Willow’s Bend Collective
Hand-crafted caskets, a natural choice for burial and cremation
Our Products
Hand-woven caskets from sustainably grown willow
We offer both standard pre-built caskets as well as custom orders.
Caskets
Each biodegradable casket is woven using sustainably grown willow with a solid wood base and wood lid inlay. The inside is lined with unbleached cotton. The willow rods are selected for strength and bark colour. We offer a variety of natural colour themes and standard sizes of 5’9″ and 6’4″. Our Caskets page shows more details on sizes and pricing.
Participate
We offer the unique opportunity to be involved in the weaving of a casket for yourself or a loved-one. This hands-on experience can aid in the bereavement process and preparation for end-of-life. Please get in touch to find out how to participate.
Our story
Willow’s Bend Collective is honoured to offer a natural choice to celebrate and commemorate a loved one. We are a collective of willow growers and weavers dedicated to creating environmentally sustainable products in rural Nova Scotia. We came together through our combined passions for cultivating willow, weaving vessels and reducing our ecological footprints. Our collective started building caskets together, inspired by weavers in the UK, weaving together an elegant and biodegradable final resting place.
The idea began over seven years ago when basket weaver Sian Turner was taking basketry courses in Europe and saw her first woven willow casket. Inspired by the craftsmanship, green burial ethic and her own personal near death experience, she sought training in the UK in the spring of 2023. By the fall, she had taught four more local weavers how to build caskets: Gemma McNeill, Julie Stinson, Susie Murphy and Will Frankland. Together, we formed Willow’s Bend Collective.
Basketry willow is not your typical weeping willow, it is grown as a renewable, perennial crop. The willow plant is fast-growing and can be harvested yearly from the same plant, making it a sustainable weaving material. Willow can grow well on marginal lands with little to no inputs other than sun, water and nutrients existing in the soil. We grow over 26 different varieties of willow, each with its unique colour, use and growth habit. See photos of the process in our gallery.
Woven caskets have existed for millenia. The term coffin originally comes from the Greek kophinus, meaning basket. The European tradition of weaving caskets has been conserved by basket makers and craftspeople over the centuries. More recently, with increasing popularity of green and natural burials, many people have returned to traditional, sustainable caskets. Our caskets embody this rich history and beauty woven from natural materials.
FAQ
While woven vessels have been used throughout history, we are amongst the first in Canada to produce commercially available willow caskets. Find the answers to common questions and contact us for more information.