Making Simple Bark Baskets (short video)

At the 2024 European Stone-age Gathering in the Netherlands I had the opportunity to work with Elm bark and made two very simple foraging or storage baskets using flint and bone tools and handmade cordage.

Short video filmed in portrait mode.

[sherryhassler]

I like this basket. I would be tempted to add a cordage handle to hang it from a belt while using it.

[ashleyanderson]

Mulberry in the U.S. also works. If you score a line at the bottom in the shape of an eye or an American football and then crease along that line and fold, you get a container with more room at the bottom. Thanks for the video, Sally!

[romonaelrod]

Nice baskets. They would like pretty hung on the wall with dried herbs and flowers in them.

[dawsie]

Umm, every year the Lemon Myrtle tree drops it bark in most cases in very long wide strips, I love the smell of it, as a rule I run over it with the mower just to fill the air with the scent, I think next autumn I will gather up some of the bark and soak it and see if it can be turned into pouch.
It would be great to put the leaves from the tree into the pouch just so I can hang it up in the car at the back window so the heat from the sun will fill the car with its scent, defiantly better than them cardboard air fresheners that be for sure.
Thank you Sally for a great idea🤗🤗

[simonhopkins]

Lovely functional bag. I can definitely imagine them filled with acorns/flour.

[MMacNicol]

What a treat! New baskets for you and a new video for me! Looking forward to what you make with the rest of the bark and what you use these baskets for.

[agreatalternative]

Thank you for making another inspiring video Sally.

Do you know how long this bark was dried after stripping and re-soaked for before you used it in this video?

Natural crafts is something I’m fairly new too but loving learning as much as I can from amazing channels like yours!

I’ve actually started a “can I make cottage from that” series inspired by yourself and forage fibres if your interested, I’d love to see your thoughts!

[tinuvianna]

I get so excited when I wake up to a Sally Pointer notification!

Do you have any plans to make a video on how you work bone for tools?

Edit: never mind, I see that you have!

[glossgoddess]

I was so intrigued by the "wig looking" hats worn in The Terror that I did a deep dive which brought me to your article on Welsh Wigs. Fascinating and beautiful work!

[armuver]

Absolutely brill. Sally, love the elm basket, well done from Scotland.

[aaronrhoades]

A good excuse to go hedge bothering😊🇨🇱

[JillToday]

Oh my gosh! The best! Thanks for sharing all your adventures

[BryanKoenig]

Amazing baskets. I recently cut the bark from a birch tree and made baskets like otzi had and also got ahold of some amadou and pyrite and make a fire kit with it. I always thought it would be awesome to make the grass cape otzi wore around him like a cape ive never seen anyone try to remake this. Thank you for your vids theyare very inspiring to me

[bruce-le-smith]

perfect bite sized video, looks like a relaxing gathering. i've been picking blackberries and they would fit in there nicely. a cord to sling it over one shoulder could be nice too, you could wear one on each side for picking

[lesdrinkwater]

Great work. Sally you are very talented.

[MiffoKarin]

Lovely baskets! Here in Sweden we have traditionally used birch bark for similar purposes.

[jakes]

I love your videos, thank you for sharing.

[vivianking]

Love this craft. Would be nice if one could actually buy some rolled bark to make with. Thanks for sharing. In Joy

[ianandresen]

So simple and practical! Thank you for sharing!

[rubenskiii]

Your knowledge sharing is appreciated, thanks so much!