make a willow star - easy project for beginners
Learn how to make a beautiful, rustic star decoration using natural materials.
My 'in real life' willow star classes are very popular and most are now sold out for Christmas 2021.
But you could learn to make one at home whenever suits you with my online class.
About the project
The main project in this course is a five pointed star covered in random weaving but you can choose a more geometric weave if you prefer. The star can be any size you like from small to huge! There are also two bonus mini-projects - a small star and a wand.
-
Five different variations included
-
If you're looking for something soothing and meditative, random weaving is what you need!
-
A star is not just for Christmas! This will look great on your wall all year round
-
A star handmade by YOU would make a great present
About this course
I take you step by step through each stage from choosing and preparing materials to adding finishing touches. Close-up videos show you exactly what to do. There are some interesting tips and tricks to learn but the project is easily achievable by a complete beginner.
-
Work at home at your own pace
-
Pre-recorded videos that you can watch as often as you like.
-
Choose to source your own materials or buy my kit.
-
Get help from me and chat to other students in a private Facebook page
-
Enjoy the meditative benefits of random weaving
Reviews of this course
Great fun!
Sarah Voysey
Had to miss a course due to Covid and you kindly set me up to use the online tuition … really easy to understand, explained it well and I could easily go bac...
Read MoreHad to miss a course due to Covid and you kindly set me up to use the online tuition … really easy to understand, explained it well and I could easily go back to rewatch a video when I needed to. Excellent! Thanks so much!
Read LessWhy not give this course as a gift?
This course would make a brilliant gift for a crafty friend or relative.
-
If you want to give this class as a gift you MUST choose the gift option otherwise your email address will be enrolled onto the course.
-
If you purchase the kit of materials too then you'll have something to wrap up and give on the big day!
-
If buying the kit as a gift that won't be opened immediately you MUST choose dry rather than freshly cut willow.
About your teacher
Judith Needham
Hi, I'm Judith. I made my first basket about 20 years ago under the expert eye of renowned basket maker, Lise Bech. About 10 years ago my willow weaving obsession turned from a hobby into a full-time business. I started selling the woven willow children's playhouses that I had dreamed up for my daughter and, soon afterwards, started teaching basket making and willow sculpture. I teach across Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire in the South of England. I am fortunate to live in Farnham, Surrey which has recently been awarded World Craft Town status.
I have taught well over 500 classes now and still love it! I really enjoy passing on my skills and am thrilled when I see a newcomer to basket making getting completely hooked, as I did at my first lesson.
Email
Course curriculum
-
1
Introduction
-
Introduction - start here
-
How to use this course
-
-
2
Materials
-
What materials are needed?
-
Sourcing the materials
-
Using 'brown' willow - preparing your materials
-
Checking if your soaked willow is ready
-
-
3
Building the framework of your star
-
An overview of how we are going to put the frame together
-
Star angle template
-
Tying two sticks together with a figure of eight weave
-
Completing the framework
-
-
4
Filling in your star with random weaving
-
Adding random weaving to your star
-
How to finish off the thin ends
-
-
5
Alternative ideas for filling in your star
-
Alternative weaves
-
-
6
Adding fairy lights and a hanging loop
-
Adding fairy lights and a hanging loop
-
-
7
Bonus extra projects if you have willow left over
-
Make a mini star with one rod of willow
-
Make a star wand with one rod of willow
-
-
8
Share your stars!
-
Get in touch
-
Testimonials from IRL (in real life) classes
FAQ
-
Is this course suitable for complete beginners?
Absolutely. If you've never worked with willow before, this is a great place to start.
-
How long does the project take?
If you work through the steps to make a medium sized random weave star, I would expect it to take you 2-3 hours. Once you've completed that, I have a couple of bonus projects to make use of any left over soaked willow. And, of course, you can keep re-watching the videos and make as many stars as you like!
-
What materials do I need?
For each star: 5 stoutish sticks 25-70cm long. These can be willow, ash, hazel or anything similar that you can gather from your garden or hedgerows; a bundle of 4ft basket making willow; a set of fairy lights; ribbon to hang your star. PLEASE NOTE: If you're using dry willow you will need to soak it for at least a week before it's pliable enough to use. So you'll need to plan ahead.
-
Can you supply me with materials?
Yes, I can sell you a kit of everything you need. All you'd need to find is a pair of secateurs. You can choose dry willow which you'd need to soak first (in which case I'll include a bag to soak it in) or freshly cut willow which won't need soaking. My kit contains enough willow, framework sticks and fairy lights to make 3 larger stars plus up to about 20 small ones.
-
What equipment do I need?
If you are starting with dried willow, you will need somewhere to soak it - a bath or a water butt will do - or buy my kit and get a soaking bag; a SHARP pair of secateurs and ... err .. that's it!
-
When does the course start and how long do I have access to it?
You can start the course whenever you like. As soon as you buy the course, you will get instant access to the video tutorials. You get full access to the course for a year from when you start it. So, if you start now, you could make some stars for this Christmas and be able to revisit the course and make more up to November next year.
-
What do I do if I need help during the course?
I will be on hand to answer your questions via email or in my private Facebook group where you can also share photos of your finished stars and chat to other students.
-
Can I share the class with friends?
Please respect the time and energy that I've put into creating this online class and don't share access to it with your friends. I completely understand that it's fun to do crafts with your friends, and I want to encourage that, but if you came with a friend to one of my In Real Life classes then you would each need to buy a ticket so please do the same here. Of course, if you are doing this course at home and your kids or partner want to watch with you and have a go, that's fine.
-
Do I need internet access and a printer?
The instructional videos are streamed so yes, you will need to have internet access and a phone, laptop or tablet. There are a couple of down-loadable PDFs which you can print but this is not essential if you don't have access to a printer.