Making Bark Containers

Bark has been employed throughout history for many different uses from sustenance and medicinal values to properties useful in craft.

Bark has been used throughout history for everything from Canoes to flasks and all containers in between. Bark containers can be made, with the right materials, waterproof and this combined with their lightness and decent durability make them a very worthwhile piece of equipment to have at hand for varying tasks.

It is also possible to make a bark container using no modern materials or tools, only what you find, employing flint for cutting and drilling and shells and stones for marking. For the benefit of this tutorial, however, I am going to show how to make a bark container using a knife.

The first most obvious step is to collect the bark for the container, it is important however that it is taken from the right species of tree, many species will not give there bark so freely.

The most obvious species of tree to use when making a bark bag or container is probably the birch tree (Betula sp.) but I have found that in this country the bark is much to thin to be of use and is prone to splitting at the lenticels making it fiddly business trying to get it off the tree. I have however seen some incredible pieces made from birch bark in Siberia where the bark grows thicker on the trees. If using birch however it is the outer bark that is used.

Species of trees that offer good bark are for example sweet chestnut (both the inner and outer bark may be used) as well as: Juniper, Aspen, Cherry, Willow, Cedars, Lime, Oak, Chestnut, Elm and a species which I am experimenting with at the moment is Rowan.

The other important factor when collecting bark is the time of year, it should generally be springtime (though I have heard of birch bark being collected in winter to gain a darker colour but this is difficult to do) and the bark should come from a living or very recently felled tree.

Once the tree has been selected it is important not to strip the tree completely of its bark nor take bark off in a complete ring round the tree, as this will kill the tree. I however only take my bark from trees that need to come down or recently felled as taking bark can damage or threaten a tree fairly significantly. I have also taken bark from limbs of trees before but this is generally thinner than from the main trunk, if doing so, I will take the entire limb and using it for other crafts.

The next step is to remove the bark. To do so mark the top and bottom of the section you wish to take with a knife or axe to give a clear guide. If cut through the bark to, but not into, the wood of the tree then this will help when removing the sheet of bark.

Then a line is drawn down the bark with a knife connecting the two markers. Work the knife slowly under the lip of the bark, between the wood and bark, down the length of the sheet until an edge is separated, depending on which type of bark is used it is sometimes then possible to work of the bark with fingers and wooden wedges.

When removing the bark score the length of the sheet with a knife and here I used a baton to help the knife cut into the bark.

Once the bark has started to separate from the wood then it is possible to work the sheet of by hand. Here I employed the use of a peg to help me work the bark off. It was surprisingly easy.

Once the sheet has been removed completely from the wood it should then be made to lay flat to prevent it from curling which is what it will instantly wish to do.

The bark should be laid flat to prevent it from curling before use.

 

Next the pattern for folding the container should be marked out. It important when marking out the pattern that it be marked on the outside of the bark and done so with a knife or flint and not something such as a pencil as a pencil can actually raise the outer bark from the inner slightly and cause a bit of trouble.

Here we are making a simple folded bark container that will sit comfortably on the knee.

This is the shape which we must mark is as follows in the diagram.

This is an important bit and wedge shapes must be cut out at the corners to allow the bark to fold in on itself easy enough. The triangles should be cut at 90 degrees roughly; start of with small cuts and then enlarge to be on the safe side. If the bark splits it can be sealed later on with pitch or may come together when tying the sides.

If the bark is not folding along the score lines easily enough then score deeper but do not cut all the way through, we want the bark to bend not break!

Once the bark has been folded to shape the sides can then be held with stick pegs whilst the container dries slightly into shape.

Once the container is folded into shape it can be pegged to hold its shape and left to dry. At this point I then moved on to do some bark weaving to make a handle for the container.

To weave bark we must remove the outer bark first, this is best done whilst the bark is still attached to the wood and is easily removed with a blunt object like the back of a folding saw.

Removing the outer bark from the inner using the back of a folding saw in preparation for weaving bark

For weaving the inner bark must be cut into strips, the thinner the strips the more tight the weave may be. To cut the strips equally you could use strong scissors or a nice little trick using involving a knife in a stump and a peg for a guide as shown here:

To make weaving easier improvise a grip from a split stick tied together as shown in the image.

An improvised grip for holding bark strips ready for weaving to make a handle

The pattern of the weave is important and is as follows. In the diagram below…

Follow the weave as above then when 4 is reached the 5th strip gets folded and the process started again in the opposite direction

Weaving can be fiddly business but is quite addictive once used to the way of it.

A completed weaving ready for use and attachment

The weaving could also make a wilderness tie!



When the weaving is complete the ends must be folded back in on themselves.

After a couple of hours the container should have dried out a little and is ready for stitching. To do so I used very thin strips of bark as the equivalent of the thread. When stitching it is important to make sure the holes or punctures are NOT in alignment vertically as this will encourage the bark to split, which is something that really should be avoided.

Stitch from the bottom up wrapping around the base of the container and finishing at the rim.

To help the bark keep its shape add a circle of wood in the top, here I used a piece of western red cedar bark that was already roughly bent to shape and secured it with further bark stitching.

This should complete the basic bark container, a handle may be added and designs if so wished.

The finished container and weaving

SPOONAGE!

SPOONAGING

(THE ART OF MAKING SPOONS)

Without doubt a rather useful utensil to have when out in the wilds and there is something very fulfilling about having made your own for use. A variety of styles can be mastered quite easily with few tools.

For making a spoon I tend to simply use my folding saw if harvesting the green wood myself, my trusty bushcrafting knife and, in this case, a crook knife (A knife with a curved blade made particularly for the purpose of carving out hollows and bowls.

The two main tools to be used in spoon making, the crook knife at the top and a trusty bushcraft knife below.



The first step in making a spoon is to select your wood and harvest it green from the tree whilst doing minimal damage to the tree itself. Ideally wood used should be wood that is NON-TOXIC (avoid the likes of elder, yew and holly though there is some controversy over whether or not these woods may actually be used) as it will be in contact with food and mouth, ideally it should be wood that is quite easy to carve such as most fruiting tree woods or the likes of sycamore or birch (which initially has antibacterial properties) though you may wish to go for aesthetics (birch for example is a beautiful wood) or may have limited resource. Woods that are high in tannins are also good as they are more water-resistant and less prone to rotting. The wood you choose merely makes your job easier and I have managed to carve spoons from seasoned oak though it was very difficult to do so.



When collecting the wood you may wish to use wood from a recently felled tree or cut it from the tree itself, minimal damage to the tree is to me a more important goal than the perfect spoon. Some like to use a branch with a natural dogleg to incorporate the shape of the handle but you can quite easily make a spoon from a straight piece.

When taking wood from the tree we want to leave a clean cut that will not collect water and cause rot and we do not want to cut so far into the tree as to do it damage. So when we cut the tree we want to make three main cuts.



The first cut is made from the underside of the branch and we cut in until we feel the saw bite, it is wise to cut about a hands width from the tree in the first cut.
The second cut is made on the upper side about 2 inches towards the tree from the first cut. This method is called a step cut. At some point the wood will split between the two cuts creating a “step”
The third cut is to smooth of the severed limb at an angle to allow water to shed and the tree limb to heal.

Sequence of cuts when removing a limb from a tree

Now we must cut the branch to a good-sized shape for a spoon, this will depend upon what sort of spoon you make, a mixing spoon or a teaspoon and everything in between is possible.

A piece of birch wood cut roughly to the desired size for making a large desert spoon. The wood had a crack that had to be taken into consideration when splitting the wood



Once the wood is cut, roughly, to the desired size then it is to be split. The wood can be split with an axe or with a knife and baton. Safety is always important and should always be a priority when woodworking.

When splitting wood with a knife and baton always make sure the knife parallels your body so that if it passes through the wood unexpectedly it will not cut into your body.

Wood may also be split using an axe if confidant, always chop in a safe manner and be aware of where the axe is at all times

Assess the wood for damage, rot, grain pattern, knots and so on and choose which halve to make your spoon from. Some people like to draw out a spoon shape at this stage and it is a wise idea when starting out.

There was a crack towards the bowl end of the wood which had to be avoided so I chose to draw out the spoons bowl on the side here.
The meat of the wood then has to be removed and the spoon shaped knocked out and this can be done using stop cuts. Remove wood up to the bowl and along the handle.

Here you can see the spoon shape marked out and some stop cuts have been sawn in to the wood. These are these knocked out using a knife and baton technique similar to splitting wood.

Some like to use an axe to heft out the general shape of the spoon but if inexperienced with an axe a knife is far safer and can be as quick.



The bowl shape of the spoon can then start to be carved into the rough shape and the back of the spoon reduced. Some people, myself included, may wish to do these steps with an axe though for safety sake it is probably worthwhile using a knife.



The spoon should roughly be shaped now and the bowl ready to be carved and this can be done using a crook knife.



BE VERY CAREFULL using a crook knife as they can cut quite nastily so generally always cut away from yourself as you should with any knife, I have heard nasty stories of crook knives imbedded in fingers.



Hopefully now having carved out the bowl of the spoon you have the desired shape and all that needs done now is to sand the spoon (I have found sandpaper made for electric sanders better than ordinary sheets as it is less prone to breaking up and tearing) as desired and possibly oil or use beeswax to finish the effect. You may wish to add some extra detailing.

Here I decided to add some extra detailing along the handle of the spoon using my knife carefully.



If all else fails and the spoon is beyond saving then one can always improvise and turn such an item into a butter knife or at the minimum a toothpick or some nice firewood.

A completed large desert spoon made from birch wood ready to be used and I was very happy that I managed to carve this one single handed!

Lake District Location

 I recently received some photos from the location art nude shoot I had with Stephen Michael Yates of Derwent Photography back in early October.

 We shot for a very brief 30mins (we both had places we had to be) and hit it off well, I am looking forward to working with him in the future.
 For my first location nude it was a fun one, involving nude rockclimbing, scrambelling through bracken and a curious duck!

 Here are the results

Reflection

Freedom

At one with the Earth

Abandonded

Loneliness

Invocation

Rocktop Bellydancer

Because some of us are human

Contemplative fairy

Candid Close up, I dont do makeup :S

 Death Comes to Us All....Damn I've Lost my Scythe

Ode Tae The Cheese Weasels

Recently I have found myself rather down so I feel it is time to share some of my creative daftness...



Ode Tae The Cheese Weasels
(One of Burn’s lesser known poems)


Wee, sleekit, cowerin, viscious beastie,

Lurks near the camp afore the feastie.

As you sit doon among your kin,

The scent o’ cheddar wafts on the win’.

Scamp’ring they come through the trees,

On their hunt for boggin cheese,



Wi’ sharpn’d claws n’ pointy teeth,

A creep’n stealthily through the heath.

Striking fears into the heart o’men,

Shadowy specters passing through the glen.

Aw the men’s faces aboot you fearfully pale,

As they hear in the distance a bloodcurdling wail.



Weasels approach the camp and let loose their battlecries,

“See you Jimmy!” they shout wi’ fire in their eyes.

The mens screams let loose into the starry night sky,

They will loose the fight nae matter how hard they try

Tents and bivis are carelessly torn asunder,

As the Cheese weasels raid camp like a clap o’ thunder



Blood fallen on dirt and canvas slashed,

All in the weasels efforts tae find the Stilton Stashed.

Fur aflame and base camp ablaze,

The wounded stumble through the smoky haze.

The cheese is found! The weasels revel in bliss,

But keep your distance lest ye get a Glasgae kiss!



In this way the great Cheese Weasel war was fought,

An’ in the campsite much devastation wrought.

One gift however the mustelids brought,

An’ that be a lesson which must be taught….

“Where e’r ya wander leave your cheese at hame,

Lest the Cheasels attack and leave ya lame”



If e’r you fin yoursel’ at Woodcraft School,

A’ways remember this golden rule.

Remember that the Cheasels are crafty,

Ignore this lesson and forever be a dafty!

Lady Devorgilla

 A photoshoot with Canadian photographers Afterglow Images, taken last summer....

A photomanipulation by Dani Strange

Thanks to Dani Strange who kindly offered to edit my image as a Jack the Ripper Victim (prior to murder)

With Hands or Without?

Copyright: Miss Cern Photography

 I have recently edited some photos from a nude shoot I did down in London, it was my first ever studio nudes and the results were variable. I am undecided if I prefer the image with or without hands. These are currently the cropped versions.

Copyright: Miss Cern Photography

Copyright: Miss Cern Photography

I am also aware that recently I have written little on the bushcraft or wilderness side of things but I shall. This is simply because I have been so busy with it all, sticking up photos takes little effort or time, writing about bushcraft or dreams, or writing poetry takes a while and time is one thing I dont have much of right now.

 But soon.....