Bark Craft Workshop

During this two day workshop, you'll learn how to harvest bark and craft a large bag or basket as well as smaller containers with carved wooden lids

There are many species of tree that will happily give up their bark if the time is right. If you’ve chosen a good tree, at the right time of year it virtually pops off the wood with very little effort. The remaining wood can be used for carving bows, cups, bowls, spoons and all sorts of useful furniture and equipment around camp so really the bark can be viewed as a useful by-product of wood harvesting in the spring. Some bark is relatively thick but can be made flexible and shaped while damp to produce hardy containers and bags with a tough wood-like quality once dry – perfect as a quiver for holding and protecting arrows!

Other barks are thinner and more malleable from the outset allowing smaller, more intricate containers to be made. Carefully chosen and properly worked, bark is waterproof therefore making containers that bridge the gap between lightweight, woven but not very waterproof containers and pottery – capable of holding water but heavy and fragile to transport. Bark containers that are able to hold water have even been used to cook in historically, using heated rocks from the fire to boil the water from inside.

Bark can be cut in a certain way to be joined. It can also be stitched, glued or pinned meaning that you’ll also learn about obtaining natural cordage from plant fibres,  making natural glues and carving techniques to allow you to make lids and rims from green, seasoned and steamed wood. 

The ability to craft such useful containers quickly using only locally found, natural materials is an essential bushcraft skill. 

Each working day will begin at 9am and we'll aim to down tools at 5pm (although please be prepared to stay on a little longer if needed)

All tools, materials and hot drinks are provided however, please bring your own lunch and snacks. 

This spring and early summer workshop can be booked as private training for groups of two or more people. Please get in touch to choose your own date

Please expect to be constantly busy on our craft workshops. To get as much as possible from your experience, arrive fully prepared to work hard between the advertised start and finish times. Traditional crafts ask a lot from your hands, muscles and mind but the long term gain will be worth it!

Bark Craft Workshop