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About Pine Needle Baskets and How to Use Them in Your Home Decor
Have you ever had the pleasure of strolling through a forest covered with fragrant pine needles? Can you imagine those pine needles being crafted into a basket, tray, or sculpture? In this article, you will discover the brief history of pine needle baskets and how to use these beautiful and fragrant works of art in your home decor. Pine needle basketry has most likely existed for as long as pine trees and people have shared the earth. Historical references do not indicate when pine needles were first used in baskets. However, due to the availability of pine needles in their area, Seminole Indians of South Florida are noted to be the first pine needle basket makers. The Seminole Indians used a bone or shell needle to sew bundles of pine needles together with fern roots, sisal, or swamp grass. Some of the baskets were used for feed baskets, to carry water, and for winnowing seeds. Modern pine needle basketry is noted to have begun during the Civil War times (1861-1865) when Mrs. M.J. McAfee of Southern Georgia used pine needles that she bound together with cotton thread to replace a worn hat for her father. She claimed to be the originator of pine needle basketry as we know it today. In the present day, pine needle baskets are most often created using the coiling technique, which is one of the oldest and most universal methods of basket making. The basket is created by coiling and stitching one continuous bundle of pine needles around and on top of the row below. The foundation of the basket is formed with a bundle of pine needles bound together with various fibers such as raffia, split roots, birch paper, yucca, sinew, embroidery thread, yarn or waxed linen thread. Decorative stitches and wrapping techniques are often used to make the basket strong as well as add an attractive element. The most common stitches used are the straight wheat stitch, spiral wheat stitch, fern stitch, popcorn stitch, diamond stitch, the Indian wrap, and numerous knot stitches. The pine needles come from a variety of different pine trees, such as Jeffrey Pine, Long Needle Pine, Monterey Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Bill Pine, and Gray Pine. The pine needles are gathered from the newly fallen top layer on the forest floor or picked from a fallen tree or limb and chosen based on their flexibility and length. Once the pine needles have been collected, they are carefully washed, cured, and then stored until use. The natural colors of the pine needles can be used or the needles themselves can be dyed. Embellishments such as colored threads, buttons, beads, nut slices, and cones are often used to enhance the pine needle basket or project. Pine needle baskets make attractive statements in home decor. The following is a small list of ideas on how to use pine needle baskets to decorate your home: ? Display one or a grouping on a bookshelf to create an eye catching display. ? Use them like you would any basket to create an appealing arrangement of silk greenery to accent a special little table or chest. ? Mount a grouping of two or more baskets on a wall for interesting wall decor. ? Place dried flowers in an urn shaped pine needle basket and place it on a nightstand for a charming look next to your bed. ? Use a rounded taller version as desk organizers for your pens and pencils and a shorter version for holding your clips, rubber bands, etc. ? Place faux fruit in a pine needle basket tray for an attractive center piece on your dining room or kitchen table. As you can see, the possibilities are endless on how to use pine needle baskets in your home decor. Today, professional basket makers and hobbyists all over the world are creating these beautiful pine needle baskets. Many pine needle baskets can be found in art galleries, art and craft fairs, home decorating shops, and on the internet. Pine needle basketry is considered to be a lost art that is being revived by today's crafters and artists. With an interesting background and an exciting future, pine needle basketry and projects are sure to be around for many years to come. Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the creator/editor of The Home Decor Exchange and the Home & Garden Exchange. The Home Decor Exchange is a popular home and garden website featuring resources, articles, decorating pictures, free projects, and a shopping marketplace. The Home & Garden Exchange website is a link exchange program and directory dedicated to the home and garden industry, as well as offering free website content and promotional ideas. Please visit both websites for all of your home, garden, and website needs. http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com http://www.HomeGardenExchange.com
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MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for interior decorating Interior Decorators Challenge State Law On Job Title (Hartford Courant) Lynne Herrmann will help you pick a color for your living room walls, choose upholstery or recommend fabric for your draperies. You can find her in the phone book listed as an "interior decorator" or "designer of interiors" ? but never under the label "interior designer." Warm Weather Decorating in Cool Hues (Carteret County News-Times) (ARA) - When the weather turns warm, we open our windows to let in the light and fresh air. But there are other ways to update living spaces to reflect the best of the summer season. How to Integrate Personal Style into Your Kitchen and Bath (Carteret County News-Times) (ARA) - Most of us have developed a unique personal style and we know what fashions work for us. But when it comes to decorating or remodeling our homes, particularly our kitchens and bathrooms, style preferences can be harder to pin down. A student's dedication to interior design (University of Connecticut Daily Campus) Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to soak in the nuances and differences of other cultures - their food, their style, their arts and their way of life. And one of the frequently-unmentioned benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity to experience the fact that outside of the United States, the residential college system is fairly uncommon, or at least of a far smaller scale. Interior Decorating Seals the Deal (New York Times) Just finding the perfect new home may no longer be enough; some buyers seem to want the house predecorated in the bargain. This odd house (Sewickley Herald) Interior designer Tom Weigel mixes imagination and personal style to create one-of-a-kind rooms. read more » Restoration after flooding (The Springfield News-Leader) Interior decorator Debra Moore spent two months preparing for her dream life. The Interactive New Site for the Budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens out There (PRWeb) Need inspiration for your next decorating or home improvement project? Then totallyhome.co.uk is a new website well worth looking at. (PRWeb Sep 10, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/totallyhome/080908/prweb1302084.htm The Interactive New Site for the Budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens out There (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Need inspiration for your next decorating or home improvement project? Then totallyhome.co.uk is a new website well worth looking at. Browse News & Feature Stories (Metro Times Detroit) 134 stories found. Showing page 1 of 5. Site: interior decorating - Google News Interior decorator pursues her true passion - Telegraph-Journal
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