Weave Something New
Upcoming workshops
Instructor: Dee Clements
Format: 4-day Intensive Workshop
Date(s): August 14, 15, 16, 17, 2026
Day/Time: Saturday + Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm
In this immersive 4-day intensive, we’ll combine a beginning to advanced dive deep into tactility, color, and creative exploration, transforming reed into dynamic sculptural forms. Through guided demonstrations and hands-on experimentation, you’ll learn foundational and experimental 3D weaving techniques to build basketry forms, vessels, and structures that feel both grounded in tradition and uniquely your own.
Color will become part of the process, too! Together, we’ll dye reed in group dye baths to create unexpected patterns, depth, and variation. You’ll leave not only with finished work, but with a deeper understanding of how material and color can speak to one another.
We’ll study both historical and contemporary sculptural basketry to spark ideas about form, tension, and structure. The workshop begins with a focused sample project to introduce skills and build confidence, then opens into the creation of small-scale sculptural pieces, with the option to work with molds and formers or freehand, using a range of bases and construction approaches. You’ll be supported in experimenting, taking risks, and following your own aesthetic instincts.
This workshop centers on 3D weaving as a sculptural language, exploring pattern, architecture, and expressive form. It’s perfect for artists looking to incorporate basketry into their practice, as well as curious beginners ready to discover a new material world. Come with bold ideas, a playful spirit, and a willingness to experiment. Prior experience is helpful but not necessary to attend this class.
Each participant will receive 2.5 lbs of reed to use during class and take home, along with access to shared tools, including scissors, spoke weights, and packing tools. You’ll participate in two communal dye baths and receive a resource booklet filled with techniques, references, and supplier information so you can continue weaving long after the workshop ends.
*All materials will be provided; however, please feel free to bring materials you are excited to work with if you want to.
*Dates: August 14, 15, 16, 17, 2026, 10:00 am - 4 pm each day with a break for lunch.
*Tuition: $720 per student. This tuition covers materials, supplies, and a packet on techniques and history.
Cancellation and Refund Policy:
Please carefully consider your investment and participation in this class. If you cancel 30 or more days before the workshop's start, a full refund minus a $25 processing fee is available. If you cancel fewer than 30 days before the workshop's start, your entire course fee will be forfeited. Please see the FAQ page for more details on our policies.
*Artwork image: The Body is a Piece of Land, by Dee Clements, 2025, and Mummy Bundle, by Lillian Elliott, 1986.
Instructor: Dee Clements
Format: 4-day Intensive Workshop
Date(s): June 5, 6, 7, 8, 2026
Day/Time: Saturday + Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm
In this immersive 4-day intensive, we’ll combine a beginning to advanced dive deep into tactility, color, and creative exploration, transforming reed into dynamic sculptural forms. Through guided demonstrations and hands-on experimentation, you’ll learn foundational and experimental 3D weaving techniques to build basketry forms, vessels, and structures that feel both grounded in tradition and uniquely your own.
Color will become part of the process, too! Together, we’ll dye reed in group dye baths to create unexpected patterns, depth, and variation. You’ll leave not only with finished work, but with a deeper understanding of how material and color can speak to one another.
We’ll study both historical and contemporary sculptural basketry to spark ideas about form, tension, and structure. The workshop begins with a focused sample project to introduce skills and build confidence, then opens into the creation of small-scale sculptural pieces, with the option to work with molds and formers or freehand, using a range of bases and construction approaches. You’ll be supported in experimenting, taking risks, and following your own aesthetic instincts.
This workshop centers on 3D weaving as a sculptural language, exploring pattern, architecture, and expressive form. It’s perfect for artists looking to incorporate basketry into their practice, as well as curious beginners ready to discover a new material world. Come with bold ideas, a playful spirit, and a willingness to experiment. Prior experience is helpful but not necessary to attend this class.
Each participant will receive 2.5 lbs of reed to use during class and take home, along with access to shared tools, including scissors, spoke weights, and packing tools. You’ll participate in two communal dye baths and receive a resource booklet filled with techniques, references, and supplier information so you can continue weaving long after the workshop ends.
*All materials will be provided; however, please feel free to bring materials you are excited to work with if you want to.
*Dates: June 5, 6, 7, 8, 2026, 10:00 am - 4 pm each day with a break for lunch.
*Tuition: $720 per student. This tuition covers materials, supplies, and a packet on techniques and history.
Cancellation and Refund Policy:
Please carefully consider your investment and participation in this class. If you cancel 30 or more days before the workshop's start, a full refund minus a $25 processing fee is available. If you cancel fewer than 30 days before the workshop's start, your entire course fee will be forfeited. Please see the FAQ page for more details on our policies.
*This class is limited to 8 participants.
*Artwork image: The Body is a Piece of Land, by Dee Clements 2025, and Mummy Bundle, by Lillian Elliott 1986.
Instructor: Dee Clements
Format: 2-day Workshop
Date(s): June 27 + 28 2026
Day/Time: Saturday + Sunday, 10 am to 3 pm
What happens when structure and surface merge? In this immersive weekend workshop, participants will explore the intersection of basketry and experimental sculpture by combining 3D weaving techniques with the layering potential of alternative materials like papier mâché, matte medium, and gesso as a layer or skin. Participants will learn techniques for armature building to construct sculptural vessels and abstract forms that embrace containment and/or gesture.
Once the structure is woven, the focus shifts to the surface, where layering, painting, staining, and transforming your woven forms into richly textured, expressive objects takes place. Whether your impulse is to preserve the rawness of the weaving materials or to bury them beneath a skin, this workshop offers a space to investigate form and material language.
This workshop encourages play, experimentation, and personal expression through hybrid craft practices. Participants without prior basket-weaving experience must first complete the Sculptural Baskety class before taking this workshop, as the pacing is more advanced and focused on material exploration.
Techniques Covered:
Both tight and open-form basket weaving (weaving, ribbing, as armatures)
Sculptural form-building with reed (or other alternative materials)
Armature building
Papier-mâché application and layering with gesso and/or matte medium techniques
Surface development using gesso, papier mache, paint, and Sculpting medium
Color washes, dry brushing, and/or sealing techniques
Included Materials:
Reed
paper, wheat paste, and Mod Podge
molding past
gesso
Students should bring:
Paints they want to use
sketchbook and sketch materials
paint brushes
apron for getting messy
any additional personal materials one is excited about, such as rope, wire, twine, etc
Box or Bag to bring materials and work home at the end of the workshop on Sunday.
Please review the FAQ page for cancellation and safety policies.
Art, Friends, Making
Discover joy in making at The Weaving Workshop, Chicago’s artist-run school for basket weaving. Founded by artist and educator Dee Clements, The Weaving Workshop offers hands-on workshops that blend tradition, creativity, and community for all skill levels. Join us to learn, create, and connect.
