Supplies
Materials
If you are interested in investing in bulk materials rather than a kit be sure to check out the materials and tools section of our shop for all the specialty tools and materials you will need. Below are links to each of the supplies you will need.
Tools
- Basket shears
- Spoke weight
- Titebond instant bond adhesive
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- 2" metal clamps
- Spray bottle of water
- Water tub
- Towel
Scandinavian Snowflake Kits
You can find a complete kit with the reed, glue, and clamps in our shop.
Scandinavian Snowflake 16" (Set of 3)
Scandinavian Snowflake 6" (Set of 5)
Cut List
For Neutral Snowflake (16")
-
20 stakes at 16 inches from 1/2" flat reed
For Neutral Snowflake (6")
- 20 stakes at 6 inches from 1/4" flat reed
For Multi-Color Snowflake
- 12 stakes at 16 inches from 1/2" flat reed in natural
- 8 stakes at 16 inches from 1/4" flat reed in color 1 (red)
- 8 stakes at 16 inches from 1/4" flat reed in color 2 (green)
Setting up a Workspace
Before you begin weaving lay a large towel down on your work surface. This will catch any excess water as you work with the damp/wet reed.
Set another towel down to one side and place a bin of warm water on top of this towel. This bin will be where you soak the reed to keep things damp.
Finally lay out your tools in easy reach to one side where they won’t be in your way.
Cut Pieces
Using a measuring tape, cut reed pieces using the cut list above. Measure using a measuring tape, not previously cut reed, as this will result in varying lengths of reed.
Snowflake Sizes
Follow the instructions to complete your snowflake size of choice.
If you are making the miniature snowflakes (6 inches in diameter), cut the reed pieces to 6 inches long. If you are making the larger snowflakes, cut the reed pieces at 16 inches long.
The instructions demonstrated in this guide work for both sizes.
Snowflake Tutorial Video Collection
We have several tutorial videos showing a variety of snowflake styles and sizes.
Multi-Color Scandinavian Snowflake 16" Tutorial
Scandinavian Snowflake Tutorial 16" Neutral Design
Mini Scandinavian Snowflake Tutorial
Sunflower Design Tutorial
Weaving Instructions
Things to consider as you work
- Get the reed damp so that it is pliable and workable.
- The following instructions will be repeated twice to create the two sides of the snowflake, then you will combine the two.
- Glue the ends of each snowflake point with wood glue and clamp them together to dry as you work. Allow glue to dry before moving to the next step.
Weave the Center Grid
For the 16" snowflake:
Weave a 4-inch square grid using 5 stakes in each direction. Line up the center marks. Follow the pattern layout for your desired snowflake. This can be found in the video tutorial or in the patterns shown later in this post.
For the 6" snowflake:
Weave a 2-inch square grid in the same manner.
Place a small drop of glue at each corner. Clamp until dry.
Turn the snowflake so that the corner of the center grid faces you. Grasp the corner stakes, turn them under, and align the short end of one with the long edge of the other to create a 90-degree angle. Glue and clamp these together.
Do the same for each corner.
Glue and clamp the second stake on each side to the stake kitty corner in the same way as you did above. You may want to cut off a 1/2" length from each end to shorten the piece slightly for a more uniform shape.
The center stake should be left alone at this point.
Complete two sections in this way. Allow to fully dry before unclamping the pieces.
Gently unclamp the ends of all of the stakes.
Flip one of the pieces over so that the center grid of one piece lays against the table and the center of the other piece sits up and away from the table.
Rotate the lifted piece and set it on top of the piece that's flush to the table. The center stakes will slide into the loops that you glued together.
Apply a liberal amount of glue to the point of the curved and joined pieces and attach these to the straight center stake at the ends. Clamp these pieces in place and allow to fully dry.
Allow the snowflake to fully dry for a day or two to dry out the dampened reed and cure the glue.
Staining or Sealing the Snowflake
Once your snowflake it completely dry you have the option to stain or seal it.
Sealing the snowflake will protect it from mold, mildew and wear from use.
Staining can change the reed's color to a different wood tone. You do this after the piece is woven because it seals the reed, eliminating its ability to soak up moisture (which is necessary for the weaving process).
Video: Staining and Sealing Baskets
More Resources
Basket Weaving with Textile Indie on Youtube
