Rusty Basket

For the past year I have been picking up rusted metal things. This usually happens as I walk into town or to my local coffee shop for my morning heart starter. The amount of stuff to be picked up is amazing. I have brought it all home and sorted lots of it into collections such as nails, bottle top, wire and my favourite find the bristles from the street sweeper. I mostly use these finds in my ecodyeing and when teaching a class in ecodyeing I need lots. More about this process in another post.                                        

street sweeper bristles

some of the nails sorted by size

bottle tops

Recently, I was asked by a friend to make a handle for a wire basket. She thinks that the basket was originally a cover from a vent to a septic system at her mother's home. Having studied the basket I felt that rusted metal would compliment the the old and worn metal appearance. 

The basket waiting for decoration

My next step was to sort through the rusty stuff and put together a selection of things that could be used. I do a lot of work in front of the television and find it difficult to watch television without a project in my hands. A couple of very happy hours later I was able to pack up the mess and admire the good use of all those found objects.

a selection of wire and rusty bits

The finished basket used up quite a bit of the scrap wire which was twisted around the handle much as you would find a creeper. Bolts, bottle tops and a piece of rusted tin were attached in a type of flower and bow arrangement.

The basket hanging in the apricot tree

close up view of the handle and top of the basket

The basket has gone back to the owner and is hanging in her garden.