Articles by Ruby Taylor
A trained teacher, with over 15 years’ experience, Ruby is appreciated for her ability to teach the techniques of basketry and pottery with clarity, patience and humour. Her courses have a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere. From both formal training and her own experimentation with foraged materials, Ruby has a breadth and depth of knowledge, including an interest in the origins and history of basketry and ceramics. "I enjoy providing a supportive space in which others can develop their creativity and technical knowledge as well as their connection with the natural world. It’s great to witness the sense of achievement and satisfaction that comes from making a basket or pot this way. I’m also inspired by seeing how people can feel deeply nourished and inspired by the whole experience of taking time out of an often busy and stressful daily life to be creative in the woods round a fire, with birdsong, creatures, wild plants and like-minded people."
Articles by
Ruby Taylor
August forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
Nettles are a truly amazing plant. I recently found out about the ‘super food’ that is nettle seeds, and have been making the most of the nettle patch at the end of the garden ever since.
Nests and baskets: were birds the first basketmakers?
Featuring weavers, dunnocks and wrens, Ruby Taylor of Native Hands reflects on nests and baskets, asking if birds were the first basketmakers.
February forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
With the start of the ‘hungry gap’ a month away, Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares her February forage of the month, starring early greens.
September forage of the month: elderberry elixir
With autumn approaching, Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares one of her all-time favourite recipes for an elderberry elixir.
May – June forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
Elderflower fritters, anyone? Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shows us how to make a delicious early summer delicacy in her May – June forage of the month.
April forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
In her April forage of the month, Ruby Taylor of Native Hands takes the sting out of nettles with a delicious soup recipe.
March – April forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares her March – April forage of the month, starring cleavers and nettles in a springtime tonic we can appreciate all the more in these challenging times.
February forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
Bramble tips are on the menu with spring approaching, as Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares her February forage of the month.
December forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
With edible pickings thin on the ground for her December forage of the month, Ruby Taylor of Native Hands instead collects inedible fungi for fire making, commonly known as King Alfred’s cakes.
November forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
Learn how you can soothe your sore throat sugar-free with rosehip vinegar, as Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares her November forage of the month.
October forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares her forage of the month for October with a delicious fruit leather recipe we can’t wait to try…
September forage of the month with Ruby Taylor
Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares her forage of the month for September, with stress-busting nettle seeds the star of the show as autumn approaches.
Making an oak swill with basket maker Owen Jones
We hear from Ruby Taylor of Native Hands about her recent trip to the Lake District, learning how to craft an oak swill with basket maker Owen Jones.
Pottery on the wild side: digging your own clay
Digging your own clay – too much hassle or a whole lot of fun? We hear from Ruby Taylor of Native Hands about how to source your own clay, as she does for her wild pottery courses in Sussex. Over to her from here…
Making a netted bag using looped cordage with Ruby Taylor
Ruby Taylor of Native Hands shares how to make a netted bag using looped cordage and explores the history of using natural fibres to produce wild cordage.
Making an ash pack basket
In a post kindly shared from the Native Hands blog, our basketry specialist Ruby Taylor recounts a recent trip to the woods to make a beautiful ash pack basket.