Willow trays

We ran two workshops to make a willow tray last weekend.  The tray is based on the traditional method for making a basket called the 'stake and strand' method.  In order to finish it in a day, we made trays (so low sides) rather than baskets, but the method for a basket would have been identical, it would just have been necessary to keep weaving higher sides!  There was a variety of types of willow available to use which resulted in different coloured stripes in the trays, which was very effective.  There's a few images from the two workshops below.

Willow Easter Baskets

This afternoon we ran the Willow Easter Baskets workshop, where we used a plaiting technique.  Everyone made a number of baskets and then went on to experiment with the plaiting technique to make more sculptural objects.  Some were abstract, others looked like chickens and dragonflies (see pictures below).

The group with all their creations at the end

A willow bird/chicken

A willow dragonfly