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Basket Weaving: Willow Carry-All Baskets with Tyler Lavenburg (Registration Closed)

February 10, 2023 @ 9:00 am February 12, 2023 @ 1:00 pm

The registration window for this workshop has closed. Click here to return to our Perennial Workshops page.

Copy of WP Willow Baskets 600 × 338 px 1

Basket Weaving Workshop Description

Welcome to the wonderful world of willow! Willow basket weaving is a traditional craft historically practiced throughout much of the world. Archeological evidence shows Native American pack baskets dating back to 900 BC, while they also tout themselves as one of the most common crafts throughout all of Europe.  Willow is incredibly strong, beautiful, and rich in ethnobotanical relationship to human history that can still be touched today. 

In this three-day willow basket immersion, instructor Tyler Lavenburg will show you how to weave up a mighty-fine carry-all basket, using the “stake and strand” method. By the end of this class, you’ll walk away with your very own beautiful and functional messenger bag style baskets with shoulder straps or handles of your choosing.  These baskets can be used for just about anything, from harvesting food to carrying your computer!

Class Schedule Overview:

  • Day One: Settle in, prepare materials, make the base of your basket and add in the spokes.
  • Day Two: Weave up the body of the basket and turn down the rim. 
  • Day Three: Choose between leather or cotton webbing to make and attach straps to your basket.  Leave with a beautiful, one-of-a-kind basket ready for any adventure! 

Tyler will teach a variety of basket weaves, explore propagation and harvesting of willow for basketry, and celebrate the rich history of weaving this amazing plant into our lives.

This class requires a good bit of hand strength and determination; be prepared to stay focused and work long hours. Please bring a sharp knife, a pair of garden pruners, and a blanket or chair to sit on.

Basket Weaving Workshop Details

This 3 day basket weaving workshop will be held outdoors in a covered space from Friday, February 10 to Sunday, February 12 2023 in Weaverville, NC.

All levels of skill welcome. It is super helpful if you have woven even one basket before, but not necessary. Willow does require significant hand strength. Minimum age is 16.

Class Session Schedule (click for more info)

Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday : 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Sunday: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Plan on arriving between 8:30 am and 9 am on Friday. Please don’t arrive earlier than designated times.

Amenities/Camping Information  (click for more info)

This is a special class offering that will be held at Shelterwood Cove in Weaverville, NC–which is the home of lead instructor, Tyler Lavenburg, and several others. He and his partner own 45 acres of beautiful mountain land, abounding with lush forest, clean springs, and abundant gardens.

Some students choose to rent a nearby airbnb, rent a hotel room, or commute if they are local. You are also welcome to camp on-site for a small fee. All campsites are within a few minutes walking distance of where you will park.  More details about lodging options will be provided in your registration confirmation email.

Food is not provided as part of the class. Everyone is responsible for their own meals throughout the weekend. We also strongly recommend that you bring snacks since we’ll be working hard. Students will have access to an outdoor kitchen with propane stoves. Please bring your own cook pots, pan, and utensils.

About the Instructor Tyler Lavenburg

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. 

The registration window for this workshop has closed. Click here to return to our Perennial Workshops page.

Weaverville, North Carolina United States + Google Map

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Lily Harlin

Bookkeeper

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.