Art-Making Activity: Basket Weaving
Inspired by baskets created by Native American artists, create your own woven basket with colorful paper.
INTRODUCTION
Jeremy Frey is a basket weaver and a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe from Northern Maine, where the artist lives. Frey learned traditional weaving techniques from his mother, working with customary materials such as brown ash and sweetgrass, found in the forests of the Northeastern United States and Canadian Border.
Watch the video below to learn more about where Frey learned how to weave baskets and how he finds the material to make them.
Frey’s basket Deception was created with cedar bark, spruce root, and natural dye, along with the brown ash. Brown ash is a very traditional material but the other materials he used are new and different.
Look closely at the basket. Can you tell how it was created? Can you spot the difference in the materials?
Deception, 2014, Jeremy Frey (Native American, Passamaquoddy, born 1978), brown ash, cedar bark, spruce root, natural dye. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Kathleen Boone Samuels Memorial Fund, 2016.11a-b
Feeling inspired by Jeremy Frey and his artistic practice of basket weaving? Create your own basket by following the steps below.
CREATE
Materials
- Heavyweight or cardstock paper for the Weaving Template
- 4 to 5 cut paper strips for weaving, about ½ in. wide by 8½ in. long
- Glue or stapler
- Optional: various found materials to weave with (string, ribbon, long grass or raffia, pipe cleaners, etc).
Instructions
Click through the steps below to create your basket!
Take it further!
Jeremy Frey uses a mix of traditional natural resources and new, innovative materials to weave baskets with. Use your second template to experiment with different weaving materials you can find around your home! You can use things like raffia, pipe cleaners, fabric scraps, ribbons, or grass to make a unique woven vessel.
