Dallas County

Pine Needle Basketry

According to Maxine, elements from the yard can be used to create works of art! She goes on to say that “she is a nature lover” that was given a craft book that had a section on gathering, coiling and weaving. After that she said she “became a basket case”.

After mastering the basic skills of pine needle raffia basketry, Maxine started creating her own designs. Her original designs often develop while the basket is being constructed. She said that “once you begin to coil and weave you find it very contagious. I know because I find myself putting my eggs in more than one basket.”

After Maxine gathers the long leaf pine needles from her yard, they are cleaned with detergent and bleach, and then they are dried fully and bundled. She begins with a base and then starts to coil. To keep the needles flexible, they are dampened to prevent breakage during the weaving process. When the baskets are complete they are shellacked for protection. A small, 3” diameter basket containing 115 pine needles took six hours to complete. One can only wonder about her twenty-eight inch breadbasket!

Maxine says her “baskets are made with love” and she gives many of them away to friends so they will enjoy them as much as she enjoys weaving them.

Products 1-1 of 1
Show
Large Oval Basket maxine hopkins, oval basket, pine straw basket
Large Oval Basket Price: $425.00
Availability: In Stock
Item #: 6672 -

Maxine Hopkins: 8"x12" Large Oval Basket