Pine Needle Baskets
I make the occasional small coiled basket from local pine needles and raffia, and have started to teach classes for a little extra pocket money. This summer I entered one in the Adams County, Idaho fair, and won my first blue ribbon since I was a kid! Does anyone else teach arts and crafts to adults in 2 to 4 hour classes?
Comments
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@Mary Linda Bittle beautiful work!!
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@Mary Linda Bittle , awesome work....to think I have a yard full of pine trees, thus lots and lots of needles and I could have that! You don't by any chance visit the East coast for student training do you? Wishfull thinking!!!
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Thank you! I've never been to the East coast, but have always wanted to see that country. Are there any basket makers in your area?
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That is very nice work! Those are a big part of the culture where I come from - lots of eastern tribes made them.
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@Mary Linda Bittle around here Longeberger Baskets are very popular so no one else even seems to try to compete against them. The dollar stores sell the cheap ones but you don't really find anyone else who tries because "if it's not a Longeberger, then you don't have a basket."
Since I'm not willing to spend hundreds of dollars for just a tiny basket, thousands for a big one, I don't have many baskets.
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Heard of the craft before, just never saw one. Very beautiful craft work. You should be very proud. Lovely work.
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There is a tribe in Louisiana... the name escapes me, but I seem to recall it means "lost people" because they became separated from their larger tribe. Their longleaf pine baskets are really unique and beautiful.
Update: I found the link to where I saw those baskets - great old episode of John Folse's show! It was the Coushatta tribe http://ldma.lpb.org/video_v2/asset-detail/LATOL-0308
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@Mary Linda Bittle wow, beautiful work! I loved the baskets the Tarahumara made when I was in the Copper Canyons of Mexico. I've also made some willow baskets and a fish trap (I didn't catch anything but it was fun making it). I'm not a great basket weaver by any means but it was super enjoyable to do with a group of friends around to talk with as we worked.
Hey, want to make an online version of a class to offer to the TGN community?
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@Marjory Wildcraft I haven't ever made an online class, but that's an intriguing idea! Tell me more.
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Thank you so much for posting the link to the video. Those baskets are beautiful! Gives me something to shoot for!
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There are many native Alaskan women who weave baskets using marsh grasses. They do intricate designs and such incredible work. One was giving demonstrations close to a kiosk I was working. She attempted to teach me. Her work was exquisite, mine looked like something a 5 year old did.
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The first one is never pretty! Once you've done a dozen or so they become much better.
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@marylindabittle, after first seeing your exquisite handy work ,finally found someone to teach me. Looking forward to my first class here in a few weeks. Thanks again.
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@EarlKelly I think you are going to love it! I'm so glad I could offer some inspiration. Post a photo of your first basket so we can all see it!
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@marylindabittle Your basket looks amazing! We are blessed to have a Ponderosa Pine in our yard, very rare for our area I'm told. I have saved a number of boxes of bundled up needles for this purpose. Someday when the works all done and the creek don't rise I hope to follow a lovely instruction book that was given to me. Hope the needles keep until then!
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I have taught craft classes for many years! Lots of nature type, sewing, quilting, thread arts, cake decorating, rubber stamping to name a few. It was the most fun and rewarding thing I have done! I'd encourage you to go for it! On line classes have become so very popular I would encourage you to check that out as well! Might not be the same as face to face but you can definitely reach more people. Good Luck and keep making baskets! 😀
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@BooneWyatt I will try to get some more photos and post them. It won't be this week. I am working on my taxes.
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@Mary Linda Bittle , I vote for a teaching video.
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@Mary Linda Bittle I second that!
@Marjory Wildcraft This could be an interesting addition to a summit.
@Jimerson TGN should think of having a wildCRAFTing section. 😉
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@Mary Linda Bittle wow! What a nice basket. Someday, probably when I'm on the nursing home, I may have time to do something like that.
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THAT was made of pine needles? How absolutely gorgeous!!! I didn’t know that you could make baskets of pine needles.
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Yes, to an online course. I'm just about to take a pine needle basket course. Can't wait. Our road has numerous ponderosa pines with very long needles, so aside from the small whisks that I already make, the baskets will be really a neat addition. It would be nice to see some of your work
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Hi Mary, @Mary Linda Bittle if you send an email to @Nikki Follis - Nikki is the entire TGN customer happiness department and she also coordinates getting all the certifications into the Honors Lab (little known factoid - Nikki has a PhD in curriculum development). But either a Honors Lab cert of a Summit presentation would be awesome. hmmm, contact Nikki at happiness @ thegrownetwork.com
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Such a beautiful basket. I have never done basket weaving, but have seen some awesome works of art in them in the northeast. But never have I seen a pine needle basket. Thanks for sharing.
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That's beautiful!
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That is lovely!!! I would love the opportunity to learn how to make one if you do end up offering classes!
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I would love it if you posted an online tutorial!
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OK Y'all, I have emailed Nikki. Let's see where this goes.
I could pretty easily come up with a PDF instruction. I've never done video at all, so I'm a little intimidated by that. But you never know...
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Pine needle, sweet grass, palm, willow and other materials are used to weave baskets and craft small animal "dolls" (horses, birds, fish) all around the world. It is wonderful that you are carrying on the great creative tradition! You can save "scraps" from trimmed needles to make little aromatic pillows, etc., with recycled cloth pieces, as well.
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Beautiful work @Mary Linda Bittle thank you for posting this. and look forward to your class or pdf or whatever your offering is.
i have held classes at my home taught by a local woman who makes tiny little needle baskets.
i watched the teacher of a weaving class at the permaculture gathering prepping by soaking her dried vines
i have done a couple of weavings with cattail leaves, the oldest plant on earth around the earth for clothes, drapes, mats, food, bedding, firestarter, black and grey water cleanser,
i love stopping at the place on west coast hiway 101 at the Klamath River to see displays of the Yurok baskets. i cannot find the place right now, but here is the yurok tribe's official collection, including old items they have been able to purchase back from around the globe!!!
https://www.yuroktribe.org/culture/repatriation/documents/YurokRepatriationPPT2_000.pdf
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