Video
Rustic furniture has been around for a very long time, often languishing in attics and barns in rural areas. Some fine examples of rustic furniture were a legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps...
Video
Jimmie favors the old growth of the kudzu vine. He will plunge into the richness of a kudzu thicket armed with tall boots, pruning shears and a saw. He is well acquainted with dangers such as snakes...
Video
Jimmie Dinkins begins work on the side pieces. Wear sturdy work gloves when you are cleaning and flexing the branches. When using sharp tools such as pruning shears, exercise caution. Adult...
Video
f you don’t have access to an old picnic table like Jimmie is using in the video, make sure that you protect the surface of your work area with a large piece of scrap lumber or an old cutting board...
Video
Organic raffia and the kudzu shreds come in varying lengths. After three or four wraps of the coiled basket, one usually runs out of kudzu and/or raffia. In this step Nancy shows how to add new pieces...
Video
Nancy travels from her home in the Upstate to Sandhills State Park in Patrick to collect needles for her baskets. Dried needles are plentiful due to controlled burning of the park's long leaf pine...
Video
Like snowflakes, no two coiled kudzu baskets are alike. The basket is complete when the maker is pleased with its size and shape. In this optional step, Nancy shows how to add a handle to a finished...
Video
An old saying goes, "If you’re going to plant kudzu, drop it and run." The vine grows up to a foot a day during summer months and chokes the southeastern landscape with a dense, green mat of foliage...
Video
Folklore is often the inspiration for Nancy's weavings and paper collages. Stories of "Uktena, the Great Snake" have been passed down through numberless generations of Cherokee people. Using a basket...
Video
Kudzu's aggressive growth and status as an unwanted plant creates an abundance of materials for resourceful artists and crafters. Nancy uses the vine in baskets, paper, jams, jellies, teas, and most...