found birch logs from a felled tree on side of road / picked up to use the wood on lathe

learned about the material significance of birch bark and its potential for use as renewable and durable material.

experimented with birch in a variety of ways, from stitching, weaving, shaping with heat, punching

determined a variety of potential products that could be developed with birch bark, and designed/made the prototype for a planter woven with birch bark.

A fallen birch tree on the side of the road was the starting point — picked up with the intention of using the wood on the lathe. In the process of working with it, the bark became the more interesting material. Research into birch bark revealed a long history of use across cultures as a durable, water-resistant, and renewable resource, which reframed how I approached the rest of the project.

From there, experimentation took over — stitching, weaving, heat shaping, punching — getting a feel for how the material behaves and what it could reasonably become. That process opened up a range of possible applications, and eventually led to a prototype: a planter woven from birch bark, using the material's natural flexibility and resistance to moisture to practical ends.

The planter was a proof of concept more than a final product. Birch bark is a material I want to keep designing with — the right application is still ahead.