The Oval Basket Course and Kit

This year was our 9th wedding anniversary. I tend to try to lean towards gifts for my wife that an artist or craftsperson has made vs. something like jewelry (although that's nice sometimes as well). When I learned that one of the thematic gifts for this year was willow, I immediately remembered making a basket for my mother as a child. I'll say that I had a great time making this basket for my wife. There's certainly room for improvement in my execution, but the instructions were top-notch and comprehensive. I would certainly recommend considering this as a gift, or just as a fun thing to try! -Brian

I found most of the video to be easy to follow along, however, there are some discrepancies where, what was described in the reading/text did not align with what was being taught in the videos, which made it difficult. This was my first time weaving with willow and I found it quite challenging to understand what the instructor was trying to explain when building the walls and weaving with both ends going in opposite directions. It could be a language barrier issue for me as some terminology was unfamiliar. Overall, I enjoyed it, but my basket was nowhere near as pretty or orderly as the instructor's basket. I would not recommend this beautiful project for a beginner. This is for an experienced willow weaver. It is a beautiful product, though. I would definitely buy it again after trying some smaller scale baskets.

This was the very first time I did any kind of Willow basket and my basket although I’m satisfied with it turned out a little bit wonky. Overall, the quality of the product is excellent. I did learn how to put a new stave because my Willow branches were too dry and two of them cracked when I was in the final stage of making the basket. I will be proud to carry it when I go to the farmers market next time.