Ministry of Straw

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Ministry of Straw

A place for learning about straw, working with straw, plaiting, corn dolly making and plaiting. Workshops and commissions available

03/06/2026

Spent a fantastic day last weekend running a workshop for and . As always wonderful to be passing on the skills and stories of my

06/05/2026

Straw, ‘basketryness’ … yes just made that up and more from recent trips to Geneva and Bilbao.
Loved the Museum of Ethnography in Geneva and the esparto donkey was also a spot out and about in Geneva.
The rest were in The Guggenheim in Bilbao.
Basketry everywhere makes me happy.

Fellow makers - is your photo feed filled up with stuff like this too?
Let me know

01/05/2026

Happy May Day!
Beltane blessings to all
Looking forward to summer

23/04/2026

Why not join me for a straw workshop and learn some straw plaiting and corn dolly making skills?
I will be teaching a one day introductory straw course
Friday 7th August
£70 per person.
Hope you can join me for a day of hand craft and making.

19/04/2026

Thinking ahead to May Day celebrations and fertility- hence the shameless corn dolly merchandise plug!
Available now on my website at www.pennymaltby.co.uk or follow the link in the bio.
All made in the UK , 100% cotton and original designs by me.🌾

13/04/2026

Heritage crafts, creativity, textile, straw work and making things with my hands.

Would you like to learn some straw skills - why not join me for a workshop?

31/03/2026

Are you interested in learning about making corn dollies, harvest trophies and learning to plait with straw?
Why not join me on the 18th April when I am teaching two sessions, each one will be different so you can make a day of it if you would like to learn more.

During this workshop, Penny will teach you how to tie a straw workers knot as well as learning how to prepare the straw and plait it using a variety of techniques.

These ‘harvest trophies’ or ‘corn dollies would have been made to celebrate the harvest with customs and patterns varying around the UK. Traditionally they would have been taken to the harvest home supper or back to the farm for display. It would likely have been kept until Christmas or Plough Monday when it would be burned, scattered or ploughed back into the land, fulfilling the ancient belief of ‘what come from the land must be returned to the land’

As well as being an endangered craft, working with straw is a very mindful activity and crafts such as this have been shown to be beneficial to general wellbeing and mental health. You will leave this workshop having experienced the joy of this heritage craft and with your own hand plaited harvest trophy to display or gift to a loved one.

Link in the bio or head over to their website to book.

11/12/2025

Last weekends workshop
Thank you to all the lovely participants who joined the workshop with me, you all did such a great job in a short time. Teaching straw work and is one of my favourite things to do. Wonderful location and a fantastic fair, thank you for organising.
Hope to meet some of you again🌾

01/12/2025

Looking forward to fair this Sunday . Do come and say hello. I will also be running a workshop in the morning which I am really looking forward to.-link bio for tickets.

Address

Cumnor
Oxford

Website

http://www.ministryofstraw.co.uk/

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