Courses

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 stunning rib-style baskets from dyed and natural rattan reed, incorporating a deer antler as the handle or focal point of the design. The project…

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…

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 market basket will take you many places: from the market to the beach, from picnics to the grocery stores. This course is an introduction to the awesome qualities of the ash tree, which we will use for both weaving the basket and making the handles. We will prepare the…

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,…

For those prone to picking plants and wondering what can be made of them as they wander through the forests and fields of this region, both basketry and natural dying offer many possibilities for humble leaves and sticks to become something much more. In this team-taught session, students will learn…

Wondering what to do with all those cattails growing down by the pond? Learn how to make a handy and stylish tote bag. Students will learn how to plait with the cattail leaves and assemble a tote bag. The basic checker weave (usually done with palm fronds) will be taught…

In this three day intermediate basketry course, students will take their coiling skills to a new level. Using an innovative mold-method developed by Jean, students will use a variety of easily harvested materials to create a pouch-shaped basket. The use of grasses and needles in coiled baskets has long been…

Create a traditional coiled basket from locally harvested red pine needles. Starting with either a pliable birch bark base or an elegant agate base, you will work with a variation of the spiral stitch to form a basket with a distinct spiral pattern inside and out. Samples of pine needles…

An abundance of easily accessed and harvested native materials very suitable for basketry grow in our northern region. In this class we will make a frame with striking red osier dogwood and then weave a basket with a handle using a mixture of cattail and iris leaves, basswood fiber and…

Work with locally harvested sweet grass, cattails, and sedges during this two-day class while learning the art of coiling a sweet grass basket. We'll incorporate an elegant agate as a base for the basket. Hands-on instruction provides students with an introduction to the traditions and skills of basket weaving, and…

Start thinking spring by weaving a tulip basket (not actually recommended for tulips). Named for the shape of the basket, this form adds a twist to the traditional diagonal plaited weave by adding a unique rim. A bit more complicated than a standard basket, this course is a great next…

A hanging basket is an attractive way to create more space in the home by storing things up off of table tops and shelves. In this class we will use colorful twig stems from easy to harvest brush to make a hoop for the basket, braid a decorative hanging handle,…

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…

Start your holiday season off with a weekend on the North House Folk School campus weaving traditional and contemporary ornaments from birch bark. Explore the range of birch bark weaving holiday projects from the traditional Swedish woven heart to a 3-dimensional birch bark star, which are both highlighted in North…