Carry around your studies, tools, or groceries in this beautiful and functional large birch bark tote basket. Students will learn about sustainable techniques for legal harvest and then use hand tools to prepare their 1 inch wide bark strips, and weave them into a tote base. The bag will be woven using the double diagonal plaited weave pattern and the rim edge will be reinforced with a black ash splint hidden inside. Lastly, students will add two short strap handles that wrap around from the bottom of the bag allowing maximum tote capability. If time allows, students may add an interior pocket. This project uses freshly harvested bark (harvested in July 2020), which has a surprisingly different feel than bark that is even slightly less fresh. Because of the quantity and quality of the bark needed for this project, it will only be offered once this year in a small class setting. Note, this is not a backpack class.