Willow Baskets May 22

By Published On: April 1, 2024

Weaving willow baskets is a traditional Native American craft. These baskets can be functional or purely decorative. Other materials can be woven in as well; fibers, flowers and other greenery, or whatever you choose.

The weeping willow is a majestic tree that holds spiritual significance in many ways. It’s graceful canopy of beautiful shoots that hang down and sway in the breeze offers us a holding space for connecting with our emotions, a type of cocoon where we can sit and feel it’s nurturing protection. The hanging branches, or shoots, help us to embody resilience, as they can bend in quite extreme ways without breaking. These trees are incredibly prolific, with their shoots growing very quickly; they grow down from the branches, but also directly from the trunk, from places where a branch has broken or been cut, and even up out of the ground along the root system. 

Components of this Workshop

  • We will connect with the spirit of the giant 200 year old weeping willow tree in my backyard.
  • We’ll sit in her canopy for a guided meditation and personal time for journaling and discussion.
  • We’ll create a container of ourselves as a group, from which to weave our own vessels
  • Then, we will learn the simple and fun technique of weaving baskets.

  • Cost is $75, including all materials.

We’ll be using branches that fell during the winter storms, which have been dried and then soaked to make them pliable. We will have other materials available to weave into our creations. 

As we weave, we will hold a spirit of reverence for the tree, as well as for the peoples who have practiced this tradition throughout history, and listen for the wisdom that they have to offer us individually at this time.

During this class, we will create a willow flower essence and each person will take home a bottle to be used in meditation, for the qualities of emotional connection, resilience and prolific growth.