Yule log

This Yule Log was made in December 2018 using a bundle of pear tree branches tied with a natural fiber string as the base. Pine & juniper branches were easily inserted in the spaces of the bundle. No glue was used. Decorations includes walnuts, a dry sprig of eucaliptus, dry shell of a pumpkin, coir (coconut fiber), paper ribbons, pine cones, cinnamon sticks, dry herb sprigs, & dry flowers. See the 2008 posts for 2 other Yule Logs using a drift wood and fire wood.

Trellis for pole beans

A few branches that had to be trimmed from a chokecherry tree provided the raw material to assemble a trellis for climbing vegetables. A few strings hold the branches together. The thickest part of the branches has to be more than 1 inch in diameter for strength, and is tied to 2 metal posts that were firmly pounded into the ground.

Thanks Giving Wreath

Festive fall colors were assembled from indian corn, decorative gourds, branches from a berry tree and maple bushes. The base ring was done one month previous with prunings of a choke cherry tree. A few burlap and cotton strings hold the decorations to the ring.

Utility Basket

This is my April 2010 basket: a large and sturdy utility basket with a foot border. I have used it to hold my tomato starts pots in the spring and now it is full of paper bags containing seeds from my garden in their final drying stages. In between it has been used to contain gardening tools and gloves. It has been well used. I must say however that, even though is was my fifth basket, and should have been easy to do, it was the most frustrating to weave. The reason being that my branches were too old (cut 5 months before) and dry and I started with too many spokes for the base (they were too close together), making it hard to weave in tight spaces. The morale is next time use the branches within 2 or 3 months, and start the base cross with fewer spokes and add more spokes in between after a few rows. The new element in this basket is the foot border. It is done last, inserting new stakes next to each upright stake and weaving the same kind of border done on top of the basket. The border makes the basket more stable and longer lasting as it prevents wear on the bottom of the basket. If the bottom border get damaged it can be removed or replaced.

The base cross has 13 willow sticks (26 spokes) 13 inches long. The sides have 30 4-foot willow stakes. The weavers (more than 100 in all) are made of green and flame willow, beige spindles, red dogwood. The foot border is made of 28 willow stakes and red dogwood whalers.

Christmas Centerpiece

The greenery and blue berries of fresh juniper adds beauty and fragrance to my holiday dining table. The arrangement is decorated with a few traditional ornaments: birds, apples, wooden soldier and delivery truck, as well as a few wrapped boxes. I reused a rectangular 12 inch basket as the container, lined it with waterproof plastic, and an inserted the juniper branches into an old floral-foam block for easy watering.

Christmas Wreath

Simple traditional holiday charm: evergreens mounted on a ring using green wire; a red velvet bow, a few pine cones (some facing up, some facing down for different textures), a chestnut on 2 dry brown leaves, a few small red fruits (glued at their stems into a cluster - the only glue on this wreath), all held in place with green wire.

Field Basket

Please meet my field basket! Take this basket to the field, the orchard, or your garden and load it with your harvest. The side handles of this sturdy basket make it easy to carry large heavy loads and convenient for two to share the load. It measures 17 inches in diameter and 9 inches high. The base cross is made of 15 willow sticks of 14 inches. A 4-foot willow rod was inserted next to each of the 30 spokes, and 30 bye stakes were inserted next to each spoke for the top half. The chased paired weaving of the base was made with about 8 sets of 4 weavers of willow and red dogwood. The sides are woven with 3 rows of 12 strong willow whalers (thanks to Mary Ann for the bright spring green willows), and two bands of French randing (30 rods each, one inserted between each stake), the bottom one with cotoneaster and the top one with an unidentified shrub. This was my fourth basket and I am eager to fill it with the produce of my garden!