Learn the more intricate twining technique and create your own unique basket using foraged invasive grasses and other plant materials

This workshop is part one of a two-day weekend series on invasive plant basketry. Register for both classes, or for an individual class.

Date

Sunday, June 29

10am – 4pm PDT

About the Class

This workshop is part two of a two-day weekend series on invasive plant basketry. Register for both classes, or for an individual class.

During this workshop, we’ll continue explore the fiber potential of wild plants with instructor Julia Han at the Fibershed Learning Center. We will begin with a shorter walk to review plants covered on Day 1. Back in the workshop, you’ll learn the more intricate twining technique and begin creating your own unique basket using foraged invasive grasses and other plant materials. We’ll also include a demonstration on how to make a simple hand broom using foraged materials.

This workshop offers a hands-on introduction to working with wild plants and finer basketry work. Take this as a standalone workshop, or pair it with Day 1 to deepen your skills.

Full Weekend Description for Day 1 & 2:

Join us for a two-day, hands-on experience of identifying, foraging, and transforming common invasive grasses and other plants into beautiful and functional objects using essential basketry techniques. After these beginner-friendly workshops, you’ll leave with your own handmade works and the eyes to continue working with foraged materials on your own. Along the way, we’ll touch on the ecological role of invasive species and how we can make use of these abundant materials that are often overlooked.

Each day will begin with a walk through the Fibershed property, where we’ll observe and identify plants suitable for fiber and other uses. Along the way, we’ll discuss ethnobotanical uses, sustainable harvesting practices, and what to look for in strong, flexible materials. Back in the workshop space, we’ll examine a variety of dried plant materials — grasses, leafy fibers, woody vines and branches, barks, and roots—and learn how each category behaves and what use it’s best suited for.

On Day 1 [link], we’ll get hands-on with invasive grasses and other foraged plants through the essential skill of cordage-making, gaining an understanding of how different fibers behave when twisted together. We’ll then create a soft basket using the coiling technique, where a material is wrapped and stitched around a central core, incorporating your cordage into the design.

On Day 2 [link], we’ll build a basket using the more intricate twining technique, using cordage as the foundational spokes and learning key tips for creating a strong structure. The workshop will feature a demo on making a small hand broom using bundled grasses or other foraged plant materials.

Separate registration is required for both days.

Maximum 10 students.

Participants must bring:

• Pruners or sharp scissors, for cutting plant fibers
• Towel (one that can get messy)
• Any personal snacks, lunch, and beverages. Coffee and tea will be provided.
• A notebook and pen for note taking is encouraged.

Register Now