Nordic Handcraft Workshop; Carve Your Own Dala Horse with Rose Holdorf

Traditionally carved from builders’ leftover pine wood scraps, the Dala Horse is a national symbol of Sweden and a way for carvers to pass those dark winter days by whittling in front of the woodstove. With roots in the 1700s, and maybe earlier, the famous wood carvers of the Swedish Dalarna region still hand carve these pine figures today. They’re then finished with a traditional kurbits-style, hand-painted decoration. Students will carry on the fine tradition of midwinter whittling in this daylong workshop, focusing on Scandinavian flat-plane figure carving techniques as we work on our own dala-inspired horses. There may even be time to finish the carving with paint and a simple wood finish. All experience levels are welcome.

An additional $20 materials fee is payable to the instructor.