Birch Bark Boxes: Scandinavian Bark Basketry

In this class, students will make durable, airtight birch bark boxes that are perfect for storage of coffee, tea, spices, or any number of other dry goods. Natural oils in the bark work to prevent spoilage, while the dark, air-locked environment inside the canister keeps things from going stale. These beautiful and functional containers are held together without adhesives. Precision-fitted parts, tension, and small wooden pegs are all that is needed to make these incredibly tough boxes. In days past, these containers held snoose (chewing tobacco) and things like matches and fire starters. Sometimes they were made as double- or triple-deckers, in which case you could store coffee, sugar, and tobacco all in one container. Allowing four days for this class gives ample time to cover topics ranging from the technical aspects of making containers to properties of birch bark and decoration. It also gives students time to experiment and explore the containers in more depth.