The Beginning of a Nantucket Lightship Creation

It all begins with a mold, caning, bases, rims and a passion to maintain a heritage of basketry.

Nantuckets are woven around hardwood mold. The mold determines the size and shape of your basket. If the mold used is not perfectly symmetrical and smooth your basket will show every flaw from the mold. Buying the best mold can be very expensive but a worthwhile investment. The mold below is for my window box Nantucket. I only use American made hardwood products when making my baskets. You want to use premium hardwood that has been shaped and sanded to a smooth finish. I sand my bases and rims at least twice, once before apply poly gel and again after the first coat has dried. This will provide a smooth beautiful finish. After sanding and applying poly to the base it is then screwed to the mold.

Next you will cut enough staves to complete your basket and insert them into the slot on the base. The staves should be properly spaced and perfectly vertical to the base. Now you can start weaving. Premium cane is used as it will enhance the appearance of your basket and also provide a patina as it ages. When finished weaving you must pack or push the cane tight together so there are no gaps between rows. It is time to attach the rim and lash.

While this is a very brief tutorial of making a nantucket basket, it does give you an idea of how much work is involved in creating one of these amazing pieces.