Oval Wooden Basket Base with Holes, 13.7 x 9.8 or 27.6 x 15.8 in

An oval base gives you the long, low shape of a bread basket or a laundry basket without weaving the bottom by hand. It is a flat piece of plywood cut to an oval, with a ring of pre-drilled holes around the edge. Each hole takes one stake of round reed, so the frame of the basket is evenly spaced before you weave a single row.

Two sizes:

• 13.7 x 9.8 in, for bread and roll baskets, a table tray or a storage basket for a shelf.
• 27.6 x 15.8 in, for a large oval basket such as a laundry or blanket basket.

The oval suits makers who have woven a round basket or two and want a new shape, and teachers looking for a class project that looks good on a kitchen counter. A first-timer can start on the small size too; the weaving is the same as on a round base.

Working on an oval:

• Soak the stake reed, push one stake up through each hole and weave the short ends into a border underneath.
• Keep the tension even all the way round. On an oval, a weaver pulled too tight draws the long sides inward.
• Look down into the basket every few rows to check the shape, and ease the stakes in or out with your hands while they are still damp.
• A long basket needs stiff stakes. On the large base, use heavier reed for the stakes than you would on a small basket.
• Flat or flat oval reed makes good weavers on an oval, and covers the sides quickly.

The plywood can be stained or painted. Finish it before you weave, so the color stays off the reed, and let it dry fully.

Choose by the bottom you want, not the top. Sides that rise straight give a basket close to the size of the base; sides that flare out make the rim larger, so allow for that.

The 13.7 x 9.8 in base fits bread and roll baskets, small trays and shelf baskets, and it is a good size for a first oval. The 27.6 x 15.8 in base is for big baskets that hold laundry or blankets. It takes a lot more reed and more time, and heavier stakes help it keep its shape.

Before you soak a full batch of stakes, test one strand in a hole. Soaked reed should push through snugly without forcing.