Circular baskets with sloping sides

The first coil baskets I created had sides that went straight up. On line I saw many baskets that went up more gradually, with sloped sides. These baskets were typically made with fabric, not plastic. Having made coil pots with clay, I understood the concept to make the sloped sides, but I wasn’t able to do it with the plastic coils. I think that the plastic was just too slippery to do the technique successfully.

A friend asked me to share my basket making technique with her son who was in second grade. This young man was an avid lego builder. He made the comment that I could make things go “up and out and up and out” which is how one would make a slanted side in a lego construction. Later that week I happened to be watching a show on Egyptian pyramids. The oldest ones are “step pyramids” that go “up and in” to create a slope. My conversation with the young engineer and the visual of seeing the step pyramids got me thinking: Could I use a different technique with plastic coil pots to make a slope? I knew how to make rows that went “out” – like when I make discs – and how to make rows that went “up” – like when I make the sides. Why couldn’t I alternate the rows make a slope?

A new angle

So I gave that a try. For my first attempt with sloped sides, I also added a rim by doing several extra rows that went “out” from the last row. I feel like this technique looks a little bit more like a bowl and certainly has some potential.

Illustrated Step by Step

The straight edge baskets build up a little faster than ones with sloped edges, but I enjoy developing different techniques for different looks. My favorite bowl piece so far is my scrap bowl, shown below:

Next week I will be sharing some ideas on rectangular baskets. These have been particularly challenging for me, but I think I am making some improvements.

Do you have a favorite size or shape based on what you have made or what you see on these posts? Leave a comment below!