Courses

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…

Plastic buttons that fall off too easily really pushing your buttons? Time to take matters into your own hands and create and design your own durable stoneware ceramic buttons from wet clay. The perfect finishing touch to a handmade garment or a great way to personalize a beloved item, ceramic…

Pockets full of pebbles from the shores of Lake Superior? Ready to turn them into jewelry? Pebble drilling has long been a popular course at North House, but not all pebbles are meant to be drilled. In this three-day class, students will learn several different ways to capture and display…

A pair of sandals that fits just right is a highly prized possession—and all the better if they are attractive and one-of-a-kind. Create a pair of custom hand-stitched leather sandals to enjoy for years to come. Students will sketch ideas and discuss execution, working from a few basic designs the…

Up north, there's a saying that there's no bad weather, just the wrong clothes. Outfit yourself with the right sort of clothing to protect your body from the elements in this course, in which you will design a comfortable and warm pair of deerskin mittens to wear during the winter…

Remember the last time your feet were too cold to enjoy wonderful wintry weather? Do away with rigid unbreathable footwear and discover the traditional footwear of the north: mukluks. The flexibility of the natural materials used in construction allows the foot to generate heat, and a breathable layering system allows…

North House is pleased to announce an opportunity to experience the rich ecological beauty and cultural history of the Gunflint Trail AND immerse in the traditional northern craft of mukluk making. This session of Expedition Footwear: Making Mukluks will be taught by long-time North House instructor Jo Wood at Gunflint…

Warm up winter by making your own woolen slippers or short boot liners. Using the ancient no-knitting wet felting technique, you will make a cozy, warm pair of slippers or boot liners. The craft hasn’t changed in centuries except we now can choose plastic instead of animal skins and soap…

Have you ever collected perfectly smooth, round pebbles from the shores of Lake Superior or other places in the world and then wondered what to do with them?  This course offers the perfect solution.  Students will spend an hour or so the first day gathering pebbles and then will use…

Forget about stepping out of bed onto cold floors on wintery mornings—these hand-crafted cozy slippers will keep your feet toasty all year long. Sew your own custom pair of leather slippers, lined with soft fur and finished with non-slip soles to make them perfect house shoes. Leatherworking and shoemaking techniques…

North Shore Pebble jewelry takes on a new format with this course by taking on more intermediate to advanced metalsmithing techniques. Structured for those who already have basic metalsmithing skills, this class will incorporate Lake Superior pebbles into more complex pieces such as a multi-link bracelet with bezel set stones…

Rings on fingers have been around since the beginning of civilization. Egyptian and Greek legend place the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand, because of a belief that the vein of that finger directly traveled from the heart. The Romans extended this description and called this…

Stylish, cool and durable, these are a far cry from a farmer's straw hat! Craft your own personalized straw hat using millinery parasisal or Panama straw blanks. Over a two day period, you will block and finish at least one straw hat. Starting with a “blank,” finely woven straw that…

Discover the designs, color, styles and technique of traditional bead embroidery as you work with Ojibwe cultural specialist and Grand Portage band member Marcie McIntire, sewing and decorating a pair of moccasins in this course co-sponsored by the Grand Portage National Monument. The course begins with an overview of the…

Tired of synthetic ‘fluff’? Clad your torso with the miracle fiber: wool. Learn the history of wool, why it works, and how to maximize its performance as clothing with outdoorwear designed by Kevin Kinney, owner of Empire Canvas Wear of Duluth. In this class you will learn the basics of…