Artist Suzie Grieve Creates Miniature Handwoven Baskets From Foraged Plant Materials

UK-based artist Suzie Grieve takes basket weaving to a smaller scale to create minuscule handwoven containers that can make big impacts. Foraging outside for craft materials is a wonderful way in making unique arts and getting creative with what nature has to offer. Fallen leaves, branches, flowers, and seedpods make great materials for arts and crafts. And they’re basically free, costing nothing except your time and skills. We’ve seen talented artists like Raku Inoue, Hannah Bullen-Ryner, and Bridget Beth Collins collect plant materials from the surroundings and turn them into glorious works of art.

Indeed, natural foraged materials make versatile mediums in creating charming portraits and sculptures. But artist Suzie Grieve has found a new way of putting invasive plants and weeds to good use. Gathering invasive plant species that are often regarded as nuisances, Grieve doesn’t only help protect native plants and animals but also gives a fresh take on traditional basket weaving. Wild fibers derived from foraged plants and weeds are processed into cords and intertwined into durable tiny vessels. Miniature baskets, pouches, and bowls, each of her adorable creations demonstrates her ability to adapt an age-old craft into an unusually tiny form.

Handwoven Containers Made From Foraged Plant Materials

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More popularly known by the name Foraged Fibres on the internet, the creative artist harvests wild foraged materials from the woodlands and fields near her home in the Lake District. Some of her favorite leafy plants to work with are dandelion, blackberry, and ivy. Her basket weaving technique involves meticulous process of separating the stalk, removing the spongy pith, drying the fibers, and rehydrating the strands to create durable cords. The cords are then twisted and woven into rows of various patterns: coiled, checkered, or striped.

Suzie Grieve’s Basket Weaving Makes Use Of Foraged Fibers From Invasive Weeds

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A post shared by Suzie Grieve (@foragedfibres)

Minuscule containers ranging from palm-sized bowls to baskets that are as tiny as her fingertip, the intricate craftsmanship is a testimony of the endless possibilities of natural materials. And the best of part it? Grieve puts up her miniature handwoven creations for sale via her website. So, you can head over her online shop and see what’s in store for you. Or you can follow her on Instagram to see her latest creations.