Foldable basket out of birch bark?

[Tjurved]

Hello I wanna do a foldable basket out of birch bark so I can have it flat in my backpack when not in use. I have never seen one so that makes me kinda scared to try . I got a vision of that the four sides can be folded over the bottom so it becomes flat. Any tips on how to make the "hinges"? Basically I wanna weave 5 squares where four of them are sides that are connected to the bottom using hinges of some sort.

 

[Toddy]

If it's constantly folded and unfolded it'll eventually crack into individual pieces....what might work would be reinforce the edge somehow, maybe with another strip glued on with the grain running the other way, and to punch holes and loosely lace the sides to the base.

Be interesting to hear what you come up with

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Tjurved]

I wonder if this would work? Combining weaving and "tampad" (dont know the english word) birch bark. The rolled birch bark I might just nail to the wooden pin. In the first pic only one strip from the side is standing, in the other pic is is folded down.

 

[Toddy]

Got to be worth a try

How are you going to bring the sides in so that they fold flat too ?

I had wondered about doing something along the lines of the Orikasu bowls and plates, but couldn't see how not to end up with the bark cracking.

You've put me in the notion to go and play with birch bark

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Tjurved]

How are you going to bring the sides in so that they fold flat too ?

I'm thinking of making the height half the width so the short sides can be folded without going above each other so there will be 4 layers of bark when folded down.

 

[Toddy]

How about a two sided oval 'tube' shape, but with a flat bottom piece that drops into place ?
If the tube was tapered a bit then the base would only go in so far and then stop.
Take the base out and the sides would lie flat together.

Maybe a couple of slits in the sides and corresponding lugs on the base ?

Not your hinged idea though

Fun to play with

cheers,
M

 

[Tjurved]

My sloppy technique would probably make an expert cry but now I got one side "done" .

 

[Stew]

I wonder if this would work? Combining weaving and "tampad" (dont know the english word) birch bark. The rolled birch bark I might just nail to the wooden pin. In the first pic only one strip from the side is standing, in the other pic is is folded down.

I think this idea could work.

Four rods for the outer frame, weave your birch bark to make a panel x 5.

Perhaps use some loose loops of cord to tie adjoining rods together as your hinge. Do that for all four sides of the base and then when you lift the sides up, have something that can clip the walls together easily or have a hoop that drops round the top, holding the tops of the walls together?

How compact do you want it to be when flat? Is length not a an issue?

 

[Tjurved]

Hmm it's getting quite thick and having that in my backpack gonna make a mess. The intended use is for picking mushrooms. I think I abandon this idea.

 

[Retired Member southey]

what about a cloth sack, with a hoop from an embroidery set, hoop like this

or a fold at the top of the sack you could pass a sapling through to make an open mouth to the sack, so then all you would carry is the cloth then cut a stick once ready to collect?