Name: Holiday Basket Weaving Workshop with Christine Sciortino
Start: 2025-12-14T10:00:00-06:00
Location: Side Street Studio Arts

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14 from 10am - 2:30pm | Class Tuition $75, Materials Cost $25, Total $100 - Materials included. Best for Ages 14+
REGISTER: https://forms.gle/pLCddkEzYGeSgJQm9
We are excited to welcome back artist Christine Sciortino who taught a very successful basket weaving class over the summer.
Spend a cozy Sunday at Side Street making your own "Holiday" Basket. Students will make a basket of the same size and shape, but will have the choice of colors and can create any pattern! (Stripes, Buckle Shapes, Crosses and more!) The basket is great for hanging and holding treasures.
In this beginner-friendly workshop, students will learn the basic techniques of basket weaving using rattan reed. This workshop will cover how to weave a square base, a continuous weave with flat reed, twining, lashing a rim and more. The foundational tools and terminology of wicker basketry will be discussed as well. At the end of the day, each participant will go home with their very own fully-completed Holiday Basket, great for hanging, storing mail or Holiday cards.
Basketry is a centuries-old art form that spans many cultures. Once students know the basics, they can go on to create their own baskets of many different styles and sizes. Join us to immerse yourself in this beautiful, functional, and meditative craft!
Please bring a snack or sack lunch, or be prepared to order/pick up something to eat during class time.
Minimum 4 participants, maximum 12 participants.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Christine Sciortino, RYT is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and holistic practitioner with a lifelong passion for textile arts. She began sewing her own clothes at the age of 11 and went on to study Costume Design and Film at New York University. After 12 years working as a makeup artist, hair stylist, and costume designer behind the scenes of major film, TV, and theater productions, Christine published the book Makeup Artistry for Film and Television in 2020. She created and instructed the curriculum for Cinema Makeup at Columbia College Chicago from 2016-2020 before relocating to St. Charles where she learned basket weaving at a local folk arts school. She fell in love with the craft and now teaches basket weaving, hosts basket weaving meetups, and sells custom handmade baskets. Her favorite place to weave is out in her garden with her dog and backyard chickens by her side.