Explore Our Classes
June 2019
Imagination + Kids + Camera = FUN! Beginning Photography Age 10+ – 2 half-day classes
A picture is worth a thousand words! This class will empower students to begin to capture images that express themselves in relation to the world around them. Students will be introduced to technical and aesthetic aspects of photography, providing them with the foundation for life-long enjoyment & expression. This class is on 2 consecutive Saturdays: June 15 & June 22, 2019 from 9:00am - 11:30am each Saturday. Bonus: At the end of class, each student will own their own…
Find out more »Making a Slab-built Pottery Mug with Connie Helke
- Sold out!
Connie Helke is amazing and generous, and we love her! Because of high interest, she has agreed to hold another class at her studio, to benefit Marine Mills Folk School! Your class fee will go 100% to supporting our new folk school, as Connie is donating her time. Be one of the lucky few to spend an afternoon with Connie, learning to create a functional mug complete with handle. You will learn to roll out a slab of white stoneware…
Find out more »July 2019
Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants: An Introduction to Foraging
Have you ever thought about foraging in nearby woods, fields, or trails, but haven’t had the knowledge or confidence to do so on your own? Tanna Worrell, the Friendly Forager, is based locally and has been sharing her enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, foraging for many years. Join Tanna as the growing season begins in May, hunting for spring wild edible and medicinal plants. Participants will learn about how to ethically forage and how to identify some early spring plants. …
Find out more »Intergenerational – Mixed Media Weaving
Create a whimsical mixed media mini tapestry using basic weaving techniques with beautiful yarns and fibers on a simple loom of burlap and matboard. Then, layer strips of book pages, mulberry paper, or printed sheets to build your visual story. Finally, embellish with found objects, beads and jewelry components, buttons and paper flowers, or sticks and other natural items. When you've finished, you'll have your own fiber arts mini tapestry, approximately 5 x 7 inches. Add a matboard frame or…
Find out more »Imagination + Kids + Camera = FUN! Beginning Photography Age 10+ – 2 half-day classes
A picture is worth a thousand words! This class will empower students to begin to capture images that express themselves in relation to the world around them. Students will be introduced to technical and aesthetic aspects of photography, providing them with the foundation for life-long enjoyment & expression. This class is on 2 consecutive Saturdays: July 13th & 20th from 1:00pm - 3:30pm each Saturday. Bonus: At the end of class, each student will own their own digital camera! The…
Find out more »Forest Bathing
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed and have my senses put in order.” –John Burroughs Shinrin yoku (colloquially known as forest bathing) is a traditional Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature by mindfully using all five senses. This class is designed for those looking to increase health and well being in their lives by immersing in, and responding to, the beautiful natural world. With Nature as her co-guide, Chris will lead a gentle, short-distance walk in…
Find out more »Eco Printing with Botanicals on Silk
Learn the fascinating process of printing leaves onto fabric without the use of paints, inks or external dyes. In botanical printing, also called eco printing, heat is used to extract pigments and tannins from leaves and transfer them to paper or cloth, leaving behind lasting prints of the leaves. In this introductory class we’ll take a brief walk outside to gather leaves, learn how to bundle our leaves tightly against silk, then submit our bundles to the steamer. While our…
Find out more »Stone Balancing
The piling of stones has been happening since ancient times, whether for spiritual purposes, identification of burial grounds, navigation, or other reasons. Stone balancing has been compared to yoga practice, as the mind becomes focused and quiet during the process of balancing the stones. Uniting elements of performance art, sculpture, and meditation, Peter Juhl has been arranging natural stones to create works of art for over twenty years, primarily on the North Shore of Minnesota. The sculptures he creates evoke…
Find out more »Hand-dipped Beeswax Candles
Love the smell of honey and the calming flicker of firelight? Then come to this class and make your own pair of hand-dipped beeswax candles. Exquisite, beautiful, relaxing, and not to mention romantic, beeswax candles are the sought-after candle, but oh, so expensive to buy! Here you will work the craft and hand dip your own to take home. You will also learn the history of candle making, material comparisons, resources, and discover interesting health benefits to this simple light…
Find out more »Traditional Scandinavian Spoon Carving
This is an introductory spoon carving class. We will start with an overview of traditional knife grips and carving techniques. After applying those skills on practice sticks, students will begin carving a medium-sized serving or cooking spoon. With Michele and Erik providing support and expert guidance, the goal of the class is for each student to complete hand carving a spoon! Class is appropriate for adults and ‘young adults’ aged 15 or above. Each ‘young adult’ must be accompanied by…
Find out more »Herbal Remedies for Good Health
Join local herbalist Heather Mashuga on a plant walk through Wilder Forest as you learn to identify local flora for their medicinal and health benefits. Discover how to incorporate the identified plants into your life, improving your overall health and well-being. Herbal medicine focuses on herbs to prevent and treat illness and promote health and has been used for centuries by diverse cultures such as Native Americans, China, India, and Nepal. Each monthly plant walk will highlight different plants depending…
Find out more »August 2019
Imagination + Kids + Camera = FUN! Beginning Photography Age 10+ – 2 half-day classes
A picture is worth a thousand words! This class will empower students to begin to capture images that express themselves in relation to the world around them. Students will be introduced to technical and aesthetic aspects of photography, providing them with the foundation for life-long enjoyment & expression. This class is on 2 consecutive Saturdays: August 3rd & August 10th, from 2:00pm- 4:30pm each Saturday. Bonus: At the end of class, each student will own their own digital camera!…
Find out more »Saami-Inspired Bracelet – Mixed Level
The dramatic landscape of northern Scandinavia is that of the midnight sun, norther lights and the Saami, a nomadic tribal group that follows the migration of the reindeer. Traditional Saami jewelry incorporates elements of their northern landscape – softened reindeer leather, braided pewter wire and sculpted antler. Discover this unique tradition with veteran instructor Liz Bucheit and create a beautiful bracelet in one day. Liz is inviting all interested students, whether new to this class, or returning or intermediate students…
Find out more »Foraging for Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants + Herbal Remedies for Health
This is a combination class with Tanna Worrell, the Friendly Forager, and Heather Mashuga, master herbalist. Participants will learn about how to ethically forage and how to identify plants for both eating and for medicinal and health benefits. At the end of class, the group will prepare a dish to eat and make a folk medicine salve, tincture or infused oil to take home. Students should be prepared to walk an hour in the woods, or about 1 mile. Students…
Find out more »Punch Needle Rug Hooking
Punch needle rug hooking is quick and easy to learn, and once you know the basics, the possibilities of what you can make with this new fiber skill are endless! Remember hooked rugs from your great-grandmother’s era? While rug hooking uses a small hook that is used to pull up loops of yarn, the ‘punch needle’ tool allows users to paint with yarn and create rugs or other useful items more quickly and easily. Recently, there has been a rebirth…
Find out more »Create a Barn/Hex Sign
Barn signs or ‘hex signs’ are mostly known today for their decorative purposes, but some believe they were painted by Pennsylvania Dutch farmers to ward off evil spirits or storms, or to bestow blessings and protections on the farm family. Using bright colors and often incorporating a star pattern, these beautiful designs were originally found primarily in southern Pennsylvania, a region settled by farmers from the Rhineland area of Germany. Create a unique handmade gift for friend or family, or…
Find out more »Stillwater Art Trolley Tour: Kombucha and Other Summer Beverages
Jump aboard the charming Stillwater Trolley for a day of adventure! Join Heather Rutledge, Executive Director of ArtReach as you head north from Stillwater for behind the scenes tours, meet and greets with artists and hands-on demonstrations. Marine Mills Folk School is excited to partner with ArtReach and Wahoo Adventures as participants will learn about a few ways to drink the summer away. We'll focus on one local fruit, the strawberry, which lends itself extraordinarily well to a multitude of…
Find out more »September 2019
Soap Making
Learn to make all natural soap with John Hanson, owner/maker of the Longfellow Soap Company. Due to the use of lye (used as it has been for over 5,000 years in soap making), the soap portion of the class will primarily be a demonstration. Students will leave the class fully prepared to make their own soap and will receive a manual that includes equipment lists, sources for ingredients and where to buy locally, and John’s ‘secret recipe.’ Each student will…
Find out more »Book Binding – Leather Wrap Long Stitch
Create a beautiful leather book in the medieval tradition, without the use of any adhesives. Long-stitch book binding is one of the oldest methods of book binding and is still employed by book artists today. In this workshop you will produce a 4.5 x 6 x 1" journal which although simple, will be beautiful and robust. Each one-of-a-kind journal becomes a piece of art, incorporating design decisions regarding paper, cover color, and finishing touches. Students will then be able to…
Find out more »Herbal Remedies for Good Health
Join local herbalist Heather Mashuga on a plant walk through Wilder Forest as you learn to identify local flora for their medicinal and health benefits. Discover how to incorporate the identified plants into your life, improving your overall health and well-being. Herbal medicine focuses on herbs to prevent and treat illness and promote health and has been used for centuries by diverse cultures such as Native Americans, China, India, and Nepal. A plant walk will highlight different plants depending upon…
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