Green Woodcarving Foundations

This class runs Saturday, May 18 from 10 am–5 pm and Sunday, May 19 from 9 am–12 pm.

Are you interested in Scandinavian-style green wood carving? This is the perfect place to start if you want to carve practical items like spoons, bowls, and more using fresh-cut wood and traditional hand tools. Join instructor Maeve Gathje for a one-and-a-half-day course where you will learn everything you need to know to start a carving practice. From sourcing fresh-cut logs to finishing projects, this class is designed to give you the skills you need. You will learn about different types of hand tools, with a focus on the sloyd (Scandinavian-style carving) knife. Class discussions will also cover tool maintenance and sharpening, building a toolset, acquiring green wood, safe tool use, drying, and finishing projects with milk paint or oil. Over two days, you will complete several small projects such as a wall hook, spatula, or shrink pot.

This class is perfect for beginners with no carving experience and is also a great next step for those who have taken ASI’s Green Woodcarving 101/Intro to Green Woodcarving class or have some experience with woodcarving. If you’re planning to take any of our spoon carving courses, we recommend taking this class first. Please note that carving green wood requires some hand strength and flexibility. The class is open to ages 16 and above, or ages 14+ if registered alongside an accompanying adult.

During the class, you will need to pay a $25 materials fee to the instructor, which covers all tools and materials.

If you’re not sure which green woodcarving course is right for you, it’s recommend Intro to Green Woodcarving for those seeking basic tips, or Green Woodcarving Foundations for a more in-depth introduction. Green Woodcarving Foundations can be taken after or instead of Intro to Green Woodcarving and is a prerequisite for our spoon carving courses. If you’re interested in carving with dry wood (e.g. figure carving), we suggest starting with any of our half-day “flat plane” style classes, such as the heart, veggie, or dala horse projects.