row of randing; a randed rim with more rods needs a little more. Cut each stake at a shallow angle sloping outwards and downwards, so rain runs off rather than sitting on the cut end, and take the time to skive the tip with a knife so it tapers thinly. A tapered tip slips under the weave cleanly; a blunt one splits the rod beside it. Use sharp secateurs and check the blade is not crushing the pith.

Upsetting and the rod border

Upsetting is the craft of bending the stakes over without cracking them. The stakes must be properly soaked — bend one over your thumb first to test it. Work around the basket steadily, easing each stake over the top row of waling and holding it with your thumb while you bring the next one round. A bodkin pushed in beside a stubborn stake gives you something solid to bend against, and a light misting keeps everything supple as you go.

For the border itself, the three-rod and four-rod borders are the traditional choices. Take a rod behind a stake, bring it in front of the next two stakes, then behind the third, and let it lie alongside the rod already travelling. Each rod follows the one ahead of it like traffic, and the rhythm only works if you keep the tension even. Watch the top edge as you work: it should stay level, not creep upwards. If you feel the rods stiffening, stop and mist them. Finish by tucking the last few rods down into the weave beside a stake, following the line of the weave so the ends disappear.

Building a rim that holds its shape

A rim is not decoration. It locks the border, stiffens the top edge and gives the basket its final silhouette. A randed rim — a pair of thin rods randed around the upturned stakes — suits lighter baskets. For a weight-bearing basket, use a rod rim: a thick core rod laid around the top, bound in place with a thinner rod passing alternately behind the stakes and over the core. The Sheffield rim, a heavy core bound with two finer rods, is worth learning if you make shoppers and log baskets.

• Choose rim rods slightly thicker than your weaving rods, well soaked and free of kinks.
• Bind tightly enough that the rim cannot rotate, but not so tightly that you crush the core.
• Join new binding rods by skiving the ends and tucking the join behind a stake.
• Check the rim for sag by sighting along it from the side; adjust before the willow dries.

Handles that carry comfortably

A hooped handle is usually bent from a single heavy rod — thumb-thickness is about right for a basket you will fill weekly — or from hazel or ash. Shape it over a form or your knee, then leave it to dry in the curve. Attach it at the rim, reinforcing the join with a bolster of two or three short rods tucked down into the weave either side, so the weight is spread rather than concentrated on one stake. Woven handles, made from two rods randed together, suit smaller baskets and trugs.

Comfort matters more than appearance here. Check the clearance: you want a good hand's width under the handle so your knuckles do not scrape the rim when the basket is full. Shave and sand the underside of the handle where your fingers sit, and round off the ends. Then load the basket and carry it across the room before you call it finished.

Drying, oiling and the final check

Let the basket dry slowly, in a cool airy place, away from radiators and direct sun. As it dries, the willow tightens and the whole piece firms up — you will often feel the rim stiffen overnight. Once it is thoroughly dry, a thin coat of raw linseed or Danish oil on the rim and handle protects against handling and sweat without making the willow greasy.

Finally, run your hand around the inside of the basket. Any protruding tips should be trimmed flush and touched with a spot of wood glue. Stand back, sight the rim, and give the handle a firm tug. If nothing shifts, the basket is ready for years of use.