hey there! I told you in a recent email that I’d let you know how dandelion works as a basket making material. 

The verdict: I love it.  In fact, I love it enough to write a new song about dandelions. (How could just one dandelion song be enough?🤭🌼💗)

Word to the wise: You have to prep it just right — not too wet or it gets sticky or even slimy. Just spritz it with water and wrap it in a damp towel for a couple of hours.

if you treat it right, it’s gorgeous — smooth, strong, almost silky to the touch in beautiful bronze, green and pink/purple tones. 

Below are some photos of what I’ve done so far.  Some have iris stakes and a little daylily for contrasting colors; the first two images are of a basket made just from dandelion.

So, I’ve added dandelion to my growing spreadsheet of things I’ve learned so far about working with wild foraged materials to make baskets, which you can get here on my Patreon, along with instructions for one of my favorite styles of basketry. https://www.patreon.com/posts/158363957?utm_campaign=postshare_creator