Construction Work for Rural and Elementary Schools

by Virginia McGaw

Material—Raffia. A piece of tag-board 1-1/2 or 2 inches wide and 6 inches long. Quarter-inch ribbon or strip of paper, or raffia of a contrasting color.

There is mentioned a raffia napkin ring in comparison with the one of reed.

Take the strip of tag-board, fasten the ends together and wrap with raffia until the board is covered.

It may be ornamented with a narrow strip of ribbon, paper or colored raffia woven around the center. If ribbon or raffia is used tie the ends in a bow. If paper is used the ends must be glued.

13 Indian Basket

Problem—To teach construction with twisted raffia rope. (See page [91].)

Material—Two contrasting colors of raffia.

First think of what shape and size you would like a basket; then roughly sketch a design, in order that an idea of shape, size, and proportion may be had. Keep the design before you and work as closely from it as possible.

Take three thick strands of raffia and twist them into a rope. In starting have the threads unequal in length, as it is much neater to add one new thread at a time than two or three. Keep the rope of the same thickness throughout, and as each thread is used up, insert another overlapping the old one two or three inches. Around this rope, and twisted in the same way, wrap a contrasting color of raffia, aiming to have the spaces equal and using threads of the same size. Having twisted and wound four or five inches start the basket by forming a button, then, holding the button firmly with the left hand, coil the rope round and round and sew it. Use the sharp-pointed needle and join the coils in such a way that the threads will coincide with the twist.

When the basket is finished, the opening at the top should be either greater or less in diameter than the base. Make a lid exactly as the base is made, and have it just a shade wider than the opening so that it will be supported. The ring with which to lift the lid is made by wrapping raffia three or four times over the finger, and then buttonholing it over. Sew the ring to the middle of the lid and attach the lid to the basket.