Course number 6 and our final course in the “Fundamentals” series.   This basket incorporates many new and useful techniques.  I would advise completing the first course on square work (number 5 in this series) before attempting this course.  This is a three part video with over four hours of teaching and covers a lot of new techniques

With each course there is a PDF containing all the information you need to complete your basket.  You will find details on willow sizes and varieties, willow cultivation, soaking and mellowing times as well as the basket “recipe” for this course.  I would advise reading the document thoroughly before doing any practical work.

We start with a brief chat about willow cultivation, varieties, soaking/mellowing times, tools and workshop set up.

Below is a list of the techniques you will learn on this course.

• Selecting our bottom sticks and the correct way to set up a screw block for making an English square bottom
• Pairing
• Randing up the bottom
• Pairing top rod
• Selecting and slyping stakes on the back
• Staking up using mallet and bodkin
• Pricking up
• 3 rod waling starting with tips and using two sets of weavers
• English randing
• Controlling the stakes
• Creating handle holes
• 3 rod wale under border
• 5 rod blunt square corner

• Correct measuring for lid, strap holes and hinge holes
• Setting up lid sticks and marking out
• Randing lid and creating holes for hinges and straps
• 3 rod borders on lid
• Cranked lid border ties
• Placement and cranking of lid hinges

By the end of this course you will have learned the English method for randing square work and making and attaching a lid.  Scaling the materials up or down will enable you to make a variety of lidded square work, from small lidded sandwich baskets to large lidded linen trunks.

I hope you have enjoyed the course and if you have followed the courses from start to finish I sincerely hope you are pleased with your progress.  Do drop us an email if you have a basket you would like to learn. Below is a list of future possible courses, the basket which receives the most requests will be our next course.  All baskets have been chosen to add further skills and techniques to your basketmaking tool box.

• Norfolk Eel Trap
• Fitched Cran style basket with foot border
• Perigourdin
• Twin lidded Picnic basket
• Asymmetrical rope coil basket

Happy basket making from the team, best wishes

• Adrian (making and text)
• Ruth (filming and editing)
• Rosie (barking and sleeping)

Until we have a buy it now facility courses can be purchased in different ways, its best to email us first to check which is best for your country.  We take payment from the UK by bank transfer or international payments via Wise or our euro bank account.

For payment via UK bank transfer please use the payment details below:

Santander Business Account, Ruth Charlton Artisan Vannier sort code 09-01-50 account  03544451 for UK sterling payments.  We also have a Euro account, details upon request.

Please email us stating which course(s) you would like to purchase and then once payment has been made we will email the Introductory Video Course together with the Basketry tuition video for download from We Transfer or by a You Tube link and the PDF document.

Price: £85 or 95€