Basketry-recycled material -A- Introduction and single weave.

PLASTIC PACKING STRAPS ARTICLES

by Jemima Lau

Introduction

Everyday, meters of colorful binders or packing straps used for packaging materials are thrown away. The smaller ones are heat sealed and the thicker ones are secured with metal holders. They are made of plastic, nylon or polyester. These can be collected to make useful baskets, table mats, coasters and balls. These binders are of many colors and different thickness and width – ¾ cm, 1 cm, 1 ½ cm, 1 ¾ cm, 2 cm and 2 ½ cm. Some are slightly thicker and harder and others are thinner and softer.

I saw a friend from Sarawak make baskets from unwanted cardboard cut into strips. Then I noticed that each day we throw away these packing straps tying bundles of newspapers in the school library. So I asked this friend to make a basket from the binders and behold a beautiful handicraft.

Collecting the straps is easy, just ask any shopkeeper or proprietor who has boxes coming in to keep them for you. Newspaper agencies and bookshops have loads of them. On a building site there are really thick long ones which are strong enough to tie bricks and other building materials. These make very strong baskets for growing plants but is slightly hard to weave. I saw a five feet wide mat woven from it in Sarawak. Nice to put it on a cold cement floor.

I make balls,tablemats and baskets etc. Cut the bigger binders with a cutter, the thinner ones can be cut with scissors. Clean them with a piece of wet cloth and detergent or soak them in detergent water from the washing machine and wipe them again after cutting them. Use knitted cotton gloves to do your weaving if you like.
You will also need a pair of tweezer-like pliers to fold and a small metal rod to move the straps to the position you want.

1. SINGLE WEAVE SQUARE BASKET AND RECTANGULAR BASKET

Single weave means one up/over and one down/under.

Do a square or a rectangular base with single weave and use a raffia string to tie all round to secure the base.

Then fold up all the four sides to stand the straps. Then use separate long straps and weave all around in a square or rectangular following the base. Use the raffia string to secure the horizontal first two straps after which the walls will take shape.

Put the number of horizontal rows to the height you want. End the edge or the last row by folding down the alternate straps straight down covering the plastic strap. Use a small pair of pliers to fold if the straps are hard.

Cut and tug in so that the end of the strap is tugged in a weave and it does not show. Another strap is needed to fold in the alternate straps of the last row and to go over the double weave, thereby making the last row firmer.

Put a long strong strap for the handle, go through the two central lines and up to the top, twice or three times. These are very strong baskets. You can vary the size by the number of straps u use. You can make square or rectangular ones.

SINGLE WEAVE BASKET WITH HANDLE IN CENTRE – THREE COLOR COMBINATION.

SQUARE BASKET WITH HANDLE IN CENTER - TWO STRAPS OF SAME COLOR DESIGN.

THIS DESIGN MAKE GOOD BASKETS FOR PLANTING ORCHIDS AND THEY ARE LIGHTER THAN CLAY POTS, THUS SAFER AND THEY EMIT WATER.

I made a big baby basket with this design. You need to collect the very long straps. Weave two or three straps in for handles on the longer sides of the rectangular basket .Go right through the bottom of the basket and come out the other side and reweave to make the side of the handle.

Baskets can be made with stands to make it look neater. You have to use straps long enough to weave down and up again. End the last row weave right down and put in extra row. Turn around weave up and tug in straps under weave and cut off.
This shows bottom of basket and is made with blue and white alternately.