Vintage Boy Scout Basketry Merit Badge Foraging Pouch

The Merit Collection | One of a Kind

Some of these old merit badges feel like they were just meant to find their way into our workshop, and I think this is one of them.

This one features an original vintage Boy Scout Basketry Merit Badge, with a beautifully embroidered woven basket decorated in red, blue, white, and brown. We paired it with chocolate and green waxed canvas to create a one-of-a-kind version of our original folding foraging pouch.

There's something particularly special about putting a badge that celebrates making things by hand onto something we've made by hand.

A Little History Behind the Badge

The Basketry Merit Badge celebrates the traditional craft of basket weaving, a skill people have used for thousands of years to create useful everyday objects.

Scouts earning this badge learn about different weaving materials, how to prepare them, and the techniques used to create baskets. The badge requirements include making both square and round baskets, along with weaving a seat for a campstool.

I love that this badge represents patience, craftsmanship, and learning to work with your hands.

While we're sewing waxed canvas instead of weaving baskets, I think the idea is much the same. Take some materials, learn how to work with them, and create something useful that can be enjoyed for years.

That's a pretty good description of what we do here at PNWBUSHCRAFT.

From an Original Boy Scout Sash

This vintage badge came from an original Boy Scout sash that held 30 different merit badges.

Each badge represented a different skill or accomplishment, and together they tell a story about the many things Scouts were encouraged to learn.

We don't know who originally owned the sash, but we loved the idea of giving these wonderful old patches a new purpose.

Rather than leaving them tucked away, we're incorporating them into handcrafted PNWBUSHCRAFT gear through our Merit Collection.

Each patch has its own story, and every finished piece is a little different.

Our Original PNWBUSHCRAFT Foraging Pouch

Our original folding foraging pouch was designed to be there when you need it and stay out of your way when you don't.

Wear it on your belt while exploring the woods, collecting mushrooms, gathering interesting rocks, or just enjoying a little time outdoors.

When it's not in use, the pouch folds into a compact little package and snaps closed.

When you find something worth bringing home, simply unsnap it and open it up.

Dimensions & Features

• Open: Approximately 9" wide × 8.75" tall

• Folded: Approximately 3" × 3.5" × 1.25"

• Fits belts up to 2" wide

• Chocolate and green waxed canvas

• Original vintage Boy Scout Basketry Merit Badge

• Compact folding design with metal snap closure

• Handcrafted in Washington State

• One-of-a-kind creation

Part of The Merit Collection

Our Merit Collection brings together original vintage Boy Scout merit badges from the same sash and our love of creating practical, long-lasting outdoor gear.

Each badge represents a different skill, and each finished piece gives that little bit of history a new purpose.

Because we're working with original vintage patches, there won't be another pouch exactly like this one.

Handmade by PNWBUSHCRAFT

Every pouch is designed, cut, and sewn by our family in Washington State.

We love making useful things, and we especially enjoy finding ways to give older materials another life.

Built to last, not landfill.

Listing includes one foraging pouch only. Props are not included. This is an independently handcrafted PNWBUSHCRAFT product featuring a repurposed vintage Scout badge, not official Scouting merchandise.