Workshop Overview
- LanguagePortuguese
- Duration3
- DifficultyIntermediate
- Private Groups & Team Building
- 2 Min Group Size
- 8 Max Group Size
- 48 hours Advance Booking Time
- €48 Price Per Person (Groups)
- €96 Minimum Booking Value
- On-Site Location Options
- Next DateUpon Request
What's Included
Included
- 🌾 All natural materials, including bunho reeds
- 🧵 Expert guidance from master craftsperson Cristina Fonseca, a professional basketmaker since 1985
- 🪨 Access to a traditional stone loom
- 🧺 Your own completed reed mat to take home
- 🌿 Introduction to bunho reeds, their natural properties and sustainable harvesting methods
- 🪡 Hands-on instruction in reed preparation and traditional weaving techniques, from basic patterns to more complex designs
Not Included
- 🚗 Transportation to and from the workshop
- 🍽️ Food and drinks
- ℹ️ Any other services not mentioned above
Location Details
Eco Retiro de Galamares, Avenida 25 de Abril, Sintra, Portugal
Bookings close 24 hours before the workshop starts.
Your Teacher
18 workshops · 2 followers
At Eco Life Experience, we believe that the best way to learn is by doing. Our workshops reconnect people with traditional skills, sustainable living, and the simple pleasures that come from creating something with their own hands. Whether it's baking bread, growing food, natural crafts, or exploring Portugal's rural heritage, every experience is designed to inspire a slower, more conscious way of living.
Founded by Sofia Fonseca, Eco Life Experience was born from a lifelong love of nature and a desire to help people reconnect with the planet through meaningful, hands-on experiences. After a career in tourism and marketing, Sofia created the project to encourage more sustainable lifestyles by bringing people closer to traditional knowledge, local communities, and the rhythms of nature.
FAQ's
All materials are provided including bunho reeds (schoenoplectus lacustris), traditional stone looms, and basic weaving tools. The bunho reeds are sustainably harvested from Portuguese riverside areas and prepared specifically for basketry. Participants only need to bring comfortable clothes and enthusiasm to learn.
This hands-on workshop offers authentic Portuguese basketry instruction with master craftsperson Cristina Fonseca, who has been practicing since 1985. The techniques taught are traditional methods passed down through generations of Portuguese artisans, focusing on sustainable practices and cultural preservation.
Reed mat weaving is beginner-friendly when learned with proper guidance. The traditional stone loom technique is taught step-by-step, starting with basic weaving patterns before progressing to more complex designs. Most participants complete their first functional mat during the workshop session.
The workshop is led by Cristina Fonseca, a professional basketmaker since 1985 who specialises in contemporary approaches to traditional Portuguese plant-fibre crafts and has extensive teaching experience.
You'll leave with your own completed reed mat, practical weaving skills and a deeper appreciation of Portugal's traditional craftsmanship and sustainable plant-fibre techniques.
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