Elizabeth Cramer

Nancy Reading wrote:

Elizabeth Cramer wrote: And I’ve made coil baskets with them.

Hi Elizabeth - I don't think I found making baskets as a use for bracken...Do you use them green? I find the stems rather brittle once they are mature. What do you use the baskets for? How durable do you find them?

Hey Nancy, thank you for your question. I wanted to offer some validity to what the post was about, how it said that it could be used for thatching. Yes, it can be used for all types of textile things, including baskets. So, I am not somebody who prepares when I make my basket. I’m somebody who walks around and grabs things in real time. I tend to use the tops and not the stems because I like the way the fronds stick out. The better ones are ones where they have gone through an entire winter. I’m guessing the brittle part that you mentioned probably gets retted away in the decay of winter . The green does not work. The barely dead does not work.

Another material that is quite similar (but stronger) in how it functions as a basket material is sword fern if you happen to have any near you.

How I use the baskets is variable, and I have done each of what I am about to say. The basket ends up being very floppy and malleable. And so gorgeous. They make great inserts for metal hanging planters and you can plant right in them. The other use is as a seed starting ‘pot’. I’m guessing they taste bitter because creatures seem to be avoiding of them but plants don’t seem to mind them at all. I have one little hand size bracken basket that has made it inside for two years now as a planter for an orchid. But finally, I use them as decorative add-ons for their color and their fronds. They do not make the best exclusive material for baskets. But they are gorgeous bonus material.

Hey there, my family and I routinely eat Bracken fern shoots in the spring. Should we eat them from Forest fire areas vs from healthier ecologies only is the thing up for debate. And that’s just because it’s morel season. And we use them as a gauge if morels are coming yet (if the eagle’s claw has opened, it’s morel time). And I’ve made coil baskets with them. Good for restoring areas. Keeps weeds out.

Just wanted to show off my little chair I made from beaked hazel! The 2020 Holiday Farm fire in Oregon killed several younger wild hazel trees in the understory. The resulting wood is very straight and the bark is shiny silver.

First off, that is an adorable project to be starting with children . Well done on your innovative teaching method. I am a basketry nut x5y and I’ve been cobbing for 2y. Imagine how exciting it is to answer questions about a technique that combines two in one!

Second off I’d like to answer your question. As I was reading your post I instantly thought of natural hemp fibers. But then you mentioned nettle so you and I are thinking similarly about fine fibers for a tiny project. In order to scale it, nettle wouldn’t really be easy to source though. my idea for you is to cut up twine. Bonus if it’s hemp twine. You might get an aesthetic that is more pleasing with your paper clay if you were to use natural cotton and you can get a massive role of it if you buy cast padding. Another additive could be loose tinsel. I thought kids could like that. Or maybe even like friendship bracelet pieces, I don’t know I’m just trying to think outside the box for you . Anyways, good luck and I sure sure would love to see what you come up with.

Hello, I live along the McKenzie River in Oregon (just west of the cascade crest). My area is affected by fires and has volcanic soil. I would guess it’s not dissimilar from Klamath. How I make cob without clay is either by adding manure (the boring way) or by collecting the talc like soil in the ditches of burn scar areas to add to my straw and soil (the fun way). The best runoff happens when I see open patches of white basalt rocks, My suspicion as to why this works so good is because it’s probably some natural cement/lyme. I build random cob things all year long and the manure version is better suited for building in the summers and the burn scar runoff version is better suited for the wet seasons.