Our craft
How a willow basket is made
From a rod in our own field to the finished basket — every step by hand, in Lithuania.
The workshop
A craft that has not changed in a hundred years
A hundred years ago a basket was made exactly like this: a bundle of soaked rods, a knife, and a pair of hands that already know which way a rod wants to bend.
Nothing is pressed into a mould here, and nothing holds the basket together but the willow itself. The base is laid by eye. The sides grow rod by rod. The rim is drawn tight by hand, until the basket keeps its shape on its own.
It is slow work, and it is meant to be. That is why a basket like this gets passed on rather than replaced — and why the small marks a weaver leaves behind are the signature, not a fault.
Willow first
Solid willow all the way through - no plastic core, no shortcuts. Woven wet, dried into shape.
Willow we grow ourselves
Grown on our own field and, when we need more, bought from local growers. Cut in winter when the rods are strongest.
Built to outlast you
Kept out of permanent damp, a willow basket lasts decades — most furniture does not.
From field to basket
How a basket is made
We grow the willow
Our own field. Rods are cut in winter, when they are at their strongest.
Sorted and soaked
Graded by thickness, then soaked until a rod bends right round without cracking.
The base comes first
Every basket begins as a woven disc, built up rod by rod across the knee.
Rim, handle, done
The rim is plaited and the handle bound. Then it dries, and it is yours.
The hands behind the weave
Four decades of reading the rod
Our master weavers are among the most experienced in Lithuania — the eldest has worked willow for more than forty years. It is not a trade you pick up quickly. Knowing when a rod will bend and when it will split takes years of doing it every single day.
Because every rod is a little different, no two baskets come out identical. The small variations in the weave are the proof that a person made it, not a machine.
About us
A family business, not a factory
There is no factory floor here. There is a workshop, a willow field behind it, and a family that has been weaving long enough to stop counting the years.
We stayed small on purpose. In a factory a basket passes through ten pairs of hands; here one person weaves it from start to finish and knows every rod in it — and you feel that the moment you pick it up.
Recognition
Awards and fair diplomas
Our work has been shown at craft fairs across Lithuania for decades. The certificates and diplomas from those years belong here.
Certificates and fair diplomas are being scanned — they will appear here shortly.
Good to know
Questions about the craft
How long does a basket take to make?
It depends on the size and the weave. A small tray is a few hours; a large trug with a plaited rim and a bound handle takes a full working day or more. Everything is woven after you order, so allow a little time before dispatch — we tell you the exact date when you order.
Why do two baskets of the same model look different?
Because every willow rod is different. Thickness, colour and curve vary from rod to rod and from season to season. We match them as closely as we can, but small differences are part of a handmade basket — not a fault.
How do I look after it?
Keep it out of permanent damp and away from a radiator. If the willow starts to feel brittle, a light misting with water brings it straight back. Wipe with a dry brush; never put it in a dishwasher.
Can you weave something that is not in the shop?
Yes — that is a large part of what we do. Send us the size, shape and shade you have in mind and we will agree the price and the timing before a single rod is cut.
Custom work
Tell us what you need woven
Size, shape, colour — if it can be woven from willow, we can weave it.
Ask about a custom basket