Courses

Tired of unimaginative, small outbuilding kits available from your local lumberyard? Explore all the basic elements of timber frame construction and take home a hand-crafted building. More than 100 timber frame buildings have been built and raised throughout the country by North House students since 1997.  During the first days…

This course offers students the opportunity to immerse fully in the craft of timber framing by building a larger and/or a custom-designed timber frame structure. Whether creating a getaway cabin, woodshop or retirement home or structure for your community or organization, the beauty and durability of a timber frame structure…

If you’ve been out berry picking in August, you may have encountered the problem of discovering bountiful harvests of raspberries AND blueberries at the same time: what to do?! The two berry basket with two compartments is a perfect answer-- and it also works for quarantining paper clips from binder…

When the Covid pandemic upended everyone’s lives, Jon and his wife acquired a cargo van, converted it into a camper van, and spent 6 ½ glorious, inspirational months in wild places, often with six miles, not six feet of social distancing. In this workshop, we will discuss all aspects of…

We’re no stranger to taking materials back to the source: woodworking courses regularly head out to harvest birch; basket makers can be spotted in local ditches cutting willow, sweetgrass and cattail; and we even have the occasional sheep on campus for the fiber folk. But taking metalwork straight to the…

The distinctive look of a tartan pattern is recognizable the world over as a sign of Scottish highland history and skilled craftsmanship. Woven for centuries according to the tastes and local dye resources of the weaver, tartans acquired a strict taxonomy somewhere in the mid-19th century, with specific patterns associated…

Join instructor Greg Johnson of Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin in this three day course to make traditional Anishinaabe folded birch bark baskets. This style of basket is used for maple sugar storage, but is a beautiful and useful addition to any home. When birch bark is harvested at a certain…

Break out the v-gouges and chisels! This tutorial format course is a great opportunity to get going on a new carving project or finish up something you’ve already started, all under the expert guidance of instructor Phil Odden. Phil specializes in Nordic-style carving and will have a variety of projects…

Learn basic woodworking skills and electric wiring to create a flashlight! Together each student will assemble a wooden body flashlight to hold a battery-operated light. Experiment illuminating wood, bark, and found objects as the lens to your flashlight. This course is open to kids ages 7+ with an adult-- one…

Carving wooden spoons is a tradition in Scandinavia, where carvers crafted spoons for home use, for seasonal income, and to give as gifts. The techniques, designs, and embellishments commonly used today are deeply embedded in centuries of cultural history, but spoon carving is also a vibrant and growing craft tradition…

Explore a new “twist” on a traditional craft! Using pewter wire thread and a macramé style weave, students will create a pair of hoop earrings with a silver drop and sterling silver French hook ear wires. Finished hoops are approximately 1 inch in diameter and display a soft shimmery sparkle…

Beautiful objects can be made with common and unusual renewable resources. An almost forgotten form, hairwork, the unique folk art of creating jewelry from human hair, is loaded with Scandinavian history and culture. In this course, students will  learn how to set up and make four patterns on a traditional…

This week of Craft Camp will focus on Gitchee Gami, the “Big Lake”, and the ways in which people over time have used small boats for work and play in the Grand Marais harbor. We will learn and practice various wood and fiber skills (such as knife carving, the use…