This article features affiliate links, meaning we’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through these links. Please read our Privacy Policy for more details. The moment I saw Ms. Florica Arion’s handicraft, my interest in cattail basket weaving was piqued, so much in fact that I had to travel to Southeast Romania to meet the lady in person. I knew I wanted to share it with you. Cattail weaving has a long tradition here in Luncavița, a small village on the bank of the Danube. Luncavița has been a cattail weaving center since the last half of the 20 century. During the communist regime, the popularity of cattail baskets abroad allowed some rural workshops to thrive.  Basket-making became professionalized and specialized, with weavers laboring side by side in workshops. About 50 years ago, Ms. Florica Arion, aged 66, got hired as a cattail weaver in one of the two existing weaving workshops.  But right after the fall of communism, in 1989, all the workshops were closed, leaving thousands unemployed and facing a struggle to support their families. Despite the bad economic circumstances, Ms. Florica has continued the art of cattail basket weaving to this day, creating all sorts of baskets, cattail sandals, plates, glass, and … Continue reading Cattail Basket Weaving In the Romanian Danube Villages