About Willow & Wood Craft and Craftsman Nick LaHaise

Willow & Wood Craft was born from a passion and desire to turn simple materials from nature into beautiful and functional items. All of the basketry materials are harvested by hand from around the West Coast, and woven in a traditional manner. The wooden wares are made from local, reclaimed timbers and are worked with only simple hand tools - axe, knife, and hook knife - until a balanced form is achieved. Bowls, cups, and plates are turned on a traditional spring pole lathe, a foot-powered tool that dates back to the 13th century.

Nick LaHaise is a basket weaver, green wood worker, carpenter, chef, and teacher. He has studied various traditional arts, wilderness skills, deep nature connection mentoring, and rites of passage over the last decade.  Nick currently works at a Waldorf High School, where he teaches social/emotional learning, wilderness skills, and bowl-turning. He is the co-founder of Hearth Folk School in Sonoma County, a traditional craft and folk skills education center. He lives in Northern California with his family and loves sharing craft with others.