Artwork for Stephanie Shaw
Moses basket
Log baskets
Shopping trolley
Ashes casket
Willow backpack
Creel handbag
Willow foraging backpack
Willow coffin
Details
I specialise in making functional but beautiful baskets. From shopping trolleys to log baskets, traditional Moses baskets to willow coffins and urns, each piece is thoughtfully created to combine practicality with care and sensitivity.
I am committed to using locally sourced, natural materials in all of my work, in order to be as environmentally friendly as possible. I grow 28 different varieties of willow on my farm, which is woven into my coffins and baskets. This reduces their carbon footprint considerably as the material travels less than a mile from field to workshop where I know that it has been organically grown, with no pesticides and is 100% sustainable.
Alongside willow, I use a sustainable Welsh wool rope for my coffin handles and wooden braid for toggles and fixings. I also use hazel, other foraged materials and leather for basket handles.
For me, being an artist is about working with my hands and being creative with the natural materials I use. As a willow weaver, I love the process of weaving natural materials into functional, lasting creations that connect tradition, craftsmanship, and purpose.
I am a willow coffin maker and basket weaver based in Leominster, North Herefordshire.
I create traditional and bespoke willow baskets and coffins, run weaving workshops, and take commissions for custom designs.
October 2022 - June 2023. City & Guilds Level 2. Westhope College, Shropshire.
Footprint Gallery, Ironbridge: Weave Only A Trace - November 2024
Westhope College: City & Guilds Level 2 exhibition - July 2023
