Courses

Make your own sausage flavored the way you like it using your favorite meats. As a class, we will make and take home 4 to 5 kinds of sausage of your choosing from a list of about 10 varieties. These will be fresh, non-smoked, non-cured sausages like bratwurst, breakfast sausage,…

The graceful curve of the deer antler provides a creative springboard for the emerging folk-art form of antler basketry. In this course students learn to weave a stunning rib-style basket from dyed and natural rattan reed, incorporating a deer antler as the handle or focal point of the design. The…

Lace up your baking shoes and get ready for an artisan breads baking marathon. Combining the skills of our popular Artisan Breads I and II courses, this two-and-a-half-day intensive course allows students to dig deep into hand-crafted, long-fermented and hot-hearth baked breads. We’ll explore pre-ferments and a long cool rise…

This tutorial is intended for students with some experience with bowl turning on an electric lathe, and who want to learn more advanced woodturning methods. We will explore turning asymmetrical forms from bark-edged bowls to unusual end-grain pieces and burls. The tutorial will include selection of wood, cutting of bowl…

Cranks wind, gears turn, dragons chomp and birds fly. Welcome to the whimsical world of automata: simple wooden machines that delight and amaze. Join Cecilia Schiller for a four-day exploration of the art of making wooden machines and the mechanisms that make things move. Starting with the design process in…

Fall means apples in abundance! In anticipation of the season, join Chef Graden for an exploration of the versatile applications of a fruit that is both ubiquitous and under-utilized. This class will cover preparing (and eating!) all of these recipes, and more: apple and cran-apple ciders, apple pie, apple cider…

Learn the planning, layout and joinery necessary to construct a traditional timber frame (post and beam) structure, such as North House's blacksmith shop, bread oven shelter, fish house classroom, and other structures around campus. The course begins with the basic mortise and tenon joint, and then expands on these techniques…

Discover the magic of “painting with beads” through your choice of seven different signature beaded lapel pin projects. In a reflection of the art and craft of bead embroidery, artist Jo Wood will lead you through your choice of one or two bead-embroidered projects, time permitting. The birch tree pin…

Using tools and techniques of 19 th century tinsmiths, students will learn how to layout projects using patterns, cut tinplate, and assemble tinplate pieces into items they can take home, such as a tin cup or tankard, a tin sconce, tin ornaments and tinsel, cookie cutters, or a lantern. Students…

Join John and Julie for birch bark basket weaving. Students may choose one of two designs: a lidded square basket or a handled basket made with diagonal weave. The lidded basket is made using a willow stick that is attached to birch bark loops added to the basket and lid.…

Learn to weave a basic wide Bias weave Birch Bark basket based on Native Alaskan Athabaskan style work. The piece may then be taken to the extreme and sewn with teacher prepared and dyed spruce roots, or kept a bit more basic with user friendly waxed threads (or a combination…

In this class we will create two different birch bark boxes, one based on a classic style produced throughout the birch forests of North America by native peoples, and another typical birch bark container produced throughout the Scandinavian countries. The North American style is created from a single sheet of…

No patterns to choose from here - we simply offer the personal experience of seasoned weavers willing to pass along their knowledge. Join Julie Kean and Jack Sneve as they tailor the birch bark weaving experience to meet your desired outcome - a simple finger ring, wall baskets and bread…

The black ash pack basket: it's beautiful, highly functional and can be made using simple materials. The first part of the class will be spent preparing black ash splint for your basket by pounding a locally harvested log. Next, you'll weave the basket and finish it with a rim, handle,…

Outfit your own blacksmithing tool chest while developing and refining your skills on the forge. In this course, you will create the set of tools needed to become a backyard blacksmith, while simultaneously learning the basics of blacksmithing. Initial tool projects will include tongs and fire-tending tools. Heat treatment, forging,…