Supplies you need to make Pine Needle Baskets!

I gather all my supplies on a tray to make my work are "mobile". The reason I do this is because I often take this work outdoors to do it on the patio. Natural Light is the best for this kind of handwork. If you can't get bright natural light, make sure you have a nice bright lamp in the house at your work table. Let to right clockwise Bundle of Pine Needles, Basket I am working on with plastic straw on the bundle, sorted gemstone beads, flat jewelry pliers, crawfords linen thread, scissors, plastic bucket for refuse, collections of beads in plastic cases, small wallet with all my needles

Look for Pine Trees, underneath, you will find Pine Needles

Pine Needles collected and washed in Hot Water and Dawn, drying on newspapers on the patio. I put the knife across them so if a gust of wind comes up, they don't blow away.

List of Melissa Abbott's Pine Needle Basket Supplies

1. Crawfords Irish Linen 4 ply Thread http://www.royalwoodltd.com

2. Darning Needles

3. Gemstone Beads and large hole Glass Beads

4. Block of Beeswax

5. E-6000 glue

6. Gemstone Cabashons

7. Long Leaf Pine Needles, washed and dried in sun and then dehulled

8. cookie sheets and newspapers to dry the Pine Needles on after washing

9. 1 Quart Glycerin (optional) if you wish to preserve and darken the Pine Nedles by Baking them in Glycerin and Water in the oven at 225 degrees for 3+hours, then rinsing and drying in sun

10. piece of plastic straw to use as a guide. I like the type from MacDonalds but you can use any size you wish. I have experimented with several types and the larger straws are good for a larger basket.

11. Sissors (don't use good ones they are going to get wax on them)

12. Flat Jewelry Pliers

13. Piece of Fabric to wrap your needles in while you work

14. Tray

14. plastic bobbins for wrapping work

Collection of Caboshons Glued to Leather swatches to Use for Pine Needle Basket Starts
left to right: Malachite, Labradorite, Green Turqoise, Amethyst, Jaspar, Lapis Lazuli, Pink and Gold Turquoise,  and Paua Shell

15. Container for refuse or trash. I use a blue plastic pail I bought at the $1 store 

A Typical Looking Tray
 it changes depending on what I am working on

I use Crawford's 4 ply Waxed Irish Linen Thread

Gemstone Beads

Collect Straws at Restaurants and
cut 1+ inch pieces a bundle guides

Adding Beads to a Basket

The Beginning of a Basket