Weaving with Pine Needles - Start a basket

Clitterhouse Farm Project

Clitterhouse Farm Project, London, United Kingdom

candide simard

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I make baskets with pine needles, a craft that is more often seen in North America, but I learned it while living in... Fiji!In the Pacific, weaving is a living art, people make beautiful mats, baskets and bags, usually using pandanus leaves (voivoi), and sometimes banana leaves. We were shown how to make a little bracelet when we visited a village, that was the beginning of my weaving journey!Pine needle weaving uses a different technique. I collected the broken branch of a pine tree after a big cyclone and took it home, just because it smelled nice. It had really long needles. And then it clicked, I understood this is what people use to make pine needles baskets! I had seen lots of photos on Google.I taught myself by watching videos, with many trials… and many errors. It was the pandemic, life was strange, making baskets was such a great way to withstand the stress of it all. It is a lovely craft, all you need is a bit of thread, a sewing needle, and pine needles. The coiling gesture is meditative and calming, and you can soon be creative.It is very sustainable, makes you pay attention to nature in a different way.Now back in the UK, I have found generous trees with long needles so I can continue making baskets.