Published on 1st September 2025

Odette Holmes makes beautiful baskets and accessories from her Billingshurst home, using traditional handicrafts of crochet and macramé. She also focuses on sustainability, using recycled and natural materials to reduce waste from fashion mills. AAH met Odette to find out more… 

FAWNING OVER FLORA

Odette’s passion for crochet stems from a life-long love of plants. Before Covid, she propagated house-plants, specialising in exotic specimens. During the lockdowns of the pandemic, many of us turned to decorating, increasing demand for interesting or unusual house plants. As garden centres were closed, many local ordered from smaller businesses selling online. As well as selling plants, Odette had the idea of crocheting covers for plant pots to make them more visually appealing.  

Odette said: ‘By combining crochet with macramé, I found I could make hanging baskets for plants that were not only functional, but attractive too. Eventually, demand for my plants declined as garden centres and nurseries re-opened and diversified their range. Instead, it was crocheting that developed into a business idea. When it came to a name, it was simply a matter of combining my two passions: YarnFlora.’ 

WEAVING MAGIC

Odette didn’t grow up with an interest in handicrafts. When her sister-in-law gave her a make-your-own crochet teardrop for Christmas, it was something of a leftfield choice! However, Odette gave it a go, following the pattern rigidly. Wrong turns ensured she had to start over again several times, but the satisfaction she felt upon finishing the project soon led to another and Odette hasn’t stopped since. Although baskets remain her best-selling item, the product range has expanded. 

Odette said: ‘The baskets are multi-functional and come in different sizes. While some people use them for indoor plants, other customers have deployed them as cosmetics baskets or to hold TV controllers. I also crochet tote bags and cutie pots, which are great to use as a keep-safe box, especially for people suffering with dementia. In the run-up to Halloween, I make ornamental crocheted pumpkins, which give way to figgy puddings and other festive decorations at Christmas. They are all finished off with a hand-made YarnFlora logo made of oak.’

 A GREAT YARN

Having researched a variety of materials, Odette uses mostly recycled T-shirt yarn and recycled cotton yarn for her products. T-shirt yarn is a soft and versatile material used to make sweatshirts and stretchy clothing, such as vests and leggings. Fabric mills often discard yarn deemed unfit for purpose and it is this excess material that Odette saves from landfill, recycling it for her products.  

‘Depending on its origin, the colour, weight and thickness of yarn can vary, so I unravel and re-purpose it as a bag, basket or cutie box. My hanging baskets are very popular as they combining elements of crochet and macramé, which adds elegance. Hanging baskets were commonplace in the 1970s and there’s a hint of nostalgia about them. The macramé knots can be easily adjusted too, depending on the hanging space available in a home. 

Sustainability is important to me too, but products must be functional too. With this in mind, some items are made with a sturdier, nylon-based yarn, similar to that used as paracord or in rock climbing, making them more durable.’

UNIQUE APPROACH

Odette has a particular fondness for earthy tones, although her products include the full spectrum of colours. While she maintains enough stock to fill her stall at Billingshurst Artisan Market, which she attends most Sundays, it is in customised commissions that Odette truly shines. 

‘Customers often say they like a certain product, but would prefer it in a certain colour or size,’ said Odette. ‘I love the challenge this presents, especially if it’s something I haven’t tried before. Occasionally, I have a small waiting list, but people are happy to wait a little longer for a personal, bespoke product, as they know they are getting something made with love. The most satisfying moment comes from seeing the customer’s reaction when I hand an item over.’

 GOING GLOBAL?

Odette sells on several online platforms including Etsy, and regular posts pictures on Instagram and Facebook. However, she believes that the best way to attract customers is for them to see and feel her creations at the market. 

She also sells items at The Pulbrew, an independent café in Pulborough, and works in partnership with another small business called Wool Shred, using its natural nesting wool to fill her ornamental crocheted items, while in return supplying yarn products for Wool Shred’s range of nesting bags. Despite these collaborations, Odette has no plans for rapid growth…

She said: ‘I can’t become much bigger, as I already devote as much time to YarnFlora as I possibly can. I don’t think a shop would be sustainable either, so I’m very happy to remain a micro-business. I love making unique products for customers, striving to make everything affordable, with cutie bags costing £10 and even double plant hangers costing only £30. As long as I’m busy and enjoying myself, I’m happy to continue just as I am!’ 

WORDS: Ben Morris / PHOTOS: Alan Wright

Further information: Visit the Yarn Flora stand at Billingshurst Artisan Market, held on the third Sunday of every month in the Six Bells Car Park from 8:30am to 1:30pm.