Wicker Craft · Poland
A documented look at how baskets are woven from natural materials — the preparation of willow rods, the use of common reed from Polish wetlands, and the structural patterns behind durable wicker work.
Recent Articles
Willow · Materials
How osier willow is harvested, dried, and soaked in the Subcarpathian region. The process behind brown and white rod preparation.
June 2025
Reed · Techniques
Working with Phragmites australis from the Narew and Biebrza river valleys. Cutting seasons, drying, and coiling methods.
May 2025
Patterns · Structure
From stake-and-strand to rod borders — the structural choices that determine a basket's strength, shape, and appearance.
April 2025
Natural Materials
Common osier is the primary material in Polish wicker production. The long, flexible shoots of one- and two-year growth are harvested annually from managed coppice beds, concentrated particularly around Rudnik nad Sanem in the Subcarpathia region.
Found across the wetland margins of the Narew and Biebrza river valleys, common reed provides a stiffer alternative to willow. Its hollow stem structure makes it suited to coiling and plaiting, and it dries exceptionally flat — useful for woven mat bases.
Documented from practice — materials, tools, and regional methods collected from wicker-making communities in Subcarpathia and Podlachia.