25 Sept 2013
Update: I now have a video available showing how to use large-stemmed blackberry vines!

• Himalayan Blackberry Bramble Bark Basket

If you saw my Tidal Art video

• Tidal Art , you know that I’m fascinated with using natural materials to create art. Lately, I’ve turned in the direction of blackberry vines.

The Pacific Blackberry (Rubus Ursinus) is an ideal plant to work with. It’s strong, 5-10 feet long, flexible, easy to prepare, and grows like crazy in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been working with it almost nonstop for the past six months, and haven’t even put a dent in the local population. This video is an example of what can be done with it. This basket is a utilitarian use, but it can be used for fancier crafts and art as well.

I apologize for the occasionally fuzzy picture. The day was amazingly humid, and the lens kept fogging up. But part of working in nature is taking what you get (it’s part of what I love about it).

And thanks to Jon of Jon’s Bushcraft for his excellent tutorial on using blackberries (brambles to those on the other side of the pond) as a basketmaking material http://www.bushcraft.ridgeonnet.com/b… . His website is a treasure trove of bushcraft ideas and instructions.