Cattail Ducks and swans

I am now starting to harvest Bulrush/Reed Mace/cattail leaves to dry and make into dolls, but one of the things you can make with the fresh leaves are ducks and swans.
You will need to leaves for this project;
First tie an overhand knot at the pointed end of the leaf and flatten it to form [...]

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Reed Mace/ Bulrush/ Cattail tooth brush

If you are walking near a river or lake at the moment you may find the remains of the Reed Mace seed head stem.
They look like this.
The seed head stem which remains after the seeds have been dispersed by wind, is covered in fine stiff bristles.
Some native cultures would use these as a primitive toothbrush [...]

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Bulrush/Reed Mace/Cattail

The young leaf shoots of Bulrush/Reed Mace/Cattail (Typha sp.) are now appearing above water level.
They make a tasty snack either eaten raw ( if the water source is clean) or blanched briefly in boiling water.

The gelatinous substance found between the mature leaves can be applied to treat burns and of course the [...]

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Reed Mace/ Bulrush/Cattail

In America the Reed Mace/Bulrush is called “cattail”. The Latin name for this plant is Typha Latifolia. The word Typha means “a cats tail”.
Other uses for the leaves include what were traditionally children’s toys made by the native people of North America.
The Cattail duck
and Cattail dolls

I used Birch bark to make the buckets for [...]

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A basket made while out walking

Today while out for a walk, I collected a variety of natural materials suitable for use in making a simple basket.

I used willow wands twisted together to make the frame of the basket and Reed Mace/Bulrush leaves (see picture below) woven to form the basket.

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