Spoon Carving with Alex Yerks

Saturday + Sunday, May 17-18, 2025
10am-5pm ET
Instructor: Alex Yerks
Location: Finnish American Folk School Wood Shop
Skyline Commons room 102
Class fee: $190
Materials fee: $40 paid directly to instructor
Last day to register April 8 or when sold out

The folk tradition from tree trunk to table! Come carve one of the first tools we come into contact with as a human, the ancient and glorious wooden spoon! Dive right into the world of spoon carving following the rich tradition of green woodworking. The process begins with the raw tree full of moisture with the bark still on. Utilizing the axe with tried and true techniques, you’ll learn to quickly shape blocks of wood into working spoon blanks. From there Alex will take you through the many different knife grips which allow you to carve beautiful sculpted shapes safely and efficiently. All while learning to read the grain to design durable and beautiful spoons. 

This two-day workshop will include hands-on demonstrations such as sharpening, spoon designs & layout, wood choice, where to harvest, and how to finish your spoon. You’ll leave the class with confidence in the use of an axe and knife, and your new art of carving spoons.

Beginners and advanced carvers ages 18+ are welcome. Students are strongly encouraged to also sign up for Alex's tool sharpening workshop on Friday, May 16 to be sure their tools are sharp and ready to carve spoons. 

Please bring any spoons you’ve carved to class. Alex will be bringing a very large collection of some of the finest carved spoons from around the world. 

Required Tools: 

• Sloyd Knife (Mora 106 or better)

• Spoon Knife, Hook Knife, or Gouge for hollowing (one of these)

• Pencil

• Paper or notebook

• pruning saw (if you have one)

Alex will be bringing some extra tools for the class to use, as well as extra spoon blanks that can be purchased.