Courses

Our region’s orchards provide over three-thousand apple varieties, many of them remarkably different in flavor, texture, color, in the juice they provide and their fermenting potential. Join Beth Dooley and explore the wide world of apples. We’ll cover how different varieties are especially well suited to different dishes. Some make…

Without question, the Adirondack chair is a timeless classic - its high back, large armrests and contoured seat and back are unmistakable. For many, the Adirondack chair defines the ideal deck or lawn chair for a well-deserved break. This course is the perfect opportunity for you to learn and expand…

This course offers a full immersion into the signature tree of the boreal forest: the white birch. The objects that can be made using all parts of this tree are many. Using a slojd knife, students will carve the freshly harvested green wood into butter spreaders, cheese boards, coats hooks…

Make your own sausage flavored the way you like it using your favorite meats. As a class, we will make and take home 4-5 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, Moroccan, Polish,…

The Irish knitter has traditionally used her knitting needles as a paintbrush to portray a picture of her feelings in her work. Each one of those beautiful patterns has a significance, and when put together in a sweater for her loved one to wear, the knitter conveys her feelings by…

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 2.5 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…

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…

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 three-day exploration of the principles of making wooden machines and the simple mechanisms that make things move. Beginning with the design process,…

Have you ever wondered how our ancestors produced sharpened tools of stone like axe heads, knife blades, and arrow points? Learn how flintknapping evolved and how to identify appropriate base materials from which you can produce a variety of sharpened stone tools. This class will introduce the basic techniques of…

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…

Bring a favorite landscape image to class and create your own unique bead painting on felted wool (material provided). Your piece can be made into pin for a wearable work of art, or framed for display. This workshop is for all skill levels, those new to beading on fabric as…

Minnesota's history is interwoven with the history of hat-making. Europe's hunger for beaver felt top hats drove the voyageurs into the heart of fur country. Most of the fur traded at Grand Portage eventually became felt hats. There is no softer, warmer or more pliant fiber as fur-felt. We will…

In this introduction into plaited basketry, learn about the harvest and process of birch bark, by creating a small pouch out of birch bark. Students will learn the basics of the double diagonal plaited weave pattern and elaborate further by adding a woven bark flap to make a pouch, measuring…

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,…