Willow Basket Weaving
Saturday, April 5
9:00am to 5:00pm
Join local artist Nick LaHaise in weaving locally harvested willow into baskets!
FRLT/Jenna Holland
FRLT/Kristi Jamason
FRLT/Jenna Holland
Saturday, April 5
9:00am to 5:00pm
$150/person
Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center
What to expect: Learn how to weave a willow basket from start to finish! Using a combination of wild and cultivated basketry willow, we will weave a basket of your choice, learning various weaves and techniques along the way. Specific techniques covered are weaving a round base using pairing, a 3-rod wale, french randing, and creating a decorative rod border, along with finishing touches such as a handle and foot. This is meant to be an intro to willow basketry, focusing on getting to know the material and the process of weaving with willow. While weaving, we will discuss harvesting and cultivation methods, materials preparation, and ongoing care for your basket.
*Please note the high cost of this class is due to the cost of basket-grade willow, the small class size, and the length of the workshop.
Space is limited to 10 participants, so don’t wait to register!
About Nick LaHaise
Nick LaHaise is a basket weaver, green wood worker, carpenter, chef, and teacher. He has studied various traditional arts, wilderness skills, deep nature connection mentoring, and rites of passage over the last decade. Nick currently organizes Buckeye Gathering, a weeklong ancestral skills gathering, teaches woodworking at a Wild River Waldorf School in Truckee, guides Wilderness Fasts through the School of Lost Borders and has offered many willow working workshops at the Sierra Valley Preserve and Nature Center. He has been weaving baskets and teaching willow basketry for over 10 years, and is growing a small plot of basketry willow in Sierra Valley, where he lives with his family.
