Groups & Events
Projects for groups, events and team days
Gather a group and design your own workshop
If you’re running an event and want to offer a willow weaving activity, or if you’d like to arrange a gathering with friends, I offer bespoke sessions with a choice of projects.
Crafting with willow is an enjoyable way to spend a relaxed few hours, great as a birthday celebration, a team building activity or a memorable experience with a group of crafty friends.
Suitable group sizes do depend on which project you choose, please send me a message and we can design something that fits with what you need.
Bird Feeders
Create a hanging basket for holding fat balls to feed the birds in your garden, or alternatively for storing garlic or shallots in your kitchen!
This project introduces some simple willow crafting techniques and uses thin willow rods which don’t need as much finger strength to bend into place.
You’ll learn several techniques used in willow basketry, including the 3-rod wale weaving pattern, how to create a binding tie and doing a simple ‘trac’ border.
Swallows
Decorative willow swallows – these look great hung on a wall, fence or mounted on a pole in your garden.
You’ll learn how to shape a frame and fill in with a figure-of-eight weaving pattern, a common technique used in creating willow sculptures.
Dragonflies
Eyecatching sculptures for your garden, perfect for hanging above a pond or perching on a rock at the water’s edge.
You’ll learn about creating a spiral pattern using the ‘corn dolly’ weave, a really versatile technique that you can use for various functional or sculptural projects.
This project involves bending longer and thicker willow rods – you will need some good finger strength and dexterity.
Obelisks
Great for supporting climbing plants such as sweet peas and beans in the garden. They also look fantastic just as sculptural pieces or decorated with fairy lights as alternative Christmas trees!
For a 3 hour session, you’ll create a 4ft spiral obelisk, ideal for growing dwarf climbing plants in pots.
If you’d like to go taller, I also offer longer sessions to create a full sized obelisk ( 5 to 6 foot tall). Just make sure you have plenty of room in the car!
Tension Trays
These woven trays are based on a Catalan design and can be used as serving platters, trivets for hot pans, or just for decoration!
A really simple but effective design, that you can customise with different banding colours and edging patterns.
Seasonal and special requests
If you have another project in mind, or would like to do something seasonal or themed around a particular topic, send me a message and I’d love to see if I can help.
Popular projects around Christmas time include reindeer decorations, stars and wreath making, including creating your own willow wreath bases.
Ready to try something new?
There’s no better time to pick up a new skill, meet new people, and make something with your own two hands. Book onto an upcoming workshop, or contact me to arrange a group activity.