Learn how to make your very own personal hiking stick. Begin by selecting the perfect stick collected by the instructor. Then you will learn how to shave and carve your hiking stick. Once you are happy with your creation, the sticks will be completed by drilling a hole in them and adding a lanyard. Once finished, put your stick to good use on the trail running right by our school!
No weaving experience is necessary! The looms are dressed and ready to go, all you need to do is bring your creative spirit and to leave with a finished one-of-a-kind rug. Students will have a choice of making a traditional Rag Rug using recycled fabric strips or making a Sock Rug using remnants from a sock factory. Colors and choices of fabric and remnants vary from class to class depending on availability. The rugs are 24" wide, and up to 45" long.
Get an early start on holiday gift giving. Make pinecone flowers, use natural mosses and twigs to decorate a small keepsake box and one small frame. Add your own photo for a special gift or family keepsake.
Interested in blacksmithing but unsure how to start? Open Forge Night is the place for you! Every third Wednesday of the month during our blacksmithing season, come see demonstrations by expert blacksmith Steve Gurzler. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. If you want to try your hand at blacksmithing there is a $20 fee to cover the cost of materials. Safety precautions must be followed - including hard shoes with no open toes, long pants, goggles (supplied) and gloves (supplied).
Sterling alloys in clay form are stronger than pure silver and easy to work with making it ideal for ring making. It is possible to either purchase a .950 sterling clay or make a .960 clay (a 50/50 combination of pure silver clay and .925 sterling clay). The emphasis in this class will be on making rings, but you are also welcome to use some of your clay to make other items as well. While this class is ideal for those with metal clay experience, it is open to anyone with an interest in learning metal clay techniques for making rings with metal clay.
In this class students will create a stained glass mosaic in an 8" x 10" frame. Students will have a choice of photographs to work with, or may bring their own if desired. Students will be instructed on how to grout their piece, which is recommended but not required. This class is suitable for students of any level.
The plants are whispering…beckoning us to gather “in the wild.” This class is for those who would like to answer that call. To work with the plants at their peak in the location in which they thrive! Using techniques from various earth-based traditions, discover the many benefits of wild foraging including: approaching the plants with an open and receptive heart, working intuitively, setting intentions for the exchange, asking permission as a way of giving respect, giving thanks, wild plant identification, and making herbal preparations on the spot!
Come create a simple turned bowl that still looks and feels rustic due to its live edge. This course is targeted to those who have an interest in learning how to turn. The emphasis will be on learning how to use a lathe and tools safely and correctly. In this class, you will learn the basics of creating spindle-based objects and then work at turning your bowl. Leave the class with a lovely treasure that captures the "wild" feel of the Adirondacks!
Taught by Sheila Flanagan and Sal Speights, both internationally awarded cheesemakers, known for creative semi-aged cheeses, this course will focus on all the simplest aspects of cheesemaking and the vast variety of cheeses that can be made based on different cultures, rennets, additives and mechanical processing methods. Students will learn how to make bloomy rind cheeses, age, and inoculate them and how to add variations to their cheese. Please note: Students will check in at the Folk School, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY. They will then travel to Nettle Meadow's Plant/Tasting Room 1256 Lake Ave., Lake Luzerne, NY for the duration of the class.
Weave a splint seat onto a hardwood stool frame with either natural colored or dyed flat reed, with a choice of colors to choose from. Stool and weaving materials will be provided.
Goat milk soap is excellent for people with dry, irritated or sensitive skin. It is loaded with nutrients, proteins, fat, calcium and vitamins. It is an excellent natural moisturizer that helps hydrate, nourish and revitalize skin. We will discuss natural dyes and additives which you may wish to incorporate in your soap. You will be making a pound of soap to take home.
