Join us for a hands-on, two-day journey into the art of willow basketry, where you’ll craft your very own beautiful picnic basket / carry all, using the traditional stake and strand method. These materials and weaving traditions hail from Europe, traveling with our migrant ancestors.
Under the expert guidance of basket maker Tyler Lavenburg, you’ll bend sturdy willow into a beloved basket, ideal for harvesting veggies, carrying your computer, or packing the perfect picnic. Whether you choose a hard willow handle or opt for soft leather straps, your finished basket will be as useful as it is timeless.
We’ll follow the very same process as making a full-size pack basket, just on a smaller, more manageable scale. Along the way, we’ll also dig into the living tradition of willow weaving, learning how to grow, harvest, and honor this remarkable plant and the rich European weaving heritage it carries.
This immersive workshop is perfect for beginners and experienced weavers alike who are ready to create something both beautiful and functional with their own two hands.
Day One
Day Two
This class will be held outdoors on Saturday & Sunday, September 20-21, 2025, from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm each day, near Weaverville, NC.
The minimum age is 12 with previous craft experience and accompanied by a parent, otherwise the minimum age is 16. Moderate hand strength is recommended for this workshop. Please be prepared to sit on the ground while crafting.
Tyler and his family align their life with the cycles of the seasons and the bounty of the wild. They harvest and utilize as much as they can from the gardens and forests around them.
Tyler first fell in love with Southern Appalachian ecology as a student at Warren Wilson College, where he received a degree in Environmental Education. The children’s novel My Side of the Mountain sparked Tyler’s passion for traditional skills and wild foods. Since then, he’s been blessed with teachers and mentors who continue to draw his attention into deeper layers of mystery and the possibilities around crafting a handmade, wild life.
Over the years, Tyler has studied, apprenticed and taught at many traditional skills schools and events, including Wild Abundance, The Roots School, Living Earth School, Earthskills Rendezvous, The Firefly Gathering, Florida Earthskills, Whippoorwill, and others. He’s worked with hundreds of children and adults through public and private schools, homeschool cooperatives, and special events.
Tyler has experience in many traditional crafts and skills, with a special passion for willow basketry. He tends around 30 species of European basket willow and plans to provide basket material and live cuttings to the Asheville community in the near future.
In order to make our workshops more accessible, we offer two price options for each class, with an additional Equity Discount for qualifying individuals. Please consider these options and select your price at checkout.
Thank you for helping transform the world into a culture of abundance, resilience, and opportunity for all.
*Please check your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events, so you only need to do it once!
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PO Box 18758 Asheville, NC 28814
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Lily is an artist, creator, and dreamer. Since a very young age, she has been immersed in the natural world and draws heavy inspiration from the wild. Though her medium changes frequently, Lily’s art and expression always incorporate an element of the organic and unpredictable. She got her associate in fine arts in 2023, and now volunteers at her school as a ceramic studio monitor. She hopes to open a studio of her own one day to have a place to teach and inspire others. In addition to doing commission work, Lily has been creating many graphics for The Firefly Gathering since 2019. Lily grew up in the Earthskills community from the time she was eight years old, so having the opportunity to grow and give back in so many ways has been incredibly fulfilling. No matter where she ends up, this group of people and ideas will always hold a special place in her heart.
