Rope bowl

A few days ago, I saw this post on Geneva Vanderzeil's website a pair & a spare. It's a DIY to make a bowl using thin rope (or piping cord as I think upholsterers call it). I thought it was a really nice idea, and pretty simple to do if you know how to use a sewing machine. So the other evening I gave it a go.

(Sorry about the photo quality, I can't seem to find anywhere in this house with good light. I'm working on it!)

The method shared on a pair & a spare is really simple, so I just followed it pretty much exactly, sewing in a zig zag stitch around and around, coiling the rope as I went. Starting it off was the hard bit as sewing in circles that small is difficult, but after that it went okay, but as you can see from the next picture, I didn't manage to do it very neatly. The only thing I did differently was to coat the inside with PVA glue once I'd finished to strengthen it. It dries clear so it isn't visible.

I've since thought of loads of different variations for these bowls. I wanted to make a fruit bowl as I don't have one, but 10 metres of cord (the amount I bought) was only enough to make this quite small bowl. I've since found different colours of the cord on eBay, so I might try that. Or maybe painting the cord different colours first so that the bowl is multicoloured. Endless possibilities... I might even make placemats for my table although usually I hate those kind of unnecessary things.

I think this bowl might live in my bedroom as a receptacle for hair ties and kirby grips and jewellery, all those little things that accumulate and don't really have a proper home.

Has anyone else ever tried anything like this? You can make similar things by weaving paper together too (tutorial here) which I was thinking of trying soon too.

Song of the day: 'I'll Fly Away' - Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch