Want to develop your handy skills but don’t know where to start? Improving your home should feel accessible, enriching and fun.
Let's break into the wide ranging world of "Do-It-Yourself" with something simple, a shelf! Through its simplicity, a shelf offers a clear and straightforward on-ramp for examining the fundamentals of our constructed environment. Our investigation will include exploring streams of free or low cost materials, learning common structural configurations, and analyzing our own personal relationship to domestic space. From there we'll design shelves tailored to each student's needs and abilities. Get introduced or more acquainted with power tools as we bring your shelf to life using salvaged materials.
Remember, the shelf is just our launching pad! We will spend ample time in this class highlighting how to continue practicing and expanding your skills outside of this class and into many areas of your home-life.
The materials fee for this class is $15 and is included in the admission cost.
* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status * __________________________
Taught by Hibs
~Power tools 101 is a prerequisite for this course~
Learn how to transform rough lumber into finished sizes while making a mitered box. This class will cover how to use the tools to create parallel sides and perpendicular corners before building the box. Through box-making, we will learn how to make several forms of joinery including miters, splines, and dados. This class is open to students of all levels of ability, and we will make accommodations for anyone with a disability.
The materials fee for this class is $25 and is included in the admission cost
* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status *
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Taught by Aria Kampfer
This craft hang is gathering in the hand tools classroom at Fireweed Woodshop.
6:30-8:30pm Registration is free or give what you can without pressure!
Bring your own hand-carving project to the shop for some company, community, and sharing tips and tricks. This is NOT A CLASS, just a hangout.
This is a FREE event, open to all. If you like/are able to contribute, we have some different donation levels at registration, or you can choose "FREE!" registration. Thank you!
What to bring:
a mask (fireweed masks up indoors; extra masks are always available too)
-your project (all handcrafts welcome!)
- your carving tools (we usually have some spoon blanks for sale)
Join us for an afternoon timber framing workshop intended for FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans, and Agender) participants.
This demonstration and practice session provides a welcoming and supportive environment to explore the fundamentals of traditional timber framing.
Participants will learn about the tools, techniques, and principles of timber frame joinery through guided demonstrations and hands-on practice. Together, we will cover layout, cutting, and assembling timber frame joints, with a focus on accuracy and craftsmanship. No prior experience is necessary—just an interest in working with wood and learning new skills.
Whether you’re curious about timber framing as a craft or considering larger projects in the future, this introductory workshop offers a solid foundation and an opportunity to connect with others in a collaborative learning space.
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Taught by Jenna Pollard.
In this class, you will learn the fundamentals of furniture making through the process of making a chair. You will mill lumber, practice making mortise and tenon joints using a domino cutter, and learn about various finishes that can make your chairs unique. No experience with woodworking is required.
The materials fee for this class is $100 and is included in the admission cost.
Taught by Sophie Glenn
Learn to make two beautiful brooms on sticks: Cobbwebber and Stitched Besom broom. In this 4 hour class we will make a round besom broom and stitch it. We will also plate a cobwebber broom. Students will leave with material to stitch their cobwebber broom at home once it is dry. Leave feeling confident and inspired to explore the world of broom making.
Please wear closed toed shoes.
The materials fee for this class is $37 and is included in the admission cost.
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Taught by Tina Green Krause.
It can be hard to find just the right picture frame--especially for one-of-a-kind art--and custom frames are expensive. Solve that problem by learning how to build your own! We'll use the table saw, miter saw, and v-nailer to construct basic frames out of oak, maple, or cherry. Students should come to class with dimensions of the piece they want to frame, and we'll take it from there!
The materials fee for this class is $15 and is included in the class admission cost.
Taught by Julie Arnold
Open shop is a time for you to bring in any projects or crafts you are working on and have access to the tools and the space. While we will have an instructor on staff to help open shop run smoothly and make sure tools are being used safely, this is a self-directed work time NOT class time. Open shop is capped at 8 participants and needs 6 participants to run.
Registrants of open shop MUST have taken power tools 101 or be comfortable and experienced using power tools. Every attendee of open shop must register. Please no guests without registration!
Please email fireweedwoodshop@gmail.com if you have any questions about open shop or what tools are available to use.
* We do require masking indoors, whatever your vaccination status * _________________________________
Facilitated by Hibs.
This class will explore the use of basketry on woodturning, using bowls turned and finished by the Fireweed community, and basketry techniques of all sorts explored in this class. Both crafts will be leveraged to create work not possible by each craft on its own.
The materials fee for this class is $75 and is included in the admission cost.
Taught by Janine Wang
Join instructor Theoren Keenan for a walk on West River Road learning about common tree species to the Twin Cities. This course will cover winter identification features including buds, bark, and branch pattern, as well as uses and characteristics of the wood for craftspeople.
This class will be held outdoors despite rain, snow, or cold at the discretion of the instructor. If conditions become unsafe the class may be rescheduled.
----------------------Taught by Theoren Keenan.
Come learn how to turn your own bowl on the lathe! We will start with a freshly cut bowl blank and take it all the way to its finished shape. You will be learning parts of the lathe, how to mount your blank, and how to use bowl gouges, scrapers, and different chuck attachments. We will also cover how you will later on dry, sand, and finish the bowl. In this 4 hour class we will go at a pace at which everyone is comfortable, leaving plenty of room for demonstration, questions, and hands-on time.
The materials fee for this class is $30 and is included in the admission cost.
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Taught by Abbey Dickhudt
Learn how to carve a spoon from a fresh cut tree using traditional Nordic carving techniques. We cover tree anatomy, axing out a blank (roughed out spoon shape), knife holds for the hook & sloyd knife, drying, and finishing. This class is great for the beginner or the person wanting to learn Sloyd style carving. The class fee includes tool rental, materials, a finishing kit, and safety gloves. Please wear pants and close toed-shoes, as we are going to make some wood chips!
The materials fee for this class is $25 and is included in the admission cost.
Taught by Katie Speckman
In this class we’ll make a simple single slat chair using traditional and modern tools with fresh black ash and woven with cotton Shaker tape. Beginners are welcome, but some basic woodworking experience will make the learning curve with the tools shorter. This class will require some hand strength to grip tools and some extended periods of standing. Being able to open a sealed jar is an example of hand strength.
The materials cost of this class is $65 and is included in the admission cost.
Taught by Mary Tripoli
Learn to make two functional and beautiful whisk brooms. This half day introduction class will cover traditional shaker and modern designs of the Turkey Wing and Sparrow tail hand brooms with wrapped handles. Bonus, you'll also use broomcorn remnants to make a cake tester, burnisher, or pot scrubber! Leave feeling confident and inspired to explore the world of broom making.
The materials fee for this class is $22 and is included in the admission cost.
Facilitated by Aria Kampfer
In this 5-day class geared towards the newer woodworkers, students will construct a unique side table while learning the basics of solid wood construction, exposed-dowel joinery, pattern routing and finishing. Kelly loves to teach people how to use power tools and safety will be her focus as the students learn how to use many common shop tools, including the bandsaw, miter saw, table saw, jointer, planer, drill press and router table. Students will learn to use several types of jigs throughout the project.
Additionally, they will learn how to fabricate simple dowel jigs that will allow them to create joints that are both functional and decorative. Spontaneous learning opportunities will ensure that students learn basic problem-solving skills that will be useful as they work on future projects. As time allows, each student will be encouraged to embellish their project with pyrography (wood burning), carved textures, ebonizing, application of color, etc., so that the table created is reflective of each student’s personal aesthetic.
The class will also include strategies for successful glue-ups and discuss simple finishing techniques. By the end of the class each person will have a unique table and a new-found confidence in their woodworking skills!
Taught by Kelly Parker
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