This delightful book guides the reader through a series of charming projects inspired by animals and the changing seasons. The basic techniques of working with willow withes is clearly explained and the attractive diagrams will make you want to begin at once. Choose from both traditional and contemporary projects such as Easter Baskets, Dolphin in a Hoop, Swans on the Nest, an old-fashioned Rocking Horse and many more.

Through a series of easy to follow step by step projects, this book will teach you the fundamental skills and techniques as used in many every-day baskets. Clear instructions and more than 280 photos and diagrams will guide you through every aspect. Projects include 'your first basket', a simple bowl; a log basket; a garden trug; a potato basket; and a foraging basket.This book is designed for the beginner. Everything you need to know is covered, including guidance on sourcing the willow either from a specialist grower, or the countryside."Basketry is a rewarding craft. Being able to take some humble sticks and weave them together into a beautiful and functional item is extremely satisfying. Even after weaving hundreds of baskets, I still get a 'buzz' when finishing a new creation. The satisfaction doesn't stop there either, using your hand-made baskets for jobs such as picking berries or gathering produce from your garden, is a joyful thing." Jonathan RidgeonNote: The full range of projects are those pictured on the cover.

As natural materials such as wood, leather, rattan and cork continue to be used in the home, handmade woven objects, from bread baskets and trays to stools and screens, are fast becoming the must-have accessories of the contemporary interior. Master basket maker and willow grower, Jenny Crisp, teaches you some of the key weaving techniques to make 20 simple willow projects without the need of complicated tools. Jenny’s approach is innovative and moves forward beyond the old patterns and boundaries, to allow the reader to make work that is fresh and for contemporary use.

This book will show you how to make some of the most popular and inspiring willow craft projects other than baskets. There are items for both the home and garden, and all are great fun to make. You do not need any previous experience, the detailed instructions have been designed to guide you every step of the way.

"With the inborn wisdom that has guided them for so long through so many obstacles, Hopi men and women perpetuate their proven rituals, strongly encouraging those who attempt to neglect or disrespect their obligations to uphold them. One of these obligations is to respect the flora and fauna of our planet. The Hopi closeness to the Earth is represented in all the arts of all three mesas, whether in clay or natural fibers. What clay is to a potter's hands, natural fibers are to a basket weaver." —from the Introduction Rising dramatically from the desert floor, Arizona's windswept mesas have been home to the Hopis for hundreds of years. A people known for protecting their privacy, these Native Americans also have a long and less known tradition of weaving baskets and plaques. Generations of Hopi weavers have passed down knowledge of techniques and materials from the plant world around them, from mother to daughter, granddaughter, or niece. This book is filled with photographs and detailed descriptions of their beautiful baskets—the one art, above all others, that creates the strongest social bonds in Hopi life. In these pages, weavers open their lives to the outside world as a means of sharing an art form especially demanding of time and talent. The reader learns how plant materials are gathered in canyons and creek bottoms, close to home and far away. The long, painstaking process of preparation and dying is followed step by step. Then, using techniques of coiled, plaited, or wicker basketry, the weaving begins. Underlying the stories of baskets and their weavers is a rare glimpse of what is called "the Hopi Way," a life philosophy that has strengthened and sustained the Hopi people through centuries of change. Many other glimpses of the Hopi world are also shared by author and photographer Helga Teiwes, who was warmly invited into the homes of her collaborators. Their permission and the permission of the Cultural Preservation Office of the Hopi Tribe gave her access to people and information seldom available to outsiders. Teiwes was also granted access to some of the ceremonial observances where baskets are preeminent. Woven in brilliant reds, greens, and yellows as well as black and white, Hopi weavings, then, not only are an arresting art form but also are highly symbolic of what is most important in Hopi life. In the women's basket dance, for example, woven plaques commemorate and honor the Earth and the perpetuation of life. Other plaques play a role in the complicated web of Hopi social obligation and reciprocity. Living in a landscape of almost surreal form and color, Hopi weavers are carrying on one of the oldest arts traditions in the world. Their stories in Hopi Basket Weaving will appeal to collectors, artists and craftspeople, and anyone with an interest in Native American studies, especially Native American arts. For the traveler or general reader, the book is an invitation to enter a little-known world and to learn more about an art form steeped in meaning and stunning in its beauty.

Through detailed stage by stage instructions, this book will show you how to make 10 different bird feeders from willow using classic basketry techniques.You do not need any prior basketry experience to undertake the projects. Everything you need to know is here, including guidance on tools and materials."As a basket maker and nature enthusiast, I have had a lot of fun making the projectspresented in this book; as well as the continued joy of watching the birds feed from them. My aim in writing this book is for you to experience the same, and also be inspired with the basketry; a craft which can be put to so many uses!" - Jonathan Ridgeon