Meet Heleny
Basketmaker. Willow Grower. Teacher
Heleny learned willow weaving through years of study with experienced makers in Ireland, England, Canada, and across the United States. Her work is grounded in traditional techniques and shaped by years of practice with the material itself.
She teaches because sharing skills keeps the craft alive.
Heleny has led workshops at Hancock Shaker Village, Bon Dimanche Studio, Berkshire Botanical Garden where students learn by working directly with willow and building a solid foundation through hands-on making.
Small hands-on willow weaving workshops are also conducted year-round at her Williamstown studio and at partner institutions across the region.
How I got started
My work with willow began in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in the Berkshire mountains where I established my studio and started growing my own cultivated willow while foraging for wild willow in wet fields and along roadside ditches. Learning how willow grows—where it thrives, when it’s ready to harvest, and how it behaves in the hand—became as important to me as the weaving itself. The process is both deeply satisfying and continually challenging, shaped by season, landscape, and patience.
Wendling Willows is an independent basketry studio rooted in traditional willow weaving and years of hands-on practice.
History
Heleny Cook’s practice is informed by years of study with experienced willow weavers in the U.S. and Europe. Her training includes focused work on traditional forms, materials, and techniques under the guidance of established basketmakers including Mary Fraser, Jenny Crisp, Jes Clark, Sandra Kehoe, Mai Jorgensen.
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Planted sticks from Vermont Willow Nursery
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With Jo Ann Amsler near Monmouth Cave Basket center
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With Bonnie Gale
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With Anne Marie Sullivan
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With Bonnie Gale
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Lena Rasmussen and Steen Marsden
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With Hannah VanAelst
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With Jes Clark
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With
Mary Fraser
Jenny Crisp
Jes Clark
Sandra Kehoe
MaMai Jorgensen
Teaching
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Garden Sunflowers, Dragonflies, Egg holder ala Jenny Crisp
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Christmas Decorations including wreaths, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Christmas Trees, and Xmas tree ornaments
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Great Barrington MA
January - June. 7 one-day basket classes with 3-6 students.
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June - December. 9 Workshops including: Garden Obelisks, Small baskets,Bird feeders,Christmas decorations
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Stockbridge, MA. March 7, 2026
Learn how to make small round baskets in this 1 day Intro class.
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Lyme, CT. March 24 + 25, 2026
Learn how to make berry baskets and small round baskets in this 2-day workshop. -
Nassau, NY. June 6 + 7, 2026
Enjoy a 2-day workshop where you will learn to weave market baskets.
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Hancock, MA. Dates still pending.
Learn to make a garden obelisk in this 1-day intro class.
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Year round willow crafting workshops. Learn how to make baskets, Christmas ornaments, trays, garden obelisk, knapsack, bird feeders and more.
My Process
Harvest
Willow is cut by hand during the winter months, when the plant is dormant and the material is at its best.
Dry
After harvesting, the willow is dried and stored, allowing it to season properly and stabilize for future use.
Grow
Willow is grown on site and managed throughout the year to produce strong, flexible rods suited for weaving.
Weave
Each piece is woven by hand using traditional basketry techniques, with the structure guided by the material
Soak
Before weaving, dried willow is soaked in water to restore flexibility and prepare it for shaping.
Complete
Once finished, the piece is trimmed, cleaned, and allowed to set—completing a process that takes approximately two weeks from start to finish.
My Tools
