Crafty Basketry

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Crafty Basketry Functional baskets made from natural materials. Don't you just love them? You can learn how to weave too.

From kitting out a boot room to bespoke log baskets, your project has my full attention. I teach children (age 8+) + adults up to respectable age.

Last weekend at the Cowshed Workshop in Tenterden. One of the nicest things about teaching basketmaking is seeing what h...
17/10/2026

Last weekend at the Cowshed Workshop in Tenterden.

One of the nicest things about teaching basketmaking is seeing what happens when people settle down with a bundle of willow.

At first there's usually a little uncertainty. “How on earth am I going to make a basket out of that?” And then, slowly, they get into it. They start talking. They laugh. They concentrate and try, try again. Someone gets a bit stuck and someone else helps, if I'm already helping someone else.

All bar one perfect beginners and aren't we all so living life on auto-pilot, routinely doing our jobs. Yes, we tweak things a little, but to learn a new skill from scratch, ..... and this is like learning to write again, using your hands in different ways. You feel totally out of your depth. Yes, you! Who's always to sure of yourself. Of course it feels a little scary, but then, come 11:00 - 11:30, the coin drops and there are lots of little moments of “Oh! I see!” You're finding your rhythm.

And, before you know it, it's all over, you feel strangely elated and are holding your first finished basket!

I love that. Not just because everyone goes home with a basket. I love watching people become absorbed in something. For a few hours, there isn't much else that matters for them. Most don't even think about checking their phones. I love it when they go through the change that I went through with my first basket as well. Because it's thoroughly relaxing, in a weird way, as you're finding your equilibrium again.

Just the willow, the weaving, the conversation and connection with others and feeling grounded again and the pleasure of making something with your own hands.

That's a lovely thing to be able to share. I guess the smiles speak volumes.

And I'm very lucky and feel very grateful that I get to show people my favourite craft, only because basketmakers through the generations have found it important enough to pass on this ancient craft.🙏

So really blessed by all the positive feedback on my workshops all the time, but this one stood out.It always makes me s...
12/10/2026

So really blessed by all the positive feedback on my workshops all the time, but this one stood out.

It always makes me so happy to hear that I've been able to inspire people with my love for basket weaving, this ancient craft that gets more and more publicity, but to see that same passion in my students' eyes is just the best Thank You they can give me. Barbara, however, went that extra step and took the time to recommend this workshop to you and described her experience in a very eloquent way, I thought.
Thank you so much, Barbara! This just means so much to me.

I, too, had an aunt, Tante Ans, who taught me how to sew clothes and curtains when I was 15, during a summer holiday. We went to buy a magazine with patterns, I was allowed to choose what I liked the look of, and she helped me construct it with great fabrics we bought. A great thing to do, especially when its raining outside. Always making, creating. People did, in the olden days. My gran taught me how to crochet and knit with some lovely materials and colours when I was 8, and for a kid who wasn't brainy (too much trouble at home and teachers thinking I was stupid 🤨yes, one of those), or so I thought, I felt it wasn't perhaps that bad and I was capable of something.

Kids need opportunities like these to give them confidence in themselves.

Luckily, these days, if your brain works differently from others, then it now has a name and they know how to teach you instead. Perhaps these kids are the lucky ones, as they could be using their hands to make a living, just like I'm doing now. They can think outside the box, be resourceful, resilient and have a more exciting life than most.

These kids too are the future. We just need to give them the chance.

One of the things I love about basket weaving is that it doesn't always go the way I want it to.You can weave the same b...
03/10/2026

One of the things I love about basket weaving is that it doesn't always go the way I want it to.

You can weave the same basket so many times and then occasionally it does its own thing. It's just a matter of concentration somewhere down the line of choosing your uprights, having them close enough together, or far enough apart.

So some baskets land on the bonfire. Very occasionally. It is what it is. And actually, I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy basketmaking so much. You have to pay attention. You have to feel what the willow is doing. Sometimes you have to change your plan, if it's not been a good start of the day. It reminds me to live without expectation. To let go.

And sometimes you just have to say, “Oh well… let's see where this goes” and quite often, while letting go, you can achieve some interesting results! Arty shapes that have a lovely flow.

I think I've always had a thing about making things. Weaving, knitting, crochet, making clothes. There's something very satisfying about starting with a pile of fairly ordinary-looking willow and in particular dirty, uncohesive-looking hedgerow and ending up with a stunning piece you'd like to cherish for many years to come, even though I always end up selling them.

But not this time with this. Mistake! I'm now just waiting for the wind to turn away from my neighbours.

As you know, I've been thinking about play lately. That lovely feeling of doing something simply because you enjoy it.I ...
30/09/2026

As you know, I've been thinking about play lately. That lovely feeling of doing something simply because you enjoy it.

I really love what I do, weaving baskets as a full-time profession, but my focus is often on making stock, or concentrated around the commissions I have, so even though I thoroughly immerse myself in the process, there's often very little play, where I give myself a free hand to just see what'll happen when I start without a focus on the end result. I think we lose a bit of that real play as we get older, but it was that exact thing that made us so happy and made things such fun.

There always seems to be something that needs doing, and even when we have some time to ourselves, we're very good at finding something useful to do with it, before allowing ourselves some time to just be, or play. With parents who never sat down and who had a thing against what they called "lazy" ("your hands should never be still") I know I'm guilty of it.

Just occasionally now, when I'm weaving, I don't have a particular outcome in mind and am just enjoying the willow in my hands and seeing what happens, the fresh air, wind playing with leaves and bird song in the background. And funnily enough, the result is often a really lovely and different shape of basket, which was great fun to make.

Precious moments. More please! 😉🌿

You know how you occasionally just have to step outside your bubble to feel alive again? Well, I'm really bad at allowin...
28/09/2026

You know how you occasionally just have to step outside your bubble to feel alive again? Well, I'm really bad at allowing myself to do this. I feel that I should be making better use of my time, always criticising what should be done first! "Right!" I hear you say, and with a frown, perhaps. I know. But I'm getting better at letting go.

I know I'm late, posting this, but last month I went to .fest , THE basketry festival in Britain, to keep learning from and with world-renowned basketmakers and one in particular again this time, namely We wove a vedmeis, a traditional basket from the west of Norway, over three days. Two days of preparing weavers and one day weaving the basket. Now that is slow crafting, but it felt so good to soak up these new skills, just having fun, playing, having a go, challenging yourself a little and being open to whatever happens and failure or faults can be part of that. Without any expectations.

You become completely absorbed in what you're doing and so, being away from house and hearth, I could allow myself to forget about what I ought to be doing and focus on the now.

Catherine Price writes beautifully about this in The Power of Fun, and it made me think about why I have always been so drawn to working with willow, having had to be methodical and highly organised in the past, in the office. There is something wonderfully unruly about working with natural fibres, as it has its own ideas. You can show it where you want it to bend, but sometimes it has other plans.

I weave, forget to have lunch, and I stop worrying about stuff, as I'm focused and in the moment. Solving problems in relation to specific commissions, adapting techniques, but also playing and tweaking.

It belongs to a different rhythm, perhaps a different time. It has less to do with productivity. I'm still aiming for perfection, but letting go, enough to have fun, and be resourceful and allow myself to learn while being curious about what happens next.

I'm slowly changing the mantras in my mind, being more forgiving, living without expectations, letting go of the old stresses and thoroughly enjoying what I do and having fun with it!🌿

I'm a bit behind with posting, so this was in August, when a group of pure beginners made these awesome baskets in Ten...
23/09/2026

I'm a bit behind with posting, so this was in August, when a group of pure beginners made these awesome baskets in Tenterden. Tony brought some of his own willow from Shoreham and I assisted him with splitting and then shaving it, so the thick rods could be used in his basket, just like they did in the olden days, but something you don't see done so much nowadays, as it's time consuming. It made for a lovely light basket.
Lovely, creative bunch and some really interesting conversations were had too.
🌿
Next up in Tenterden is a whole weekend's worth of weaving! Well, why not.
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I have just two spaces left for the Sunday, 11th October, should you wish to join us. Weave a tray, kindling or foraging basket in a day, and notice how immensely relaxing it is for you. You're creating your own basket from locally grown willow in 3D that wasn't there before, using age-old techniques. This means that you're mostly using the right hand side of your brain, while the part you use the most has time to recover, store what's gone before and recharge, making you feel on top of the world again, as if a breath of fresh air has swept through you and made you lighter.
🌿
Just take a look and book on the website: https://www.craftybasketry.website or book through the Craft Courses website and I'll look forward to seeing you soon.

Very successful latest workshop at in Lewes. Two people who'd already made a basket before, as well as a well-known Stu...
22/09/2026

Very successful latest workshop at in Lewes. Two people who'd already made a basket before, as well as a well-known Studio face and her granddaughter. We all had a lovely time, working both in the walled garden and main studio.

We will be doing it all again at the Paddock Art Studios on 4th October, when we'll all be weaving baskets, but if you'd like to weave a Boho lampshade, then that's also possible and a little easier; a nice intro to this ancient craft.

What you'll learn?
Learn some of the basic traditional basketry techniques used for tens of thousands of years and how to apply them to projects in your garden also, about cultivating, harvesting, sorting, grading and preparing different types of willow, some of the history of basketmaking, promotors in the UK and beyond and lots more.

Fancy joining us on , then have a look and book on the website: https://www.craftybasketry.website/ You will also find my workshops on the Crafty Basketry website.

Workshops near you also available, or if not, just get in touch and I'll organise one for you.

Look forward to seeing you soon!🌿

Belmont Wood Fest last week? Well, yes… but it doesn’t stop there! 🌿The last one in line is Bentley Wood Fair — the bigg...
17/09/2026

Belmont Wood Fest last week? Well, yes… but it doesn’t stop there! 🌿

The last one in line is Bentley Wood Fair — the biggest wood fair in the country — and it’s happening this weekend!

From Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September, you’ll find pretty much anything and everything to do with working wood and all the wonderful things that come from it. A proper celebration of woodland crafts, makers and all things wood. 🌳

This photo was taken at last year’s fair, but this time I’ll be bringing lots of new and very different beauties of baskets for you to discover — baskets made to be loved, used and enjoyed for years and years. Perhaps even forever. 😉

I’ve also been slowly changing my work, little by little. You might notice it if you look carefully… and if you’re interested, come and have a chat and I’ll tell you all about it.

And, of course, come and have a look at the baskets! Perhaps you’ll find one that you simply can’t leave without. ❤️

People often tell me how much they love using my baskets, and I have to say, that’s one of the loveliest things to hear. I don’t just want my baskets to look beautiful — I want them to become part of everyday life.

I’ll be at Bentley Wood Fair on Saturday 19th September, from 9.30am–5pm, with the Kent Bodgers, , in the woodland area.

Come and find us right in front of the House, have a browse, say hello and see what I’ve been making.

I’d love to see you there! 🌳🧺❤️

11/09/2026

This summer isn't over just yet, so after some amazing fairs and then the very best event of this year, Tear-up, I refuse to come down from this high, so tomorrow I'm off to for the Belmont Wood Fest.
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Yes, this is all about wood; carving, sawing, plaining, whittling, felling, you name it, if you can think of it, it'll be there. And then some.
🍀
Crafty Basketry will again this year be joining and, to be precise, the for the festivities and you'll find us in the woodlands. This fest is all about demonstrating what we love to do best, what we're good at and what we think you may love to give a go.
🍃
I will be weaving a basket from willow, which you can have a go at, and, should I get my hands on some, will be splitting hazel and weaving baskets from that with a willow bark that I will strip for it. Find out what tools we use and how we use them. Did you know that some tools can be made yourself?
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If you ask me, life can't be more fun than that. We'll all be in our element, amongst the elements. The forecast is mainly dry, so come give it a try!
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Look forward to seeing you there.

📍Where? Belmont Wood Fest, Belmont House and Gardens, Throwley Road, Faversham, Kent, ME13 0HH
📅When? This weekend, 12th and 13th Sept. from 10:00 till 17:00

25/08/2026

This is beautiful!

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Brighton
BN1 5

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07775 944499

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