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…

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…

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…

This is an ideal boatbuilding course for someone who has always dreamed of building a classic wooden boat and spending the time to fully enjoy the traditions, smells and trades of the wooden boat building shop. In just over two weeks students will mill the lumber, lay the planking and…

Create beautiful and useful things for your kitchen using simple hand tools and birch wood. Participants in this course will be introduced to the Swedish traditions of ‘köksredskap,' or the process of carving functional utensils, including butterknives, small spoons or bread boards. Students will start by splitting a green log,…

The axe is perhaps the most indispensable of all tools in the north woods. A sharp axe, skillfully wielded, makes tasks from splitting kindling to carving spoons and canoe paddles a pleasure. In this course, students will begin with a hand­forged axe head, then make a hardwood handle and fit…

Explore the grace and craft of wooden boatbuilding and unlock the secrets of hand-crafting your own wooden watercraft in this six-day hands-on course. Combine classroom sessions with shop time to become familiar with the entire wooden boat-building process, from transferring boat plans into real size through lofting to steam-bending and…

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 kid’s course is meant as an introduction to the various hand tools and simple skills involved in working with wood. The course is co-taught by a father and son team, Paul Linden and Avery Carlson (age 12). We will start with an introduction to common tools, stressing safety for…

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 craft a project of their choice: a pizza peel, bread or serving board or a…

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…

Most likely you’ve seen this type of weaving done on antique and flea market chairs and always wondered how it was done. In this two-day course you will learn how to weave the rush seat design pattern, which forms four distinct triangular envelope shapes that meet in the center. Students…

Though one usually thinks of turned objects being round in nature, this does not have to be the case. Explore more angular forms while learning to turn lidded boxes on the lathe. In this class Alan will explore the issues in hollowing end-grain (the most common type of turned lidded…

Challenged by the skew chisel? This is the course to overcome fears and problems and discover the amazing capacity of this woodturning tool. Alan will take students through the shaping and tuning of the tool and how to create “scary sharp” edges. Next students will tackle between eight and ten…

The complexity of geometric patterns complemented by a rustic, handcrafted look best describes the craft of twig mosaic. Twig mosaic is an early American folk art form using full or half rounded branches nailed over a frame creating a geometric pattern that provides volume and intricacy, delicacy and geometry. You…