Baskets in willow, ivy and dogwood
I have been teaching myself how to weave baskets from things we find at forest school since the beginning. In the first couple weeks of lockdown I made a big bramble basket from scratch after watching a video on instagram - it took me two days and caused a few injuries.
I am always enchanted at how quickly baskets can appear from a pile of sticks simply by applying the same process to them as basket makers have done for thousands of years. If you come to any of my workshops or trainings you will usually see a basket or two of mine holding some tools or foraged items, but I still find them a little awkward for everyday use. Who really needs baskets any more?
Most people who I’ve weaved with comment on how relaxing an activity it is, and I love how therapeusic the process of making a basket can be. For me, process is pretty much everything, and if I really think about it, my ability or willingness to surrender to processes is largely responsible for all of what I might call achievements in my life so far.
Without getting too philosophical, ultimately, when I create a basket, it marks a moment in time for me. This blog is only a collection of photos of some of the baskets I’ve made over the last years, and for every one I can pinpoint the time, and how I was feeling before and after.
Here is a table full of baskets we made at Max Johnson’s Beginners Basketry course in late 2025.
In late 2025 over the course of six Monday evenings I learned how to make round basket bases, berry picker baskets, shopper baskets and bread baskets with whaling, paired weaving and after quite a bit of a trial and error, borders. Oh how I love a border, but my top tip for borders is, do not attempt your border on an empty stomach. Snacks must be consumed first.
Max is a great teacher, check out his website: https://maxjohnsonbasketry.co.uk/
Shopper.
It’s rough, but it’s definitely a basket… Here I’m taking the photo because I’m happy to have put the handle on after an epic battle with the border. You can see where I’ve had to pull it out and re-weave with all the kinks.
Berry Basket.
I love this portrait of the berry picker basket I made at Max Johnson’s day-long workshop at his yurt in Blanefield. I like the contrast of the black car interior and the shine and orderliness of the freshly woven willow.
Ivy Basket.
A sweet little fresh ivy basket weaved while cutting back ivy in the sunshine 2024. Ivy is snappy and shrinks madly after it’s cut, so this basket did not last more than a year.
Many Species Basket.
This one was woven in January 2026 from what I suspect are three species of willow from Carmunnock Willow Coppice, and dogwood from St Alberts Primary School where I work.
Wild Dogwood Lantern.
I make these lanterns for presents and this one has wild dogwood for the uprights meaning I could use the dogwood for the handle too. It was quite lumpy and bumpy to weave into shape, but we got there with a chunky handle.
Willow Tension Platter.
I made this at a workshop with Anna Leibman in August 2022. It is great for chucking under hot pans in the kitchen and still holds together today. You can see the green of foraged willow here in one half of the platter, the rest is buff willow. I like how I left a fishtail shape at each side, makes it easier to grab.
I love weaving baskets, and this is also why I love the willow coppice. If you enjoy a bit of work outdoors and learning a new skill, consider coming on a coppicing day with us. Coppicing only happens November through March, when the plants are dormant. I am working up to running basket-making workshops, be in touch if you’re interested.
You can sign up to my emails where I’ll let you know about upcoming events, or contact me to find out.
