I've been sharing my love of nature through craft for a number of years - offering one-to-one sessions and group workshops for mixed ages and all abilities from my base in Devon. Since 2022 I've also run a drop-in willow craft space at the Great Estate Festival, bringing the work to people who might never have thought to seek it out. My workshops cover basket weaving and willow craft - the core of what I do - as well as wet felting, foraging, making natural beauty products, and crafting herbal tinctures and ointments. Sessions are tailored to suit the group: private gatherings, birthday celebrations, special occasions, or simply a day to learn something new. The atmosphere is always friendly and relaxed, with all abilities genuinely welcome. There is something about working with your hands on a creative task that is immersive in a way that makes the hours disappear. Participants leave with a handwoven willow basket they have made themselves, a working knowledge of how to prepare and weave willow, and often a surprising sense of calm. Those who have never considered themselves crafters tend to be the most surprised by what they make.

Days, dates and times

Please visit my website and my instagram page for details of my current classes.

About this experience

My workshops are hands-on from the start. I'll guide you through preparing the willow - soaking the withies, allowing them to mellow - and then we get weaving. I cover basket weaving and willow craft as my core offering, and I also run sessions on wet felting, foraging, making natural beauty products, and crafting herbal tinctures and ointments. Whatever the session, the approach is the same: calm, unhurried and catered to wherever you are starting from. I love seeing new enthusiastic faces - people who have never woven anything in their lives and who leave a few hours later with something they made themselves. That moment is why I teach.

How to book / attend

Visit naturesalchemydevon.co.uk​/​workshops for more information.

Awards and Recognition

I am a member of the Basketmakers' Association. Since 2022 I have run a drop-in willow craft space at the Great Estate Festival.

Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/natures.alchemy.devon/

What will participants learn or take away?

You'll leave with a handwoven willow basket you have made yourself - something real and functional that you created with your own hands. Along the way you'll learn how to prepare willow for weaving, the foundational techniques of basketmaking, and enough to keep practising at home if the bug takes hold. Most people find the process surprisingly absorbing. The hours tend to disappear. And those who arrive thinking they're not the crafting type are usually the ones most pleased with what they've made by the end.

Website

https://www.naturesalchemydevon.co.uk

Address Summary

Near Totnes, Devon