Missouri Basketweavers Guild

Weaving Tools

Basket weaving tools can be specifically designed for basket making or ordinary tools found around the house or garage.

Basic Weaving Tools:	Optional Tools:
Awl Bent Tip Packing Tool Clothes Pins or Spring Clips Knife with straight edge Measuring Tape Needle Nose Pliers with narrow nose Pencil Reed Cutters (Pruning Shears/heavy duty Scissors) Spoke weight Spray Bottle Strong, Sharp Scissors Water container (bucket or dish pan) Old Towel Band-aids	Bone Awl Diagonal cutting pliers/side cutting pliers Plastic Cable Ties Reed Gage Straight Weave rite™ tool

My favorite weaving tool is a flexible letter opener. It works great for tucking spokes, packing and opening spaces. (Submitted by Marilyn Margrave)

Use a vegetable peeler to taper the ends of flat oval reed for rims and overlaps. It is smaller than other tools used for the same purpose.

Tired of that round handled packing tool or pencil rolling off the table? Use a plastic electrical tie to keep the tool in place – wrap it around the handle and snip off the end. The tie’s locking nub will keep the tool stationary so it will always be handy. (Submitted by Jan Oberlag)

Mark all your tools with your name or initials using a wood burning tool or permanent marker. Any tools left behind from a class or from just weaving with friends can easily be identified and returned.

Sandpaper is a wonderful item to keep in your too bag to sand handles, bases and to remove pencil marks.


	Finger tip thimbles (also called quilter’s thimbles) can be used to help you pack a basket. They are available in small-medium-large sizes and have a small lip that catches the reed so you can save your fingernails. (Submitted by Jan Oberlag)

Use small wet sponge to pull your weaver through when it becomes too dry or to dampen small areas of your basket.

There are several items that can be used to secure and retie a coil of reed for future use. Place a rubber band, cable tie, VELCRO® straps or a pony tail holder (kind with two plastic balls) around the end of the coil before cutting the last holding tie. The tie will need to be tighten as reed is pulled. Recoil the reed and hold the coil together with long twist ties, craft pipe cleaners or VELCRO® straps.


	Use a staple remover to go between the rim and the basket when you start or end a lasher. The tool has a groove just the right size for the lasher to slide through. A beading scoop can also be used for this function. (Submitted by Jan Oberlag)

Try using an ordinary table knife to open spaces between the rim and basket. A table knife is also handy for guiding cane when weaving chair seats.


	Everyone has experienced the frustration of retrieving a single piece of reed from a coil. We continue to search for that magic solution that will let us easily weave in a solo manner so we don’t have to call hubby or interrupt a fellow weaver. Use a standing coat rack. It has plenty of hooks for reed and you can increase the hanging capacity by using round belt storage loops from your clothes closet and even old shower hooks. Be sure to weight the base of the coat rack. I use a tent weight/sand bag. I’ve had as many as 15 different coils of reed hanging down from the rack. When it starts to get a little messy, coil the reed and hang the coil on the coat rack. (Submitted by Jan Oberlag)


	Make your own packing tool from the handle of a spoon. Cut handle from bowl, grind the cut end of the handle to a smooth tapered end..

Tips and Tricks listed on this page have been pasted from weaver to weaver over the past years. MBG does NOT claim originality but provides a forum for sharing those deemed beneficial to new and experienced weavers. MBG welcomes the submission of additional tips and tricks. Please send your tips to

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