Cleavers Project

Hanging art vessel with lid
TITLE: Thurible
Scale: 71cm x 19cm x 20cm
Materials: Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Galium Aparine – goosegrass, sticky willy, catchweed, grip grass, sticky weed, cleavers, soldier’s buttons, sweethearts, sticky bud, velcro plant

This is an on-going project which will culminate in an exhibition of vessels made from cleavers, either containing or helping to spread their abundant seeds. Here are some visual snippets from the project so far.

Two balls, reminiscent of nests made from small pieces of cleavers stems
TITLE: Remains
Scale: 13cm x 12cm x 8cm each (approx.)
Materials: Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Cleavers cleave, they stick, attach, hold on, and in the process spread their few hundred up to one-thousand seeds per plant across the landscape. Having made ‘coffee’ and numerous desserts from cleavers, this project is about weaving with them; celebrating their generous seed dispersal, multiple health properties and qualities for straining, bedding, and food for insects.

A hand holding damp stems of cleavers for heritage craft making

Handful of cleaver seeds
A hand holding dried stems of goosegrass and a sleeve with the seeds stuck on it
An aerial view inside a pot made from cleavers

Want to learn how to creatively work with plants? I run short workshops on Wild Cordage Making and How to Make a Bowl or Pot from Plants.