After collecting a bunch of them, first I soaked them to make them pliable once more, then I used a large plastic yarn needle, following the coil method shown on the following web page: http://basketmakers.com/topics/tutorials/construction.htm
My efforts weren't perfect, and I ran out of twine before being able to make a basket, but I did end up with an interesting hot plate! Later it moved from being underneath hot pots to being underneath our large bowl of tilak to protect the wooden table it rests upon. It is very durable and was fun to make.