How Do You Make Sweetgrass Baskets?
Sweetgrass basket making is a traditional folk craft associated with South Carolina’s Sea Islands and has its origins in West Africa. The baskets can be ornate and complex, or relatively plain and simple. This method creates a basic coiled basket and is suitable for beginners to the craft. Coiled sweetgrass is available in a variety of weights. The amount you need depends on the size of the basket. You can decide how big you want your basket to be as you work. Thread a single-thickness of the stitching string through a needle and hold this in your right hand. With your left hand, hold the end of your sweetgrass. Place the end of the string against the end of the sweetgrass and tightly wind the string around the sweetgrass about ten times, securing the end of the string underneath. Twist the wrapped end back on itself to form a small loop at the end of the sweetgrass, and secure the loop by wrapping the string around the long and short ends of the sweetgrass together. Hold this loop dow
