ABOUT
Basket Club is on a mission to get more people learning about, growing, and weaving willow.
Our shared heritage
Willow today
There is a long history of willow in the UK. Every village would have had its own basketmaker who passed on their skills from one generation to the next. Houses used to be filled with baskets - each with their own function and story. And withy beds were a common sight; growing and harvesting willow locally to support the flourishing basketmaking industry. Sadly, over the past hundred or so years, we've lost so much of this heritage. Basketry skills are being forgotten, withy beds dug up, and willow baskets replaced with imported and plastic items.
However, all is not lost. There is a growing community of basketmakers committed to preserving and revitalising this dying craft, supported by an increased interest and demand from the general public for handmade natural sustainable items.
Willow basketry has a huge amount to offer in the modern age. Willow benefits nature by supporting wildlife and habitats before it is harvested, and offers a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to plastics. Basketmaking benefits people too. Its a creative, accessible and therapeutic craft that offers a wonderful antidote to our busy, screen-dominated and distracted lives.
About me
My name is Daisy Askins, and I'm a professional basketmaker, landscape designer and outdoor creative practitioner based in Ironbridge, Shropshire. I have long been a lover of the natural world - it has been my constant companion and healer throughout my life.
Before I founded Basket Club, I worked in the environmental and community sector - first as a landscape architect, designing and managing parks and gardens across the UK; and later in outdoor education, supporting groups to access the educational and wellbeing benefits of being in nature.
I first discovered willow in 2018, joining a basketmaking workshop in the Wyre Forest. I instantly caught the basketry bug, and spent every spare moment going on further courses and practicing at home. Basketmaking was making me a calmer and happier person, and I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to it and share it with others. Fast forward five years, and I was able to go full-time self-employed as a basketmaker, and later founded Basket Club.