Calling All Basket Maker Pros or Not Pros lol

[ladysj]

I was hoping you guys could give me some input on this. I've made a few baskets not as nice as I would have liked them to be.

On the taller, larger items do you stick them together for them to stand up right? My stuff falls over. Say like I have a pillar that I want in the center of the basket to stand up straight or as straight as I can get it.

I hope I am making sense. Do you start with the largest item and then build out from there?

Any help, input, suggestions are greatly appreciated. I so want to make nice looking baskets.

[sockmonkey]

Yes, start with the largest item. If you want a pillar in the center you can buy a foam block, carve out an area just large enough to fit your pillar in it, and hot glue the foam block in place, use glue dots, or even wire to secure the block in place.

But, before you put the pillar in, place a fabric covering over the bottom of the basket which will also be covering the foam block. Fabrics like velvet/velour, lame, or silks are good choices to work with because they drape so nicely. You can also use shredded paper, just don't fill the hole in with it. Shredded paper can be used to pack the perimeter of of the hole where the candle will sit if it seems a little wobbly.

Once you have your candle in it's proper location you can then start wedging in other products around it so that they also offer more support for the candle. If you need to stack things on top of each other, go for the glue dots once again.

[ladysj]

Thank you so much for those tips I really do appreciate it.

[Debk]

I use double sided tape and start with the largest in the middle. Once you shrink wrap, that really helps hold everything in place.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb302/diinman/pineapplepocketandamybasket027.jpg