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Intro To Pine Needle Basketry • September 27 in Paonia, CO

Price range: $52.00 through $85.00

Date: September 27, 2026, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Instructor: Emily Knickerbocker

Location: Paonia, CO (Old River Road Trading Post – See Map)

Level: Beginner (No experience needed)

Join us for a half day exploring coil basketry!

In this class, you’ll learn how to use coil basketry techniques to make a small pine needle basket. Through the half day workshop, you will learn to prepare pine needles for weaving, create the initial spiral around a wooden center, build the walls of the basket, and finish the border of your basket. Additionally, the teacher will share the origins of pine needle coil basketry and the basics of pine needle foraging. You will leave with the skills to select and harvest wild materials and use them to continue creating your own pine needle baskets. All tools and materials will be provided. Ages 12 and up.

This class coincides with Paonia’s Mountain Harvest Festival, and Saturday night there are free concerts in town park! Lodging in town is likely limited, but participants in this workshop can camp at our educational farm in Paonia Friday and Saturday nights for $15 per night. (This offer is not open to the general public). Please contact us after signing up for more info.

Description

In this class, you’ll build on how to use coil basketry techniques to make a small pine needle basket. Through the half day workshop, you will learn to prepare pine needles for weaving, create the initial spiral around a wooden center, build the walls of the basket, and finish the border of your basket. Additionally, the teacher will share the origins of pine needle coil basketry and the basics of pine needle foraging. You will leave with the skills to select and harvest wild materials and use them to continue creating your own pine needle baskets. All tools and materials will be provided. Ages 12 and up.

About Coil Basketry

Coil baskets are a family of baskets where flexible materials are spiraled in concentric circles and sewn together using thread or a natural plant material. Common materials used for coil basketry in our region are pine needles, grasses, sedges, willow rods, and various desert plants. Indigenous coil basketry in the desert southwest region is often beautifully patterned. Indigenous coil basketmakers in Arizona even produce waterproof baskets!

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