The bark of the white birch tree is harvested during the warm summer months when it clips easily from the tree. Together with cloth sacks, boxes, and wooden barrels, baskets made up the total sum of a settlers devices for storage and for transporting what could not be carried in his hands. The homeroom teacher was reading the birch bark house by louise erdrich to his 4th grade class. Water and food would be put into the basket to hang over the fire.
Birch bark baskets wiigwaasimakak an ancient art form, born somewhere in the depths of the birch forest generations ago, continues to survive into the modern world. Understanding birch bark artifacts from the canadian. Obtained by stripping the pale gray papery bark of the birch tree, which by the way can grow up to 100 feet. Broadly speaking, a basket is an object made of interwoven elements that is created without the aid of any device like a frame or a loom to tension those elements adovasio 1977. Simply baskets presents information about russian birch bark box and basketry. The babylonian god marduk plaited a wicker hurdle on the surface of the waters. Currently scheduled basketry courses see full list of archived basketry courses. Birch bark was also utilized for a variety of traditional medicines e. All books are in clear copy here, and all files are secure so dont worry about it.
Up in the northern climates the bark from the birch tree was an extremely valuable material for survival used in many ways. Russian birch bark basketry class the wicker woman. Birch bark box tutorial this is a good tutorial ive been meaning to do a post like this one for awhile. Chapter 15 weaving and dyeing materials forest products. And each one will have you thinking of a walk in the woods. Plaited basketry with birch bark by vladimir yarish, flo hoppe, jim widess. Birch bark basketry can be divided into two very general categoriesweaving and using various sized sheets of bark to containers. Yesterday i received in the mail the newlypublished plaited basketry with birch bark by vladimir yarish, flo hoppe, and jim widess. Baskets can serve a variety of functions they can be containers, mats, sieves, fish traps, hats, footwear, boats, architecture, furniture, toys, and so on. This site is like a library, you could find million book here by using search box in the header. In fact, folks have been folding bark into baskets on every corner of this continent using whatever tree was plentiful in the region, including cedar, pine, birch. See more ideas about basket weaving, basket and birch bark baskets. A vertical cut is made into the outer layer of bark, and it is then peeled easily from the trunk of the tree. Birch tree bark is considered to be very valuable in building for its strong, cardboard like, water resistant nature.
The bark has been used for baskets, canoes, decorative fans, arm guards, arrow quivers, rattles, and wigwams. Create a beautiful and durable pack basket from locally harvested birchbark. Madeline island is located in lake superior and is a traditional home for the ojibwe people. I incorporate birch bark strips into many of my antler baskets, and also teach birch bark necklace baskets classes. It is a good idea to collect bark with short lenticells otherwise the bark maybe prone to splitting. Russian birch bark basketry class by cathryn peters basketweaving, weaving classes i heard that vladimir yarish, russian birch bark basketmaker and teacher was coming to north house folk school in grand marais, minnesota last week and was able to get the very last spot in his class. Birch bark basketry class with russian instructor, vladimir yarish at north house folk school in grand marais, mn march 2010. Free plaited basketry with birch bark ebooks online pdf. It is packed with information including the history and tradition of russian birch bark weaving, harvesting and preparation instructions. Uses span from canoes for travel and transportation, to the walls of homes. We chose to focus on the baskets for three reasons.
Free plaited basketry with birch bark ebooks online. Read online free plaited basketry with birch bark ebooks online book pdf free download link book now. The tradition of making folded bark baskets from tulip poplar trees liriodendron tulipifera comes from the native societies of the southeast stretching back farther than memory. Dead bark like i am using is great for this project, you shouldnt go stripping live trees of their bark. There are many different types of baskets for as many different uses. Over the years i was fortunate enough to get to know richard dick rather well, and spent many enjoyable days taking his classes, learning everything from birch bark basketry to the use of the schnitzelbank, or shaving horse. Easy, peasy, but the misquotes are really bad at that time, and so are the ticks.
I have also taken classes from russian basketmaker vladimir yarish at north house folk school in grand marais, minnesota, which was really fun. In the taiga forests, the birch tree provides a useful and important local material birch bark. Being able to take some humble sticks and weave them together into a beautiful and functional item is extremely satisfying. Northway, alaska, has approximately 300 residents, mainly athabascan indians. Knowledge of thearea over which birchbark basketry is used and decorated in. Etched birch bark basketry, north house folk school course. Finally, in the gallery section, take a look at plaited baskets by various artists using contemporary materials. Basket weaving, chair seating, and gourd craft books can be mixed to take advantage of volume discounts.
Even after weaving hundreds of baskets, i still get a buzz when finishing a new creation. Plaited basketry with birch bark book by vladimir yarish. Minnie alitchak gray is the author of birch bark basket making 5. Multicultural native american birch bark activties for. Plaited basketry with birch bark by vladimir yarish. This time of the year bark comes off the tree a little harder than normal but with patience its really worth the effort. Even today, birch bark remains a popular type of wood for various handicrafts and arts. If you would like detailed instructions on how to make both of the birch bark baskets in the picture above, you can buy my book on amazon called how to make birch bark baskets i learned about birch bark basket making when i was in my early 20s. Basketry, art and craft of making interwoven objects, usually containers, from flexible vegetable fibres, such as twigs, grasses, osiers, bamboo, and rushes, or from plastic or other synthetic materials. Jan 06, 2009 get handson with 18 birch bark projects, both decorative and useful, including a rectangular tray, small basket with threepart braid, or an oval basket with curls. Twice while attending dicks folded bark basket classes, i was the only participant. The university of alaska fairbanks cooperative extension service will hold a birch bark harvesting, preparation and basketry class saturday, april 11, from 9 a. Gathering the materials in the spring before the bugs come out is really nice compared to early summer when im usually collecting bark and root.
Sort by featured best selling alphabetically, az alphabetically, za price, low to high price, high to low date, new to old date, old to new. Get handson with 18 birch bark projects, both decorative and useful, including a rectangular tray, small basket with threepart braid, or an oval basket with curls. There is still great interest in the construction and decoration of birch bark baskets. And i also like the inclusion of so many russian words that are relevant.
Birch bark baskets are generally made from a single sheet. Over the years i was fortunate enough to get to know richard dick rather well, and spent many enjoyable days taking his classes, learning everything from birchbark basketry to the use of the schnitzelbank, or shaving horse. The information on bark harvesting and care is really greatgood pictures and good description of the several methods of harvesting birch bark. The containers made by this method are called baskets. Basketry was a major implement in the everyday lives of yesterdays people.
Plaited basketry with birch bark vladimir yarish, flo. Ash is so important to the wabanaki that a passamaquoddy. Although few native americans in southern new england still make these items from birch bark, more recent decorative arts, such as splint basket decoration, draw upon many patterns developed in birch bark. I also enjoy reading about the history of this basketry in novogrod, russia.
Handmade from birch bark, our baskets make treasured gifts, unique conversation pieces, and distinctive additions to any basket or native american art collection. Ive been resistant because of all the photos needed to do it right. I created the template myself after looking at pictures of traditional birchbark baskets. Mar 29, 20 the birch bark basket is perfect for home decor thats inspired by nature, farmhouse style, cabin living anywhere cozy. This post will have more photos than i have ever put into a post to date. Plaited basketry with birch bark vladimir yarish, flo hoppe, jim widess on. Plaited basketry with birch bark by vladimir yarish, flo. How to make a birch bark basket yost survival skills. Also includes a gallery of contemporary basketry artists showing their work with birch bark. After discussing some of the many uses of birchbark, present the facsimile of a birch bark basket that the class is going to make out of paper.
Birch bark crafts have a long history in russia and siberia, but the boxes that you see now have a relatively recent history. In the book, the author speaks of the birch trees and how they are valuable to the ojibwe people. Basketry techniques home page alhakaya documentation project. Jim widess a guide to making birch bark baskets tells how to harvest bark without harming a tree and offers techniques and directions for making traditional russianstyle trays, baskets, bottles, and other. Catherine erdly coiled basketry using grasses and rushes plaiting basketry using materials that are wide and ribbonlike, such as palms, yucca or new zealand flax twining basketry using materials from roots and tree bark. Harvesting of birch bark for use in making canoes, baskets, and other containers is well known across the northern forest. Plaited basketry with birch bark vladimir yarish, flo hoppe, jim widess. This book carries birch bark weaving to a new level relative to what is available in english. As birch trees grow naturally in this area, the bark was traditionally utilized to make a variety of household objects from baskets to drinking cups.
This book has over 30 illustrations and photographs along with detailed instructions to make creating your own birchbark basket easy and fun. For centuries people have marveled over the beauty of plaited basketry. May 24, 2015 after learning how to use bark in basketry during my internship in asheville this winter my big project for this year became incorporating bark into my repertoire of natural materials. Thank you to everyone here on amazon who helped make me a best selling author bestselling amazon author john yost brings you how to make birch bark baskets. Although i processed already harvested bark and learned to weave with it down south, actually finding, cutting down, and harvesting the bark from the trees is a. Students will learn how to sustainably harvest birch bark and weave baskets. Splint baskets are made from brown ash, fraxinus niger, a tree of moist woodlands and wetlands. The birch bark basket is perfect for home decor thats inspired by nature, farmhouse style, cabin living anywhere cozy. Includes eighteen birch bark projects, as well as showing how to harvest birch bark in the forest.
Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. A rim is added to support and strengthen the top and then lashed with inner cedar bark. Often the bark was used as a temporary container made with the brown side of the bark turned outside. To process the roots, which had been soaked or retted for a week or so, i removed the outer bark by pulling them through a vshaped notch in a plank of wood, although ive also used a split branch with similar success. Birch bark baskets, these are a really fun project for me. Basket weaving is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three dimensional. Birch bark crafts, wood crafts, twigs decor, native american tools, hair yarn, primitive technology, primitive survival, bushcraft skills, how to make rope. Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several eurasian and north american birch trees of the genus betula the strong and waterresistant cardboardlike bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which has made it a valuable building, crafting, and writing material, since prehistoric times. Older growth trees are selected since their bark is pliable and sturdy. Jan 22, 2012 birch bark baskets are generally made from a single sheet of bark that is cut from a pattern, folded, punched with an awl and stitched using spruce root.
Handmade birch bark baskets are one of the coveted treasures of the area around yellowknife. This type of basket construction is related to the russian style of weaving. Native americans used whole pieces to create bags and even stitched large pieces together to make canoes. In southeast asia, basketry and weaving are generally women activities. It is a very good introduction to the type of birch bark use practiced in scandinavia and russiaacross the range of white barked birches. After the basket is put together, we will focus on the etched design. Images on this site are for educational purposes only other photographs of pottery and baskets from page 1. Plaited basketry with birch bark schacht spindle company. The fire needed to be watched very carefully to ensure that the basket did not flame while the food was cooking. I congratulate sterling publishers as well as the authors for a superbly handsome, wonderfully informative volume that makes a tremendous contribution to the craft community. Removing the bark from a live birch threatens the health of that tree. There is plenty of birch bark in the adirondacks and i am so pleased to read that it is possible to use it without harming the trees. This easy crochet pattern is almost more of a technique and tutorial you can crochet big baskets, small baskets, gift baskets you get the idea. I congratulate sterling publishers as well as the authors for a superbly handsome, wonderfully informative volume that makes a tremendous contribution to.
Birchbark baskets are often embellished with dyed porcupine quills. The projects described start with the very basics and proceed to more advanced baskets. Cellular structures of basketry materials are distinguishable from one another under magnification, and chemical properties of the materials can be highlighted by the use of various stains. With the cold weather here, this whole week weve birch bark box tutorial. Scholar, artisan, and teacher vladimir yarish created all of the birch bark baskets for. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. The swedes have long woven strips of birch bark into intricate ornamental baskets and lidded vessels.
The basketry style being taught focuses on the basic principles of working with birch bark while allowing students to make 1 of 2 different styles of the folded and sewn type baskets. Most of my birch bark ends up being winter bark, but ive also taken birch bark from felled trees in the early summer in june when it almost pops off itself. Unlike the majority of baskets and mats, this particular mat is worked vertically horizontally rather than diagonally munan 1989. Participants will learn how to cut strips, weave, and finish their basket. Minnie alitchak gray author of birch bark basket making. As a herb, its importance just got bumped up seven fold. Today, the baskets are decorated with either dyed porqupine quills, moose hair tufting, or etchings. The bark needs to be quite strong but doesnt need to be that thick.
Removal of birch bark, when done correctly, does not kill or greatly harm a tree. Information about russian birch bark box crafts simply baskets. Scholar, artisan, and teacher vladimir yarish created all of the birch bark baskets for this book after scouring museums and archeological sites all around the world. Birch bark is a fascinating and versatile natural material that humans have been exploring and manipulating for centuries. However, in sarawak, meeting mats are usually woven by men on an improvised loom, using strips of tree bark and split rattan lengths.