Birch Bark Canisters

Instructor: John Manthei

Saturday and Sunday, November 4 & 5, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

In this class, students will make airtight, durable, birch bark boxes that are perfect for storage of coffee, tea, spices, or any number of other dry goods. Natural oils in the bark actually 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 glues. 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 starter. Sometimes they were made as double- or triple-deckers, in which case you could store coffee, sugar, and tobacco all in one container.