The Final Straw? Penny Maltby on Conserving Craft, Culture & Creativity
Our summer spotlight lands on a British designer-maker with a calling to preserve and promote traditional crafts and their cultural heritage. From stumbling upon a heritage art form to founding the Ministry of Straw, read on to discover the world of Penny Maltby in her own words.
Words - Penny Maltby
Photography - Sophie Stafford
I have always been interested in the quiet power of natural materials that grow around us and their use in traditional crafts. Textiles and basketry have formed a large part of my art practice, and straw work sits somewhere in the middle of this. I am fortunate to live in rural Oxfordshire surrounded by fields, crops, hedgerows and walking tracks. I stumbled upon straw work in 2015 during a farm-based creative project.
Once I discovered straw I fell in love with it as a material; its versatility, the smell, the stories, the rural traditions and its connections to land, place, harvest and folklore. The techniques used in straw work are similar to other basketry and textile production methods. The transition to a new material was a natural one for me, aided by many hours of practice, books, and the few other remaining practitioners. What began as curiosity quickly became a calling - a way to preserve and reimagine a nearly forgotten craft.
Straw, both fragile and deeply symbolic, has long been associated with blessings, protection and abundance. In many cultures, straw tokens such as braided love knots or corn dollies are given as love charms, harvest offerings or symbols of goodwill. When I create a piece for someone, it’s more than a gift - it’s a gesture of care, a story woven into form.
“The act of giving straw work carries layers of meaning: connection to the earth, to tradition and to the person receiving it. It’s slow-made, heartfelt and enduring - everything a meaningful gift should be. The humble nature of straw contrasts beautifully with the rich emotional value embedded in the gift it creates.”
Straw, particularly the last sheaf of the harvest, held profound significance in pre-industrial European folk culture. These sheaves were crafted into harvest trophies, intimate straw figures or decorations of various designs collectively known as corn dollies - serving as homes for the spirit of the grain during winter. At the end of the agricultural cycle, these straw talismans were ritually returned to the field- either ploughed in or burned - to ensure continuity, fertility, and the symbolic rebirth of the earth.
Harvest knots, also know as Countryman’s Favours or Love Knots are small plaited straw tokens, often made in the field at the end of the day. Tradition says a man might present such a knot to his beloved, who - by wearing it over their heart would acknowledge and affirm mutual affection. These tokens are as symbolic as harvest trophies, carrying themes of devotion, fertility and communal continuity, but in a more personal and relational register. Within rural and farming communities they are often worn as buttonholes at weddings. When I am out walking, I will sometimes make one from local grasses and leave it on a gate post for others to enjoy.
My inspiration comes from applying nature - the rhythm of the seasons, geometry of seed heads, the golden hues of straw - to a variety of mediums; it could be traditional straw work and hat plaiting designs or folk costumes, festivals, museum artefacts, textile designs or basketry from around the world.
My mission is to draw new audiences and makers into heritage crafts, encapsulated in my concept of looking 'both ways'. I am keen to show that past traditions can inspire innovative products as well as contemporary art pieces.
Each day in the studio is different; I have a workshop at home, which often looks more like a barn than a studio! Lots of time is spent preparing, sorting and grading the straw ready for various different projects. In the summer I tend to do a lot of teaching which involves considerable preparation of straw and teaching resources.
At other times I am busy with discussing, designing and making commissions for anything from TV work to fashion, and working towards some new ideas for products or exhibition pieces. Like most freelance artists, I also spend time on responding to emails, marketing and social media, and have recently been upgrading my website.
My hands are the most important tool of the trade, along with the muscle memory that develops the more you practice. But in a practical sense, straw working is a very accessible and easy-to-learn craft at entry level. To start, all you need is the right type of straw, some strong thread, a pair of scissors and your hands.
The Red List of Endangered Crafts was first published in 2017 by the Heritage Crafts Association and is the only report of its kind to rank UK crafts skills by the likelihood they will survive to the next generation. Based on intangible cultural heritage safeguarding principles, the Heritage Crafts Association was the first UK UNESCO-accredited NGO working primarily in the domain of traditional craftsmanship.
Straw work features in several categories - for example hat plaiting (woven straw braid) is considered to be 'critically endangered' which means it is at serious risk of no longer being practised in Britain. Corn dolly making and straw working are both listed as 'endangered'. Issues affecting their viability include; limited availability of written information such as good instructional material, minimal availability of training, shortage of raw materials and whilst there is a demand for the products, realistic pricing that reflects the labour intensive time taken and knowledge imparted.
Although there are more people growing heritage wheat, the straw needs to be a traditional variety with long hollow stems and cut from the base for use in straw work. Modern straw is too short and tough. Some types of thatching straw can be used; however, I buy Maris Widgeon heritage wheat direct from a specialist grower in Staffordshire.
“If you’re interested in taking up an endangered craft, there are many amazing makers and practitioners working in the sector. Some offer classes or drop-in sessions at various events and festivals throughout the year. The Heritage Crafts Association is a good starting point to find out what’s on and it’s a great organisation to be part of.”
As a small charity it has a big impact promoting crafts at risk and supporting makers in the sector. Starting with a one day course or watching demonstrations at an event is a great way to see if you like something, and to connect with like-minded people. Most makers will advertise on social media or sign up to their newsletters to hear about the latest events. Taking up a heritage craft as a profession is rewarding, irrespective of the challenge in achieving a financial return.
Recent ventures involve blending my passions for straw and textiles, resulting in a collection of luxury silk scarves and other household linens. Drawing inspiration from my straw work and incorporating references to farming, harvest, and folklore, these scarves embody a fusion of heritage and modernity. I am currently working on some ideas for baskets with straw and wood, whilst also experimenting with hat plaiting techniques using different textiles. When time allows, I am also working on a piece for an exhibition in 2026.
It is very exciting to be able to showcase these skills and endangered crafts with COLFORD and how I use straw, traditional techniques and textiles in new settings solidifying my commitment to revitalising traditional and heritage crafts while forging a path towards a creative and vibrant future.
Discover more about Penny Maltby's work here.