Work It: Craft Lake City’s DIY Fest Artisan Workshops

From the art of coffee tasting to bookbinding to metalworking, there’s a workshop for everyone at the 13th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival—yes, even if you don’t think you’re artsy! Sit down with a variety of talented local artisans and get ready to soak up their creative knowledge on August 13, 14 and 15. Read below to find a workshop that strikes your fancy, and make sure to sign up for these and other workshops by visiting the Craft Lake City website at 24tix.com/venues/diy-festival-at-the-utah-state.

My Leather Legacy Hand-Bound Leather Journals Workshop with Amanda Parramoure

SLUG: Have you taught a workshop before? If so, tell us about your previous workshops!
Parramoure: I’ve been teaching bookbinding for almost five years now. I moved leather into my workshops quickly because of how classy and luxurious it is. I’m also branching out to teach the visually stunning “caterpillar binding” this year and am so excited.

SLUG: What project will you be teaching at the DIY Festival this year?
Parramoure: This will be our longstitch binding “artisan journal.” We interweave some gorgeous papers that will personalize the book to the maker and then stitch them into our leather covers. Attendees will be equipped to make more journals in their choice of materials going forward or refill the cover from this book in the future.

SLUG: How would you prepare individuals interested in taking your workshop?
Parramoure: Come with a hungry and observant mind, as it is somewhat detail oriented, but not overwhelming by any means. Be ready to connect to your project, with other makers and with the awesome but lesser-known world of book arts!

Coffee Tasting with Brandon Despain of Caffe Ibis

SLUG: How would you describe Caffe Ibis?
Despain: Caffe Ibis is a coffee roasting company focused on sourcing and producing specialty coffee in a socially conscious and sustainable way. That framework has been instrumental in focusing my creativity and passion for coffee. Through that lens I have learned to create amazing coffee for all tastes.

SLUG: What will you be teaching at your workshop?
Despain: I will be teaching the basics of tasting coffee. Knowing how to taste and what you are tasting can open a whole new world and allow you to explore new coffees and flavors with intention.The World Coffee Research Foundation has created a sensory lexicon that objectively defines flavor. Using the lexicon, we will cover several of the basic flavors and [a] few specific ones to apply that knowledge while tasting coffee.

SLUG: How is this workshop approachable for beginners?
Despain: Tasting notes and communicating specific flavors can be intimidating because it is subjective. This workshop will help folks unlock their innate ability to describe what they are tasting by objectively defining basic flavors.

Forged-Metal Ginkgo Leaf Earrings Workshop with Cynthia Wainscott

SLUG: How would you describe your work and your brand as an artist?
Wainscott: My designs are a reflection of my self-awareness, an interpretation of my culture and traditions and the way I have to connect to nature and tell stories. I am a metalsmith who incorporates forging, sculpting, carving and lots of experimenting that result[s] in jewelry made with silver, copper, bronze and ethically sourced stones, many from my country, Peru.

SLUG: What project will you be teaching at your workshop?
Wainscott: I’ll be showing the hammering techniques to help create forged ginkgo leaf earrings.

SLUG: What about this project makes the workshop approachable for beginners?
Wainscott: When I started making jewelry I didn’t have much to start—just a few materials and almost no tools, so I had to get creative. That’s what I want to teach everyone who ventures to take this workshop—you don’t need much to create something beautiful … that you can be proud of! I want them to explore and to be open to unconventional ways that will help them start their journey into jewelry making.

Botanical Bundle-Dyed Silk Bandanas with Roxanne Vigos of Sage Adornment

SLUG: Have you taught a workshop before? If so, tell us about your previous workshops!
Vigos: I have been teaching natural dye workshops since 2016. I have learned so much from my students about how they absorb information. I always aim to give a fully immersive experience as an instructor because that’s my favorite feeling in workshops, too.

SLUG: What project will you be teaching at your workshop?
Vigos: I am teaching one of my favorite methods for dyeing cloth called “bundle dyeing.” We will be making beautiful, naturally dyed silk bandanas.

SLUG: What about this project makes the workshop approachable for beginners?
Vigos: In the bundle dye workshop, we will be using a variety of materials that give color [to] cloth. A bandana is a perfect size to learn how to wrap and bundle as it’s very manageable. You will get a peek into understanding mordants, dyestuff and different fiber types. It’s a great invitation to explore natural dye in a bite-size piece.

Botanical Burn Wands with Carli Miller of Wild Meraki Creations

SLUG: How would you describe your work and your brand as an artist?
Miller: Wild Meraki is a small-batch plant potion and paper studio offering ritually crafted products and workshops/ceremonies to integrate more intention into your life. I hope to offer safe spaces for the community to cultivate creativity, love, connection and education in purposeful ways to interact with the beneficial aspects of plants.   

SLUG: What project will you be teaching at the DIY Festival workshop?
Miller: I will be teaching a botanical burn wand workshop. I will be guiding the class and assisting in tying their intentions into a beautiful wand of sacred plants, flowers and crystals. They will learn about the sacred art of smoke cleansing, clearing your home and aura [and] the different properties and benefits that each herb offers.

SLUG: How would you prepare individuals interested in taking your workshop?
Miller: The best way to prepare is to come with an open heart and mind. There is no wrong way to create a botanical burn wand—it can be used no matter what it looks like.