basket weaving (Ancient Israeli Crafts)

We did basket weaving during our final Ancient Israeli Crafts class


last Monday (thanks to Cori for the photos -- I'm starting to think I need a professional photographer to follow me around all day, I'd get WAY better pictures for the blog that way!





This little basket is my very first basket that I wove 15 minutes before class started. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.... but it only goes to prove that anybody can do basket weaving (or lead a class in it!) if they just try.





Here's J starting his basket. The best part was that, despite using all the same materials (donated by Cecilia, thanks Cecilia!) and technique, each kids' basket came out differently, depending on how tightly they wove it, how soon they bent up the sides, etc.

Another student working on her basket. It needed a bit of adult supervision to get them going, but I was pleased by how much of this the kids really were able to do themselves.







A basket nearing completion.

















Me trimming the ribs off a finished basket.





(Yes, it's me, big pregnant belly and all! Complete with my pants falling down, a theme for this pregnancy....)

It really was a fun class, and such a good experience for my boys to work in a community setting with cultural crafts jiving with what we are working on at home -- just ties it all together so nicely!