Not Really a Tutorial.....

I have said it before and I will say it again. I don't believe that wicker can be taught properly via the net. I feel strongly that the teacher has to be present to guide the hands. I will, however, show you the steps that I go through to do it. Maybe you will pick up a couple of hints here and there.

This morning Tessie pestered me until I gave in and said that I would make her another planter for the rooftop garden.

It took me about an hour and a half and a lot of cleaning in the workroom to even start.

I needed to drill 49 holes around the edge of the top and 4 more around the bottom shelf.....Of course, I needed a drill to do it. I couldn't, for the life of me, find either my Dremel Mini Mite or even my pin vise hand drill anywhere. I looked high and low.

After I was sure that neither of them was in the workroom, I expanded the search to various drawers, tool bags and cupboards in the family room.

Would you believe that I put them away in a book shelf in the family room, behind some books. Please don't ask me why I put them there....I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time....Anyway, I did get some cleaning done, so I don't think that the time was waisted.

Thank goodness for Mini Mite. He has been around for 20 years and is still going strong. Fingers crossed. When you need to drill 53 holes fast, that's the ticket.

The next step was cutting 49 pieces of cloth covered wire and shoving them in the holes and gluing them in at the correct length. Proper spacing, on the legs especially, at this point is very important if you don't want a wobbly plant stand, table, chair or anything else.

I then wrapped the portion of the leg that goes between the top and bottom of the stand with #20 Cebella crochet thread. I wax it as I go. I prefer this to linen thread. Just a personal preference.

As I start, I glue the end of the thread to the bottom of the top board. I find it easier to do the bottom first and then the top. That goes for most any wicker. I have tried it top first and don't like it because usually the top is the part that is going to be seen the most and I don't like handling it after it is finished. So it is last.

I glue the thread to the back side of the wire and then cut the wires close to the edge after it dries.

Then I do the top section of weaving, glue and trim the same way. Here you see it with a partial trim. I wrap the bottom section of the feet with thread and glue them.

The last step is the most boring. I take six strands, a couple of yards each of the thread. I knot them together at one end and start braiding, keeping the threads flat at all times. This takes forever......

When I have enough to wrap around the planter four times, I know that there is enough to finish.

I am now trying to talk Tessie out of growing cucumbers, for pickles, in the planter. I don't want to make cucumbers, or for that matter, pickles either. I know how her mind works. One thing leads to another.

I wonder if I could talk her into beansprouts? Small. Two leaves each. Easy to make.....
I know it will never happen.....I can dream, can't I?

See you tomorrow.