Date and time: This is a two-day class on Saturday, May 24, 2025, and Sunday, May 25, 2025. 9:00am – 5:00pm PT, both days. There will be a 1-hour break for lunch each day.
Location: Multnomah Arts Center (7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR), Room 30
Cost: $140 (includes $80 class fee and materials fee of $60)
Instructor: Beth Homa Kraus
Maximum number of students: 10
What you will need: Favorite scissors and clips, notebook, writing utensils, and camera. Note-taking and photo documentation are encouraged as this class does not provide patterns. Lunch and beverage if desired.
Student skill level: Intermediate - Some weaving experience required. Must have good hand strength and dexterity, CBBG members only.
Description: Discover the beauty and resilience of birch bark by crafting a sturdy lidded basket in this immersive two-day class. You'll start by weaving a horizontal base while exploring the history, ecology, and harvesting techniques of the iconic white paper birch tree.
Experience hands-on material processing as you split, snip, and grade raw bark into usable weaving material. You'll size and fit a custom lid for your basket, securing it with a natural root or stick hinge. The finished basket will measure approximately 7" x 5" x 5" — perfect for storing recipes, jewelry, or cherished trinkets.
Important Information: During the class, students will condition their baskets using a beeswax and walnut oil mixture. Please notify CBBG via email (ColumbiaBasinBasketryGuild@gmail.com) of any nut allergies at least four weeks in advance of the class.
To reserve a space, click “add to cart” below. The last day to register is May 10, 2025. If you need to cancel, please do so before May 10 to receive a full refund.
When the class fills we will take names for a waiting list. To be put on the wait list, send the title of the class with your contact information to ColumbiaBasinBasketryGuild@gmail.com
About Your Instructor
Beth Homa-Kraus uses sustainably harvested and hand-processed bark from White Paper Birch trees to make woven items that can be used in everyday life, as well as in a gallery. By teaching classes and facilitating other learning opportunities in this handcraft, Beth focuses on building communities and celebrating the weaving traditions rooted in many different cultures.
After studying painting at Hamline University and working as a caseworker for the homeless in Baltimore, Maryland, Beth became an intern at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. There she learned many traditional crafts including several styles of boat building, but her focus shifted to basketry, sparking her obsession with birch bark.
Beth has taught birch basketry classes at North House Folk School, the American Swedish Institute, the Weavers’ Guild, and many special engagements. Through communal learning, public demonstrations, and facilitating harvests, she shares her love for this durable and beautiful material with everyone with a desire to learn. www.BirchBarkBeth.Squarespace.com