Date 9-10 August 2025 (2 Days)
Price £220
Maximum number of places 6
Book Please book with Fiona at Braythorne Baskets by using this booking link. You can email braythornebaskets@gmail.com for further information
Course Details
The basketmaking course is run in a covered workshop in a woodland setting over two days. Campers are welcome to arrive from Friday evening and spend time around the fire, ready for a Saturday morning start.
On this course you will learn the techniques needed to make a medium-sized oval willow trug basket that will be ideal for foraging and gathering. You will be able to choose between adding one central handle or 2 side handles to suit its purpose.
We will focus on:
· Material selection. Learn how to select the right size and thickness of willow rods for the different parts of the basket.
. How to set the frame and ribs in position and choose from different colours of willow rods to weave and personalise the rest of your basket.
Who is this course suitable for?
· This course is suitable for complete beginners and improvers.
Depending on progress, it may be possible to move on to making an additional woven willow tray on day two, repeating some of the techniques.
Other Information
All materials and tools will be provided. Willow weaving is a physical craft, and we will be working with damp willow throughout the day so comfy, old clothes and an apron (if preferred) are ideal for the workshop.
Catering:
For all courses, a hearty, healthy lunch is provided (please let your tutor know of any dietary requirements when booking), along with tea, coffee and water. Breakfast and evening meal is self-catered, with firewood and charcoal-based cooking available.
We also provide firewood, brew-kit, washing up and cooking facilities, crockery and cutlery.
Guests should bring; barbecue food or pans for cooking on a fire for breakfast and evening meals.
Facilities:
Facilities include covered workshop spaces, an undercover outdoor cooking set-up, comfortable compost toilet, plenty of loo roll, and handwashing. A good stone track leads to the the wood where there is space to park, please keep speed under 10mph.
Tutor Bio
Fiona Arnold, Braythorne Baskets – Basketmaker and Tutor
Fiona is a North Yorkshire-based basket maker with a passion for historic baskets and traditional craftsmanship. Drawing inspiration from old paintings, antique baskets, and the intricate details revealed through basket repairs, Fiona is deeply committed to honouring the designs and techniques of long-forgotten makers and well as bringing a contemporary twist to basketry.
After a career in recruitment and working as a school careers advisor, Fiona turned her interest in basketry into a profession in 2022. Her journey took a significant step forward in 2024 when she was awarded the prestigious QEST Emerging Maker Grant. This grant supports her studies on the two-year Level 3 City & Guilds Basketry course at Westhope College in Shropshire, where she is expanding her knowledge of complex basketry techniques and forms.
Fiona’s focus is on becoming the best maker she can be. She shares her skills through a limited number of small group teaching sessions, ensuring each participant receives personalised guidance and support. In addition to teaching, she exhibits her work in gallery settings and continues to research the history and evolution of basketry while offering specialist repair services.
Fiona also champions the role of basketry in promoting physical and mental wellbeing and believes in its power as a calming, creative, and grounding practice.
She is a member of the Basketmakers’ Association and Heritage Crafts Association.
www. braythorne.co.uk/basket-making
‘When I am weaving, I move to a quiet place where my hands and the willow find a natural rhythm, my senses come alive, and I am in totally in tune.’