This course is a great introduction to traditional basketry techniques. You will use a wooden jig to hold the uprights in place and this will be the start of the shape. You will then weave the willow around the uprights using twining and wailing techniques to build the structure of the bird feeder. Lastly you will make a track border with a handle to finish. The bird feeder can then be filled with suet balls and hung in the garden.

Crafts using your hands can be a therapeutic and an enjoyable experience. You can make your very own handmade item to give as a gift or keep for your home.

This course is suitable for all levels including beginners.

All materials and tools provided.

Sarah Gardner trained as textile designer, this sparked her interest in constructed textiles and led to her practicing basketry for the past 7 Years. She is interested in growing and foraging natural materials for making but also has a make-do-and-mend approach and is always on the look-out for man-made materials that can be adapted or useful in basket-making. This requires a lot of testing to work out the qualities of the materials and their suitability for different weaving techniques. As an advocate for the crafts Sarah also helps run a small leather accessories company and teaches and practices basketry in Brighton.