Courses

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…

Investigate infinite approaches and forms that a box can take on using both hand tools and machines. We will focus on exploring ideas and techniques that fall outside the typical six-sided container. Emphasis will be on shaping and sculpting pieces to create pleasing curves, unusual shapes and just about anything…

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…

Stacked handle flatware is classic aesthetic of the Nordic kitchen. From cheese planes to spatulas, serving spoons to filet knives, the handles of these items are a reflection of three basic Scandinavian natural materials – birch wood, stacked birch bark and reindeer antler. Starting with these essential materials, learn to…

Pick up your hammer!  This course is designed for students with little or no building experience who want to build a tiny home, small cabin or workshop. The techniques for building a small frame building are not only for the skilled carpenter; nearly anyone can come away from this course…

Discover the secrets of the old Saami school of ski construction by crafting a custom pair of birch skis to meet your needs. In this course you'll learn about the origin of ski design, function and construction. We'll also cover topics such as wood grain, bending wood, types of bindings,…

Woodworkers know the value of a tool box, but craftspeople from knitters to carvers to cooks will find plenty of use for a sturdy tote in which to carry the tools and materials of their trade. In this course, we’ll build a dovetailed pine tool tote with a center divider…

Make a sweet little firewood/kindling carrier from three pieces of firewood, straight from the woodpile. We will cut, split and shape using hand tools, and refine our skills with a carving knife for the joints and smaller details. A fourth piece of wood will be split up to load the…

Create the traditional paddle used by Northwoods travelers for hundreds of years. In this course, a North House classic, students will learn about wood selection and wood grain considerations as well as paddle sizing and the theory of shape as applied to handles, shafts and blades. Choose from a variety…

This is a course for kids only, and is meant as an introduction to the various hand tools and simple skills involved in working with wood in the shop. The course is co-taught by a father and son team, Paul Linden and Avery Carlson (age 16). Avery has been working…

Learn to turn on both the power and pole lathes and explore the historical continuum of bowl turning in this unique course offering. Students will move back and forth between the foot-powered pole lathe and modern electric lathe to delve deeply into a study of old world Norwegian ale bowls.…

Learn basic woodworking skills and create a beautiful useful piece at the same time in this introductory course. Using a variety of types of wood, from birch to maple to walnut and more, students will complete three projects: a practice piece, a butcher block-style cutting board and a pizza peel…

North House welcomes the return of Featured International Instructor Jögge Sundqvist to campus for Unplugged 2018. In this new course offering at North House, students will work with Jögge over four days to hand plane shelving and join four carved posts, complete with a decorative cornice. Jogge, or surolle, has…

Dining will never be so rewarding or more elegant than when you and your guests sit at a finely crafted traditional pine trestle table with classic lyre-shaped legs.  Using hand and power tools, students with woodworking experience will build a table that measures approximately 84 inches long by 44 inches…

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…