Catalan tray made from foraged materials (tension tray, easy weaving project)

In this video I show you how to make a tension tray, or Catalan tray, from foraged materials. You can see me collecting materials for weaving from the area around our home. You do not need perfect weaving materials for a tray like this. I encourage you to try out anything flexible, play with different textures and materials and be creative!
I am a full-time basket maker and artist living in Tipperary, Ireland with my family. Off-grid in the forest on a mountain.
My website: hannavanaelst.com/
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[@Shiyounin]

Came here to learn how to make a tray, now I'm in love with an Irish woman.

[@guylainedeschenes2399]

Will start to make it tomorrow it will be my first basket ever hope it goes well and yes i will send you a picture!✌❤

[@sarah33ml11]

I just made this tray. My very first attempt at basketry. It turned out beautiful and was not very difficult to make. It’s perfect for outdoor lunches and barbecue parties.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Great job! wonderful!

[@lyndaturk7004]

8/1/24. I just made this tray too. I can’t see how to post pictures.

[@TheMrpiggyboy]

When I became interested in basket weaving there was almost nothing available What a difference 40 years makes.

[@debrawalls1379]

I absolutely love that I stumbled across your channel. You are so inspiring and creative!!! You are an amazing teacher.

[@organicgardenmamavictoriab2768]

Me too. I'm just seeing this now. I just took an interest to basket weaving.

[@amyroberts7248]

Well my husband just pruned our yard now I know what to do with all the branches. Very lovely thank you for showing us

[@kendallramirez5464]

Love this and the music!

[@oakmaiden2133]

That would make a nice hanging with the ends untrimmed and rustic.

[@patriciajessup5275]

I am a huge fan of working with forged natural materials. I have made arbors, baskets and wreaths etc. This tray you created very beautifully would be an interesting project to try. Thank-you.

[@ineseberzina5772]

Hello! I recently joined this channel because I was looking for information on live willow fences. When I watched this video, I ran for garden shears, hurried to the local forest edge and created a beautiful work. Thank you so much for your inspiration!

[@HannaVanAelst]

Awesome! Glad to hear!

[@thesupermom1975]

The whole time you were wrapping the frame, I could hear the tension in it creaking! 😮 I was thinking: don't slap her in the face! Don't slap her in the face!

[@organicgardenmamavictoriab2768]

The music is so beautiful

[@altlife2908]

THIS is the BEST video on KZbin...!!!! I enjoyed it so much, i cant wait to see what more you have under your branches? This is totally what i love, and how found, foraged and fruitful nature can be. Please more of this...

[@HannaVanAelst]

Wow, thank you!

[@lynneclose5585]

thank you! After trimming an Akebia vine, I wanted to use them up in some small baskets in which to give away eggs and vegetables. The basketweaving method is too messy for these branches, and this is a much easier way to weave. Down with plastic!...this is a lovely way to give a gift.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Fantastic!

[@gittacooper3971]

This is a great project for children and adults alike. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Very welcome Gitta!

[@user-bm5hn1vr1v]

Ирландия моя любовь по книгам с детства.

[@jeronimama]

Gorgeous.

[@organicgardenmamavictoriab2768]

❤ I really want to try this with my kids

[@veesch8654]

You are seriously the coolest.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Wow, thank you!

[@chantellebarrowmusic]

Loved making this . I added some rowan berries and fern leaves to decorate the edges , is now my Christmas tray for my table

[@kackmalwieder]

Thank you Hanna, great channel. Very encouraging...

[@lisaparris5]

Beautiful!

[@hirundoperdita9284]

I happened on this video too and love watching it. So relaxing & looking forward to trying it out. Thank you so much for this creative respite from doom and gloom in the news & other media!

[@sailman9454]

I watched your video for the first time three days ago. Ive made four platers so far. Fun easy project. Thank you from Northern California's redwood rainforest.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Wonderful!

[@jsmith3980]

Thanks for this video.

[@dustind3502]

Simple and cool

[@levijordan9439]

Beautiful

[@Aggaliano]

Absolutely beautiful! You are an inspiration. Thanks for sharing...

[@HannaVanAelst]

You are so welcome!

[@tinxmcfee8755]

Fab video. I have a wool fleece to wash & a few larger versions of this would make great drying racks ! (I know I could lay it out on chicken wire but where's the fun in that lol) loved the harp music, & thank you for the inspiration. I like that there are no special tools or hard to find materials. Thanks for posting this.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Very welcome!

[@catherineveleker6822]

Took a willow course several years ago, planted a patch but never got to it. After stumbling across this video I went out there today, got it all cleaned up and although the willows were very branch-y I was able to cut enough to start a small tray. Getting late in the year for working with hedgerow materials but this is good practice for the winter.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Glad it helped!

[@ciarfah]

Great project to get bored kids out of the house! Not that I have any of my own, but I've heard some horror stories haha

[@Levi-he6nj]

I'm making some to dry my mushrooms, fruits and such so i don't have to use my mom's plastic trays anymore 😅

[@drqazlop]

Love it! It would be great to see more projects from foraged materials :)

[@HannaVanAelst]

Noted!

[@contramundum2.0paradigmshi10]

Amazing skill and talent. Thanks for sharing. From Michigan, USA.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Thanks and welcome!

[@fintonmainz7845]

Excellent

[@claudiaapablaza8288]

So beautiful!!❤️

[@brooklyngoddard5987]

I love it!! Going out to make one right now, thank you Hanna

[@giovannaprice3181]

Wow! I will try this. Lovely. Thank you.

[@pauwerwoman1247]

Excellent, thank you, can't wait to go foraging 🌿🍃🍂

[@elizah3828]

Thank you, that’s so beautiful x

[@HannaVanAelst]

Thank you! 😊

[@romonaelrod7870]

Beautiful tray,it is a work of art.

[@medilation]

what a wonderful beginning

[@ParttimePilgrim]

Very inspired!!!!!

[@HannaVanAelst]

So glad!

[@wendyjoy5891]

Great thank you Hanna. I look forward to creating one for our family Christmas BBQ table.

[@robertmcauslan6191]

What a great project for anyone really but I’m thinking it’s a wonderful add on to my farm stand goods, showcasing what the land itself has to offer!

[@kristawelch-chapman5463]

Oh, thanks so much for being so sharing I am definitely going to make this! Lovely music and video!

[@HannaVanAelst]

Thanks so much 😊

[@amlehintuitiefvormgeefster4068]

🌸💕❤️🍀Thank you verry much Hanna for this ❤️💕🌸🍀

[@HannaVanAelst]

You're so welcome 😊!

[@jimrussell8064]

Very nice, as always, Hanna. Thank you for sharing.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Thanks you're welcome!

[@brittanywinn3955]

Oooh! I want to make this with my children. So lovely.

[@lizhern9360]

You do a good job of demonstrating and describing the steps.

[@karencooper5396]

Thanks for the great video tutorial. I had a great time foraging in my garden and in my local wooded area for branches, then made a couple ion these today. Will definitely be making more. Pretty happy with my first basketry attempts!

[@BeverleyW]

Absolutely beautiful, we can't wait to try this in the spring 🌱🌿

[@HannaVanAelst]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@dulsuasortfein6976]

Hi Hanna , good to see you up and about and full of life ! Spring is a wonderful time . Thanks again for all your effort and creativity. Kindest regards B. ♥️

[@HannaVanAelst]

Thank you Brendan! Love to you too

[@AndreaAlexander]

Wow, this is stunning!

[@HannaVanAelst]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@goanna77]

Thanks Hannah, you explain it all so clearly. You have inspired me to give it a go. I love the background sound of the birds. Such a lovely place to work.

[@williamwideman3606]

Great video, and a very enjoyable project.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Many thanks!

[@claykelsey7871]

Thank you Hanna, and thanks to Mara too!

[@HannaVanAelst]

Our pleasure Clay!

[@verajackson1849]

Beautiful basket tray. Loved it. Makes me wanna start weaving. Love from Northern Missouri

[@HannaVanAelst]

Go for it!

[@fernandaamorim6058]

Linda parabéns 👏👏

[@chicksgrowtoo]

This is a great basket to start out with for me!!! Thank you so much for making all your videos. You’re amazing. ❤❤❤

[@HannaVanAelst]

You are so welcome, thank you!

[@atalapepperdew4254]

You are amazing. Your art is wonderful, knowledge is easily shared, and are so gentle and awesome. Thank you for making this channel and sharing with us!!!

[@HannaVanAelst]

Wow, thank you!

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

Beautiful work. I'm new to weaving & hope to make a lot of useful items.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Wonderful, welcome on board!

[@humangiraffe2113]

I work in after school care, i think this is a great project to get the children to work on! Awesome stuff

[@HannaVanAelst]

Go for it! Would also love to hear how the kids got on with it....

[@hazharrasheed]

its very beutifull .very amazing dear 😍🌸🌹🌿🍀🍁🍂🌼🍃

[@HannaVanAelst]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jenniferfoley3421]

Have just made this, and really enjoyed the process and the end result. Thank you for your lovely videos.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Hi Jennifer, delighted you enjoyed the project!

[@gracebock2900]

I find this idea very interesting.N I like the music too

[@HannaVanAelst]

Glad to hear that!

[@_maia_m]

I always love watching your videos, it's so inspiring and I always want to try everything at once. But this one was a great place to start!

[@HannaVanAelst]

I'm so glad!

[@ljupchodaskaloski9783]

@@HannaVanAelst Bravo . I watched some of your videos today. I can say that they are great. And you explain beautifully and selflessly. I am also impressed by willow knitting and have personal experience. It attracts me, calms me and causes pleasure. Greetings from me, from MACEDONIA, I will study you further.

[@jcampbell100]

Thank you. I had to give up my willow work because we moved into an apartment but this is a project I would still be able to do.

[@abittwisted]

Very nice and simple. I'll need to try this.

[@HannaVanAelst]

Please do!

[@TheCaneSlingerCherryflexrattan]

Check out my page too.I make rattan baskets and furniture

[@canero22]

Thank-you❤️🙏

[@HannaVanAelst]

You’re welcome 😊

[@baraslim]

Beautiful ❤️❤️❤️

[@HannaVanAelst]

Thank you! 😊

[@LA-iq8gh]

I'm going to try this! Finding basket reed and tools is difficult in my area but maybe I can forage up some materials.

[@HannaVanAelst]

You can do it!

[@meganlavelle4341]

I loved this! I got so excited to see you post a video with foraged materials- I love watching and learning from you in your videos, but I’ve never worked with willow. I do, however, try to teach myself using whatever materials I have on hand. And now, I’m lucky enough to have a yard full of interesting bushes and plants that I’m experimenting with! So, your timing was perfect (for me), and I’m looking forward to abusing my hedges to make this basket 😂 I’m hoping the kids will enjoy the project, too! Thanks again, Hanna!

[@HannaVanAelst]

Welcome!

[@timspoor]

Very nice video!

[@HannaVanAelst]

Hey thanks!

[@timspoor]

@@HannaVanAelst yes I love your way of explaining. I will make a similar tray to serve as a lid for my compost heap. But after that I will make a nice one for on the wall! :)

[@mrcheese3981]

Thanks so much for another great instructional video. I'm really glad you posted a video using wild foraged materials, because it's that aspect of basket-making that has always attracted me the most. This winter I started making baskets for the first time, and all of them have been from hedgerow materials. In February I took a one-day course on hedgerow basket-making here in France, and the teacher told us that ideally we should harvest the materials in winter, mainly because if the sap is up they tend to be subject to attack form insects that feed on the sugars in the sap. Also, that it's a good idea to pay attention to the phases of the moon when harvesting (although I know a lot of people are sceptical about that nowadays). In late March I made a basket from wild clematis and a couple of weeks later found that it was indeed being attacked by some sort of insects, because I repeatedly found little piles of sawdust underneath it. So I put it in a big cauldron and boiled it, hoping that would solve the problem! Have you had any experience of all this, and do you have any thoughts or ideas about it?

[@HannaVanAelst]

I love working with foraged materials too and would love to spend more time exploring them. I agree that it is best to harvest materials in winter when sap is down and trees are dormant. But I was only using a few branches here and there so this would not have been an issue.

[@jacquiehill6752]

As an herbalist, I love the notion of harvesting with the moon to either harvest with the most water content or least. In basket weaving, is the idea to harvest during a full moon so as to have material that has more water content thus making it more flexible?

[@maxdecphoenix]

Hello from the U.S.. made one out of Wild Black Cherry whips off some of the trees i've pollarded for the last few years which yeilds me dozens of whips and sticks. Unfortunatly Cherry is not ideal for small radius turns as it will snap, so most of it gets used as outdoor cooking fuel, but for this application it was ideal.

[@kaybussjaeger567]

This tray is beautiful. Can grapevine bre used for the beginning circle. If using natural stems that have been dried. then would i just rehydrate to make this

[@ARtandSoul998]

wow what a beautiful tray I can't wait to try this with natural materials in the garden, thank you for sharing this amazing yet simple idea. I love how you used the cones at the ends it just adds such a beautiful display to the overall piece.

[@ARtandSoul998]

Update, I made it and I am so pleased with how it came out, it's now hanging on my wall in my summer house, having Irish ancestors it really speaks to me thank you for showing us this gorgeous art

[@Jo-ne7fb]

Hi thanks for the video. Can this basket be used long term if it is dried ? Also how can I do this?

[@tarairrgang6022]

Enamored of your video. Can you tell me the music you used? My toddler is obsessed.

[@Anaa2205]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@benderbender1233]

💗

[@pegcowen9968]

I am looking for hints for making a catalan base for an oval basket. Is the process the same as for this tray? Do you have a video?

[@llamamamadeb]

Hi Hanna, thanks for this tutorial! My question is would you do pairing on both front and back?

[@avenida1234]

What is pairing!!?? Please and thank you

[@amandaoneill9581]

Is it possible to repair a willow basket rim? If so could you do a video on it if possible? The top of my willow basket has started to fray and I'd like to repair it rather than throw it out.

[@kaybussjaeger567]

Can someone help me…Live in area where no woods. Have found grapevine stems and hoping to find other stems somewhere. . Can grapevine be used for round tim and also for base. since is is made with fresh forage do they shrink up a lot after made? I appreciate your responses

[@organicgardenmamavictoriab2768]

Oooh

[@svetlana3294]

👏👏👏🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️

[@timothymitchell8310]

Hello Hanna. I just made a basket out of several different types of vines. Woods brier, wild white rose brier, common ivy, kudzu and wisteria. I want to put it in boiling water to help preserve it. Is this a good or bad idea?

[@HannaVanAelst]

I am not sure if boiling it will help to preserve it. The best way would be to keep it dry. Also using some linseed oil could help. But I have no experience in this area.

[@carolc1919]

Will it loosen when it dries?

[@HannaVanAelst]

a little yes depending what materials you use. If you don't want that use willow that was dry and soaked as for making baskets.

[@loadapish]

The only thing really stopping me is just bein unsure about identifying what i find. Im worried about using poison or toxic stuff. I always find this bush that has bendy purple branches on it its very flexible. Id like to use it but have no clue what it is. Any ideas or advise?

[@HannaVanAelst]

It's a great way to get to know your local plants and trees. Start by identifying them!

[@organicgardenmamavictoriab2768]

Is this possible to do in winter as well?

[@HannaVanAelst]

Sure

[@absolutelyloveangels]

As a catalan I didn't know this kind of basket even existed 😅

[@DoschoviyDen]

И что это такое?

[@slavenkabozic9655]

Molim prevod na srpski jezik!

[@slavenkabozic9655]

Bas mi se dopalo

[@triciaallen2961]

Why do you have to play annoying music,got a job to hear you speak.