Carve a Kuksa – Saturday and Sunday, July 27 and 28, 2024

Kuksa carving is an Old World tradition that has a rich history in Scandinavia. Not only will Alex teach you to make your own kuksa, but he will be giving you insight into how he makes his own and develops his designs.

In this course, you will be fully immersed in the world of kuksa carving — the ultimate wooden drinking cup. The goal of the workshop is to build a relationship with each of the tools we will be using while gaining an understanding of how they work in relation to the timber itself. This is a great course aimed at both beginners and more experienced wood carvers. We will be swinging axes and adzes, and using specialty gouges, hook tools, and the humble, but versatile, sloyd knife. This is a very unique opportunity because you will be learning to safely use such a large array of tools while developing techniques which bridge the gap between spoon and bowl carving. 

The course will cover just about all you need to know, including sourcing wood, designing your own cups, learning various knife and tool grips, innovative ways to use tools, decorative carving and painting, learning Alex’s unique and advanced hollowing techniques. We will even discuss tool maintenance.

*Note: This class takes place over two days: Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Some specialty bespoke adzes and gouges will be used. In addition, some lovely green wood will be provided that you will transform from raw material to a fine drinking vessel by the end of the course.

The goal of this workshop is to gain confidence in yourself and the tools being used. By the end of the course, you will have all of the knowledge and skills needed to start crafting your own unique cups that will get passed down from generation to generation.

Alex will be bringing his collection of wooden cups to use as design examples, as well as some freshly carved kuksas he will have for sale.

Your instructor will provide:

• Adze
• Hook knives
• Sloyd knives
• Axes

Students will have access to the instructor’s tools if needed.

 Students are asked to bring:

• Hook knife or gouge
• Axe
• Sloyd knife (Mora 106)
• Pruning saw
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Compass or dividers
• Carving gloves or work gloves 

Students can find these items online. 

Age Requirement
Students ages 18 and older are welcome to attend this class.

Skill Level 
No experience needed.

Location Details
Marine Mills Folk School
550 Pine Street, Marine on St. Croix, MN

Cost Details
Tuition: $225
Material Fee: $40
Total Cost: $265

NOTE: Be aware we may cancel class if a minimum number of registrations is not reached. We work to balance a teacher’s need to plan for a class with students’ busy schedules — not an easy task. Please register as early as possible!

If interested, you can find our cancellation policy here.