Want to try out weaving on a floor loom? This class starts with a loom all set up and ready to go - no prior weaving experience is needed! There's no nicer towel to use than a handwoven towel that you made yourself! Each class will include an introduction to the loom and instructions on how to operate it. Several color choices will be available. You'll be weaving away in no time!
This 4-hour class is ideal for the beginner blacksmith with little to no experience. We will start with the basics, and within the first hour students will be forging their own nails. From there, students will forge hooks with a decorative twist.
This class follows the lessons learned in Blacksmithing 101. First students will use top tools and punches to make decorative faces. To make the bottle opener, students start with bar stock and will learn how to fuller, punch and drift, as well as work in a team with another smith.
Learn all about Square Foot gardening from a local gardening guru. Square Foot gardening is the practice of planning small but intensively planted gardens. It combines concepts from other organic gardening methods, including composting, closely planted raised beds and attention to a small, clearly defined area. It is a high-yield, space-saving and time-saving gardening technique. Come learn from a pro, watch nature do her work, and then come back during the summer to tend your garden and harvest your efforts. Though the class is geared to vegetable gardening, the techniques discussed are applicable to other types of gardening as well. A terrific class for beginning gardeners or experts alike - and a great way to get out in the sun and enjoy our Adirondacks!
This is a fun project to learn about weaving with birch bark. This version of Dona's "Lidded Pouch" is delicate and light weight and has leather hinges on the back to be able to open and close. Woven over a mold, you will then embellish with additional pieces to lid, choosing from several stitching options and hang it from a leather cord. Pouch is designed for decorative use only. Individual pieces will vary. 5" long x 1" deep x 7" high not counting leather.
Carve a decorative door topper for your interior or exterior door. Learn to design, lay out, and carve, a scenic design or welcome sign for the top of your door.
This class is an introduction to the cold process method of soap making. Students will get a lesson in lye safety and will participate in the making of a basic soap. Students will leave with a loaf of soap that will yield about eight bars. Finally, while this is an introductory class, there will be discussion about ways to acquire further knowledge/skills.
Blacksmiths have always made their own tools and it's a skill every smith should know. This class will work with carbon steel to make a punch and a chisel that will be hardened at the working end and soft at the striking end. Each student will leave with two usable tools and the understanding of how to create more.
This is a very practical and handy small wall basket that can be hung up anywhere or sit on any surface. Done in a plain weave, a decorative triple twining at the top adds a touch of color. The matching leather handle fits to the lashed rim. 3" wide x 7.5" long x 9" high with handle.
This final intro to blacksmithing class uses all of the forging techniques taught in the previous classes to create a small coat or pot rack, with hand forged hooks riveted to the base. This is also an introduction o joinery, as students will learn how to rivet pieces together. Other techniques including pass-throughs and mortise and tenon will be demonstrated and discussed.
Carve a decorative door topper for your interior or exterior door. Learn to design, lay out, and carve, a scenic design or welcome sign for the top of your door.
The use of plants for wellness, nutrition and balance has been practiced for thousands of years in the Adirondacks and cultures around the globe. Join Margo for an exploration of Basic Principles of Herbal Medicine through the lens of intimately getting to know 6 easy to identify plants from our local region who may be growing right under your own feet! (And in your own garden!)
In this class you will have an opportunity to gain intimate knowledge of plants and traditional methods of working with them, while building your wild skill set in identification and transforming raw (plant) material into beneficial preparations through hands-on experiences. Your work in the classroom will continue at home. In each class you will receive a rooted specimen of the plant we work with, along with the earthwork of establishing your own medicinal herb garden.
This class is recommended for those who are: curious, herbalists, gardeners and/or plant lovers, ages 13 and up, beginner or experienced.
