Basket Weaving at Rockbrook

Basket Weaving at Rockbrook Camp
Campers gather at the creek to work on baskets circa 1970

One of the traditional mountain crafts that is still taught at Rockbrook today is basketweaving.  Curosty, our weaving and basketry center, has been the home of this mountain activity since Rockbrook’s founding in 1921.  With its location right next to the creek, it is the ideal sight to learn this ancient art.  Campers soak their reeds (dried grass) in the creek for several hours until the reed is soft and pliable.  Then they are able to weave them together to make baskets of all shapes and sizes.  For the younger campers we provide a weaving base which helps them to arrange their reeds in the proper order.  It is quite a special moment when all of your weaving efforts pay off and you have a functional art piece, handmade at Rockbrook!

woven basket from summer camp
The finished product!