Doll Size Bamboo Steamer

 

Watch the video here.

 

 

This week's tutorial is a for a bamboo steamer basket. I am really happy with how it turned out and I really hope all of you like it too. I know the video is long and there are a lot of steps but none of the steps are difficult. I know you can make this if you have any experience with paper crafting at all. The measuring and cutting of the strips is really the most difficult part. If you are careful and do both your measuring and cutting accurately you will be able to make this project.

I start out by doing a painting technique to make a faux wood-grain/bamboo texture. I had some nice pale yellow color card-stock on hand and I used that for the base. If you cut everything exactly correctly with no mistakes you should be able to get by with 1 12”x12” piece of paper. I do recommend however, that you go ahead and do the painting on a sheet plus about another quarter sheet of paper. I messed up one of my strips when I was making the lid and had to stop in the middle of working to paint just a bit more paper to replace that one strip. Save yourself the hassle and paint a bit extra to begin with.

The painting is really easy we are just dry brushing in layers with a beat up chip brush. The more worn your brush is the better for this technique. Also lay down a very light layer of paint then let it dry before adding more paint. Not only does the paint look a little different once dry, it will no longer smear once it dries. 

 

I started out with a golden yellow color (Apple Barrel's Golden Sunset) and did 3 layers of very light dry brushing. You just want a hint of lines, and make sure all the layers go the same direction since you are establishing the grain of the bamboo.

Once the first color was dry I came back and did the same thing with a brown (Anita's Woodsy Smoke) any brown will do for this layer. And this brown is only one layer.

The third color I used was a cream (Anita's Vanilla Cream) and this one I think I did 3 layers again. This color will tone down all the other colors and blend everything to give the look of bamboo.

Once the paper is dry you can start cutting the strips for the base of the steamer basket set. (I waited to cut the pieces for the lid until I was ready to make it. Be sure to cut the strips with the lines of your “bamboo” going the long way.

For the base I cut: (all strips are cut the full width of the paper)

6 @ 1” wide

3 @ ⅛” wide

1 @ ⅜” wide

At this point you will also need a form to use when gluing your basket sides. I used a pint size jar that jam had come in. You need something that is between 3” and 3 ½” in diameter. (mine was 3 ½”) A jar is excellent because the glue will be less apt to stick to it when you are gluing your paper strips.

You will also need some rubber bands and some thick glue like a Tacky Glue. You need to use a thicker glue for this to help prevent the paper from bubbling and buckling from the moisture as it dries. A thinner glue has more water and is more apt to cause problems in this project. Some toothpicks will also be very handy throughout this project.

Wrap your first 1” strip around the jar and find the area that will overlap. This is the only area of this strip that will get glue applied. Once applied spread it out smoothly so it makes a thin even coat on the paper. Then careful wrap the strip around the jar making sure that the strip is straight and the edges are even. Use a rubber-band to hold this in place until completely dry.

After each addition be sure to move the paper around a bit on the glass to assure it is not glued in place. Do this carefully so you don't misalign the strips you are gluing.

Once dry add another strip to this one completely coating the side that will go against the one already on the bottle. Keep everything straight and lined up. Be sure to start each strip butted up against the end of the last strip and use the rubber-bands to hold in place until the glue dries. At this point pick which will be your next strip and draw a line ¼” down from the top along one long edge. This will be the placement line for the strip that follows it. Once the second strip is set up ahead and add this one the same way keeping the side with the line on the outside and the line at the top. Allow this one to dry really well.

Now on the forth strip draw another line ¼” from one long edge, this will guide you for glue placement. Only apply glue to the wide area above this line. Now line the top (the part with glue) up against the line you drew on the third strip and carefully add this strip. The unglued area will be below the first thee strips and toward the glass. Again use the rubber-bands to hold in place but be careful not to bend the paper where it is free from the layer below it.

Add the last two 1” strips the same as the others. And sett this aside to dry completely. Overnight is best so this will be really set up.

Now we can work on the bottom of the basket. Yo will need to work on a surface that your project won't become glued to, I use a ceramic tile from the home improvement store for this. If you don't have a tile work on use some parchment paper or something similar.

Draw two lines that are 2” apart and parallel to each other. Then add a perpendicular line. These lines will help you to keep all the strips lined up. I did use an ⅛” wide wood strip as a spacer. If you don't have one cut a piece of scrap card-stock to ⅛” wide t use for spacing.

Cut the ⅜” wide strip in half and line these up with the two parallel lines you drew, use some tape to hold them in place.

Cut the 3 ⅛” wide strips into 3 pieces each (4” long)

Now glue the first of these strips at the third line you drew making sure it is straight. Use your spacer to place the next strip in place. I do recommend letting the first couple of strips dry before you go any further. It is easier to keep everything placed correctly if the ones you have in place aren't slipping around. Be sure to remove your spacer so it won't get stuck to the strips.

Add the rest of the strips to the strips and allow this to dry completely before continuing.

I find it is much better to cut the bottom a bit larger than needed and trim it just a tiny bit at a time. In the end you want it to fit snugly inside the basket sitting right on the ridge formed when you offset the 4^th strip. For the best way to do this is to trace around the outside of the steamer basket and cut on this line first then trim just a tiny bit at a time until it fits.

We also need a piece of kitchen string (or embroidery floss) that is cut about 12” long. We need to thoroughly coat this in a thin glue, I used mat Mod Podge. For this we want a thin glue that will soak into the string not the thick glue we are using to assemble.

Now run a bead of glue along the area where the basket bottom will be located and position it in place. Be sure the side with the the larger strips is facing the correct way (see picture)

Now carefully add the glue soaked string to the area where the basket bottom meets the sides on the bottom side and cut it to fit. Use a toothpick to help you ease it into place then add another bead of glue. This all needs to dry completely before we go on.

Now time to make the lid to our steamer basket.

Cut the following strips from “bamboo” paper.

4 @ ¼”

3 @ ¾”

4 @ ½”

Set the ½” strips aside while be form the lid to the basket.

Using the ¼” strips we are going to start the lid pretty much like we did the base. Wrap the first one around the jar, adding glue only to the area that overlaps. Hold with a rubber-band and allow to dry. Add the remaining 3 strips one at a time being careful to like up all the edges.

Now we add the ¾” pieces the same way lining the up one edge with the edge of the ¼” strips that are already glued together.

Allow this to dry overnight.

Meanwhile, we can weave the top as desired. You can take the easier way and just do the one over one under. I decided to use the more typical weave I see on these baskets. It is a bit more complicated but I think it is worth it. Once this is woven glue the tips so that they will stay in place when you are inserting it into the basket.

Cut and apply thin glue to another piece of string just like for the base. Cut this one a bit bigger so you will have extra to use for the handle once everything is dry.

Once all of your glue is dry trace the outside of the lid onto your woven piece and cut on the line. This piece needs to stay a bit large so it dome when inserted.

Add the glue to the ridge where the the ¼” strips meet the ¾” strips. Use the glue soaked string just like with the base. Be sure to consult the picture to get everything placed the correct direction. Once again allow to dry.

Once all is dry use a bit of the leftover string that was soaked in glue to make a handle.

See although that was a lot of steps none of them were difficult and most were the same basic steps repeated. I know you can do this if you have done any paper-crafting. 

 

 

Be sure to show me pictures of what you make, I love to see what you do with my tutorials.

Also if there are any projects you want me to add to my list be sure to let me know.

In the video I promised to tell you all why this video is on the channel this week so here goes. As I said before I have been wanting to do this for a long time, it was something I was thinking about way back when I did the egg roll and dumpling tutorials. I just never got around to it. Then it was requested a while back on the Facebook page so it was back on my mind. The one day last week I was going through a box of my polymer clay reference books that I have collected over the years. That not only includes books specifically on polymer clay but some cookbooks with wonderful pictures for reference. I was thumbing through one of the Asian cookbooks in the box that afternoon and saw some pictures of bamboo steamers. That night in the middle of the night I woke up (like 2 hours after I had fallen asleep) with an idea for how to make this steamer basket. I actually was awake for about 4 hours with the idea swirling around in my head. I worked out most of the project during that time. I got up that morning and made a prototype pretty much exactly the way I came up with. I only had to re-do the lid a bit to make it work correctly. So that is why you are getting this tutorial this week.

As always I do want to sincerely thank all of you for watching my videos and reading my blog posts. It means so much to me that you are supporting me in this way. If I could ask you all to do just a bit more by subscribing to the channel and liking the videos and leaving comments. Those help more than you can imagine. Also if you could pass the links on to your friends I would appreciate it so much.