Courses

Brightly-colored seed beads have been used to embellish and brighten clothing and homegoods for centuries. Learn to make a beaded doily in this short class and experiment with color and pattern repetition to create a unique piece. Beadwork artist Marcie McIntire will provide instruction and materials for creating these lovely…

Learn basic leather sewing and beadwork by making a drawstring shoulder bag. This three day introductory course will work with soft deerskin leather, and teach several different stitches and embellishment techniques. The finished bag will measure 9” x 5 ½”.

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 than fur-felt. We will use…

We know that butter makes it better. But which butter? And what’s behind the magic? We will learn three distinctive butter techniques as we explore croissants, Danish pastry and kouig amann, which may be the best “muffin” you’ll ever have. We’ll make cultured butter and demystify this ancient treasure.

Fully experience the craft of making a traditional birch bark basket for the gathering and storage of berries or anything you please. This course includes time focused both on basket making and on material preparation. Day one includes an extended session in the woods to harvest the birch bark in…

Scandinavians and Russians commonly kept small, flat birch bark boxes in their pockets in the 18th and 19th century for the then-popular taking of snuff. Larger finger and lap jointed boxes often held coffee, tea or salt. Today they continue to made and hold keepsakes, buttons, spare change, jewelry, dried…

Birch trees have a variety of uses that can be seen all around North House. Discover the sturdiness and the beauty of the White Paper Birch by weaving with its bark. In this day-long course, you will learn about the bark harvest, how to process & treat the materials, and…

Whether woven into a basket, a shoe, a backpack or necklace, birch bark is a beautiful material, with natural tones of white, grey, brown, yellow and even pink depending on the tree, the harvest and the layer of the bark. Highlight the variations of the bark (and your fine motor…

Most birds are not known for sitting still. By learning to recognize their songs, calls and the habitats they live in, you can have a satisfying birding experience every time you step outdoors, with or without your binoculars! In this one-day workshop we’ll travel to various habitats and birding hotspots…

Most birds are not known for sitting still. By learning to recognize their songs and calls and the habitats they live in, you can have a satisfying birding experience every time you step outdoors, with or without your binoculars! In this morning workshop we’ll travel to various habitats in Cook…

The ash splint lidded basket has its roots on the north eastern seaboard of North America amongst early indigenous tribes, such as the Micmac and Passamaquaddy. Fine examples of workmanship can be found in collections in New York and Boston, to name but a few places. In this course, students…

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,…

Always wanted to try your hand at the forge? This is the place to start and to continue developing your blacksmithing skills. You will be introduced to the basic skills of the blacksmith, including safety, fire control, tools, and equipment in both a classroom and "on the forge" setting. Student…

This course will introduce students to the methods and techniques involved in hand crafting an all metal friction folding knife, a project suitable for beginners to experienced smiths that want to learn more about knife making. Students will learn to forge, grind, heat treat, and polish a carbon steel blade…