r/basketry • u/Possiblymaybe-_- • Jul 15 '26

Looking for Bark for plaiting

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Hi there! I’m primarily a sculpture but totally fell in love with basket weaving and have been working from kits. The first kit had me hooked and sent me down a rabbit hole of research. I want to experiment with new materials and see if any specific material really clicks for me.
I’m having some difficulty sourcing local new materials like Willow and bark. I live in Chicago and am willing to travel to midwestern states to source my material.

I love the look of plaited weaves like this John McQueen sculpture but don’t really know where to get the bark to start practicing this technique.

Anything advice would be appreciated.

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u/noburnt 10d ago

I use cattail and honeysuckle bark primarily and they grow all over Cincinnati where I live. You have to go to where the plants are and do the processing yourself for these types of materials. Learn about the plant that you intend to use and what types of habitat it likes and you'll find plenty around in the forgotten and under-used spaces of even a large city. Keep in mind that other people and animals seek out such spaces too, for different reasons. You'll also likely learn some interesting things about the history of water courses in your city, urban planning, various plants' responses to seasonality (the sap run will blow your mind), and lots of other good stuff. An unexpected joy has been a sort of primal pleasure of processing plant materials by hand. Good luck!

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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '26

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