Heartland Harmony
Heartland Harmony
Basketry Courses
home • process • private lessons • cuttings
Winter Basketry Courses
Accommodations
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All weekend courses are taking place at Nature Nooks Retreat, a beautiful rural retreat and conservation project nestled in the rolling hills of the Kickapoo River valley between Viroqua and La Farge WI. Our classroom is a beautiful space that includes a full kitchen where students can cook and prepare meals throughout the weekend.
There are a range of on-site accommodations available depending on budget and needs, ranging from a private cabin to a bunk-house style bed in our classroom space for the scrappy traveler. It's a good idea to stay on site if driving in unpredictable winter weather is a concern.
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1. The cabin at Nature Nooks has one private bedroom, 2 open loft beds, and a sofa bed and is $200/night + $25/extra person after the first two guests. If 3 students split the cabin, it would be $75/night per student for a mix of private and communal sleeping options.
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2. Participants are welcome to sleep in our classroom, bunkhouse style, for a thriftier option of $25/night. This communal lodging option involves sleeping in the same room with potentially several fellow students, with either a futon or air bed that can be broken down during the day while we work and set up at night for sleeping. All linens are provided, and access to all the classroom amenities including full kitchen and shower are included. Introverts, light sleepers, or folks who need a lot of down time and recovery after long days of physical work and socializing, consider whether this may be a fit for you.
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3. Anni's mom runs a 4-bedroom guesthouse in the town of Viroqua, a 10 minute drive from our venue. Students who want to split an affordable, more private sleeping arrangement can book the guesthouse for $150/night + $25/extra person. If 4 students split the guesthouse and commute each day to class, it would be around $60/night per student for the weekend for a private room.​​
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You can indicate in the registration form whether you're interested in any of the above accommodations, and we will reach out to coordinate after you are booked in for your course!
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Accessibility
While we want our classes to be accessible and welcoming to all, this work requires a degree of able-bodiedness that is sadly exclusive to some. Working with willow requires a surprising degree of physical strength, and while our classroom itself is wheelchair accessible, students hoping to learn about the material preparation will need to be able to navigate steep, uneven, unpaved ground. Those who are able to attend should plan to take good care of their bodies and bring whatever supports - physical, herbal, medical, etc. - you need to keep yourself healthy and feeling good while partaking in prolonged strenuous activity. Also, if willow doesn't suit your physical needs as a basketry medium, try experimenting with reed, rattan, pine needles, and other more gentle basketmaking materials as an alternative.
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Group Culture
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Anni is queer/trans-affirming instructor who intentionally strives to make a space that is welcoming to all who wish to learn these crafts. We invite all students to agree to be kind and respectful to one another, to the indigenous land we gather upon, to the plants we work with, and generally cultivate an attitude of reverence as we enjoy a weekend of weaving and learning.
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A note on Cost
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Class tuition is based on the course length and amount of materials needed for each. Tuition includes all materials, use of tools, and educational materials to support continued learning. Accommodations are booked separately to course tuition. Payment plans are available for students who need, and as always, I encourage prospective learners to seek out funding through grants, work, school, or nonprofit organizations as applicable. A reminder to farmers, herbalists, craftsfolk, etc, a basketmaking course can be a tax deductible business expense.
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Cancellation Policy
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Cancellations up to 21 days prior to the start date of a class are eligible for a refund, contingent on the spot being filled from the waitlist. Refunds are not available within 21 days of a class start date. If a class must be cancelled due to a weather emergency or teacher illness, all students will receive full refunds for their course, or the option to roll their registration onto a new class date. For more details about our Cancellation Policy, see here.
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Words from Past Students
"I've taken a variety of basket courses over the years, and had no idea until working with Anni how many subtle details had been missing in the process. The teaching is somehow rigorous but nonchalant, serious and deeply unserious, and within that, I found myself making the best basket work I'd ever done."
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"This class is incredible. Wherever you are on your willow journey you will walk away with so many new skills / teachings all wrapped up into a new beautiful basket. It is so wonderful to be immersed in a craft with others for the duration of a weekend!"
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"10/10 experience overall. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was a sweet group of people in a gorgeous space, and Anni is an excellent, thoughtful teacher. The learning and work were rigorous enough to be engaging and satisfying without being too much, and the atmosphere was always so pleasant and welcoming."
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"This experience was unforgettable! Anni is such a skilled teacher and makes it fun but they also beautifully demonstrate the art of basket weaving! I encourage anyone who is interested in learning this craft to seek out a workshop with Anni!"
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"I went into the class without an understanding of the extents of the skills and knowledge required. It was so much more involved and I really appreciated the depth of teaching. I appreciated the amount of individualized attention and community aspect of supporting each other as we learned."
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"I can't recommend a willow basket class with Anni enough - their dedication to both the quality and accessibility of their craft, their delightful teaching style, the cozy and curious learning environment they cultivate."
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"A+. I liked the teaching style, and really appreciated having to do all parts of the process and not get handed a kit. Anni gives you enough space to explore and practice technique, but has a good eye for when you may need a little help or another demo. They keep the space fun while still being respectful. I definitely plan to take more of their classes."
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"Learning to weave a basket gave me a new outlook on life. It was powerful stuff, and I'm so grateful! Since I got home, my husband has been putting the basket over his head every 15 minutes. I think he is addicted to the smell. He says he wants willow extract, a willow codpiece, and a willow coffin 'to lie in while he's still alive'. Should I be concerned?"
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Small group courses in beginner - intermediate willow basketry take place during the winter months, January-March. You can get on my mailing list to to hear when new course dates are released!
If you'd like basketmaking instruction during the summer months, I teach private lessons from my farm studio May - August. You can find more information about private courses here.
All of our group classes take place at the beautiful Nature Nooks Retreat near Viroqua, WI. Students spend the weekend in an intimate small-group setting harvesting willow, drinking tea, making new friends, and cultivating their skills in the traditional art of willow basketry.
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There are a variety of options for on and off-site accommodations for visiting students. You can take your pick of classes, learn about accommodations options, and sign up at the form below! ​​
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Hear what previous attendees have to say about classes here!
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2026 Courses
Beginner Willow Basketry
-Sold out: Join Waitlist-
January 9-11
Tuition: $400
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This 3-day course is my staple beginner's immersion in field-to-vessel basketry for new weavers. This unique course opportunity includes hands-on information on how to grow, collect, and process materials, and gives a thorough introduction to core techniques in stake and strand willow basketry. Students learn to identify, coppice, sort, and process wild willows in the wetlands on site, as well as learn about growing cultivated varieties for basketry. Then, with both prepared and foraged materials, we spend the weekend making a round-base basket using hundreds-of-years-old techniques from northern Europe, such as twining, waling, randing, staking up, bordering, and footing. Each student will leave with a beautiful hamper-sized basket and reference materials to support a continued practice at home.​​​​​​​​​​​​
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The Heirloom Bassinet
- Sold out: Join Waitlist -
January 23-25
Tuition: $500
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Weave the gift of a lifetime for a loved one with a babe on the way, or make your own precious child's first bassinet as a welcome as they cross the threshold into this life! In this special small-group 3-day course (3 maximum students), you will construct an heirloom quality willow bassinet. Prior experience with stake and strand basketry is preferred for this class, which explores intermediate level techniques such as large-work french oval bases, built-in handles, decorative English rand, four-rod wale, Irish zig zag weave, packing, and more. This course will take place at Anni's home studio, so participants can anticipate a cozier and more rustic classroom setting than at our usual venue.
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The Willow Pack Basket
- 1 Ticket Remaining -
February 6-8
Tuition: $450
*Intermediate*
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In this 3-day course, participants will build a custom-designed pack basket from start to finish, leaving with an incredible piece of handmade artwork that can be used for years to come. Utilizing a variety of stake and strand basketry techniques, students will learn or improve french oval base twining, learn or improve advanced rands such as zig zag, Irish, or open weaves, practice shaping, design, and sharpening core skills such as three-rod wale and bordering. Techniques taught will depend on individual's students goals and skill level upon arrival. We may or may not get to the strapping in this class, but a strap design and plan will be discussed and students will leave prepared to strap their baskets with their methods and materials of choice. There will be bark tanned leather available to purchase for strapping at the class, and sources for vegetarian straps will be discussed for students who prefer that option.
*Previous experience with stake and strand willow work is required for this course.
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Beginner Willow Basketry
Willow Hampers
-Sold out: Join Waitlist-
February 20-22
Tuition: $400
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In this class, you will complete a round stake and strand laundry hamper using wild willows we harvest on site as well as pre-prepared materials grown on the farm. Students will learn the basics of round-base stake and strand basketry, including material selection, twining, randing, waling, packing, built-in handles, rod-bordering, and footing. This class is suitable for both first-time beginners as well as beyond-beginners, i.e. students who have made a few pieces and are looking to practice and solidify skills in the above techniques. This course is almost identical to our staple Beginner Willow Basketry course, but has a more specific end-form goal - a Hamper with inlaid woven handles - and spends slightly less time on the material sourcing and processing block.
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Oval Market Basket
-Sold out: Join Waitlist-
March 6-8
Tuition: $375
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In this 2.5 day course, students will weave a traditional oval shopping basket with a wrap handle. Techniques covered include twined french oval bases, Irish zig-zag weave, wrap handles, and practice in standard stake and strand techniques such as randing, waling, staking up, and bordering. Prior experience is preferred for this class, which includes more intermediate level techniques.
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