2026 Courses & Registration
Wagatabon Japanese Tray Carving with Joey Traynor
Happy Winter Everyone!
We are proud to unfold another year of courses at Woodspirit School. We think learning hand skills and creating something beautiful and useful the slow way is relevant now more than ever. Our human history is rich with handwork traditions which have been passed down for many generations. We encourage you to take part in carrying this knowledge into the future.
Our course offerings for 2026 are on the Calendar here and the class descriptions are on the Registration Page here. Registration opens January 1, 2026
A little nitty gritty… We have added a few new instructors and courses this year, see the list below. Our Cancellation Policy is also included below which is fairly strict. We recommend covering your travel arrangements in case of cancellations. We will once again be sending out a discount code via email to returning students, because it’s so nice to see you again :)
We have tidied up and combined our Housing information. Housing can be costly, however the good news is that the nearest city campground Prentice Park will be taking reservations for the first time starting in February! We also have a new local rental in the works with up to 4 rooms that groups can rent together. For those who have never been to this area—it is an incredibly beautiful and special place with clean water, miles of lakeshore, the Apostle Islands, forests, boating, beaches, concerts, gorgeous sunsets, and small town quiet. Add some days to your trip to enjoy it all.
Ashland and Bayfield County residents can apply for grants to cover tuition here. Work Study opportunities are also available, scroll down for details.
Lastly, we’d like to encourage you to attend our 2026 Craft Night Series. It is an opportunity to meet our extraordinary instructors and learn about their craft and work through presentations, demonstrations, exhibitions, and experiences. It’s educational, fun, and free. We’d love to meet you there!
Craft Night Series 2026
April 30 Drink Up! Norwegian Ale Hens
exhibition & slideshow with Mike Loeffler.
May 15 Baskets in Lichtenfels: International Basket Festival
slideshow & basket collection exhibition with Jarrod Dahl.
June 3 So Many Scandinavian Baskets!
slideshow & basket collection exhibition plus splint making demonstration with Jarrod Dahl.
June 12 Turning Flax into Cloth
presentation & demonstration with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl. Watch or take part in the processes of making flax plants into fiber, thread and cloth.
July 9 Japanese Textile Travels
presentation with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl. A show and tell of textiles and photos from three trips to Japan.
July 16 All Blue: Japanese Indigo Dyeing Experience
with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl. Watch or try out dyeing in a sukumo indigo vat. Registration is required to participate in dyeing, as space is limited. Register here.
July 31 Latin American Textile Travels
presentation with Louise Young. A show and tell from Louise’s amazing textile collection and talk about her travels to Guatemala and beyond.
August 7 Urban Woodsman: Wood Carving in Detroit
presentation with Joey Traynor.
August 13 Scandinavian Wood Carving Traditions & Travels
slideshow presentation with Alex Yerks about his recent travels as an ASF grant recipient.
August 20 Turned Round: Museum Collections
slideshow presentation and woodenware exhibition with Derek Brabender about his recent wooden treen research.
August 28 Lively Baskets
presentation and exhibition with Emily Dirke on willow basketry.
September 4 Our Wooden Spoon Collection
presentation with Jarrod Dahl. The Wooden Spoon Drawer Exhibition & Talk.
September 18? Japanese Woodturning & Urushi
presentation with special guest, Eiko Tanaka from Japan.
Work Study Opportunities
If you live nearby, have some free time and can do a variety of manual labor jobs, we are offering limited work-study opportunities for spots in select classes. Contact us here for more information.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation/Refunds: Cancellation is very difficult due to small class sizes and the challenges of replacing your spot. Let us know as soon as possible if you are cancelling. All cancellations are subject to a 15% cancellation fee. Some courses have a Special Cancellation Policy listed in their description.
Standard Cancellation Policy: 85% refund for cancellations more than 6 weeks before the start of class. No refunds for cancellations of less than 6 weeks unless your place in class is filled by someone on a waitlist.
Special Cancellation Policy: No refunds for cancellations unless your spot is filled from the waitlist.
Woodspirit School Cancellation: If the workshop is cancelled by Woodspirit School a full refund will be given. If a class doesn't meet minimum enrollment 6 weeks before start, we may cancel. Make sure your lodging and transport reservations will refund you if this happens.
Have a Happy New Year!
Jarrod & Jazmin, Woodspirit School