Maker's Retreat Artisan Class Weekend
Maker's Retreat Dates | October 16-18 Bethlehem's Maker's Retreat is a fun fall weekend packed with unique artisan craft activities like pottery classes, jewelry making, and how to use flowers to make natural dye.
Your fun fall weekend is full of artisan classes. Choose from more than a dozen including pottery making, jewelry workshops, blacksmithing and wood turning.
If you’re looking for a unique fall weekend activity in the Lehigh Valley, you’ve found it. During the Maker’s Retreat in Historic Bethlehem, you’ll get to try all sorts of artisan crafts. There are more than a dozen artisan workshops to choose from. You can choose two classes for each day. Admission includes all of your class materials and tools.
In one pottery class, you can create your own cheese board. Over in the natural dye workshop, you’ll use flowers to make your own dye and then color a silk scarf. Other artisan classes include the opportunity to make your own paper and bind a book. Adventurous attendees will enjoy hammering iron during a blacksmith class or hand carving their very own wooden candle box.
The Historic Bethlehem Maker’s Retreat is a short drive from New York and Philadelphia. So, it’s a great day trip or weekend getaway for couples, friends, and family.
Choose your own artisan workshops at the Maker’s Retreat
Master craftspeople teach every class and with more than 15 craft workshops to choose from, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. To ensure you get personalized attention, each class is limited to six students per session, so space is extremely limited.
You don’t need any experience to attend. Classes are beginner friendly and also provide intermediate options for more advanced students.
Full Maker’s Retreat Artisan Class Schedule
Friday Evening Maker’s Retreat Schedule
Friday, October 16
- 5 PM: Check-In Opens
- 6 PM: Birthplace of Industry Tour
- 7 PM: Welcome/Meet & Greet
Saturday Maker’s Retreat Classes
Saturday, October 17
- 10 AM – 1 PM:
- Introduction to Printmaking
- Metal Jewelry Sculpting
- Blacksmithing 101
- Intro to Woodworking: Create Your Own Candlebox Part 1
- 1 PM – 2 PM:
- Lunch
- 2 PM – 5 PM:
- Natural Dyeing 101
- Bookbinding 101
- Hand-Building Pottery
- Bottle-Opener Blacksmithing Class
- 6 PM – 9 PM:
- Make & Mingle Open-Studio Time
Introduction to Printmaking
Students will sketch, carve, ink and press their way through the linocut process from start to finish. By the end of class, each student will have pulled a series of prints and a reusable block of their own design.
Metal Jewelry Sculpting
In this metalsmithing workshop, students will take bronze pieces and meticulously heat, hammer, and shape them into their very own wearable earrings. Experience the heat of the blowtorch, the throw of the hammer, and the satisfaction of having created your own wearable piece while learning the basics of anticlastic and synclastic metal shaping techniques.
Blacksmithing 101
Take your experience beyond watching and get into the soot with the Blacksmithing 101 course. Staged in our historical 1750 Smithy, watch learn, and hone your skills with one of our professional blacksmiths using the same tools of the trade that were available in the colonial days. Students will learn essential blacksmithing skills including shaping and punching iron, scrolling, and will explore decorative design techniques to create their very own hook to take home with them.
Intro to Woodworking: Create Your Own Candlebox Part 1
Trade the power tools for a hand saw, chisel, and plane, and build a candle box the way it was done for centuries. Students will feel the rhythm of cutting joinery by hand, the curl of shavings off the plane, and the smell of fresh-cut wood as their box takes shape. This is a two-part class, and students must take both parts to finish their project.
Natural Dyeing 101
Take fabric dyeing back to its roots in this immersive, nature-inspired workshop. In this 3-hour experience, you’ll begin your botanical dyeing journey and discover creative ways to draw rich, unexpected color from native plants that can be grown right in your own backyard. Learn the bundle dyeing method as you create your own one-of-a-kind scarf or bandana and watch natural patterns and hues unfold. All materials are provided. Come ready to experiment, explore, and be surprised by the colors you create!
Bookbinding 101
Design and bind your own journal in this beginner-friendly, 3-hour bookbinding workshop. Fold and gather your pages, sew them with a combination of tab and Coptic binding techniques, and create stitching that becomes part of the design before cutting and attaching book boards that let your creativity shine. You’ll walk away with a 30-page book of your own design and the satisfaction of seeing your design come together piece by piece.
Hand-Building Pottery
Get your hands dirty in this playful and creative hand-building pottery workshop. Explore form, texture, and movement as you delicately shape clay to form your one-of-a-kind witch sculpture perfect for the season. Let the creativity flow as each step slowly brings your witch to life!
Bottle-Opener Blacksmithing Class
Step into our 1750 Smithy, pick up a hammer, and forge something you’ll actually use. Working at the forge with one of our professional blacksmiths, you’ll heat iron until it glows, then bend, twist, and shape it into a bottle opener with a handle hammered to fit your own grip. Expect heat, sparks, and a little soot on your hands, and a tool you’ll be showing off every time you open a bottle.
Sunday Maker’s Retreat Classes
Sunday, October 18
- 10 AM – 1 PM:
- Metal Jewelry Sculpting
- Hand-Building Pottery: Sgraffito
- Intro to Woodworking: Create Your Own Candlebox Part 2
- Papermaking
- 1 PM – 2 PM:
- Lunch
- 2 PM – 5 PM:
- Introduction to Wood Carving
- Beginner Embroidery
- Intermediate Blacksmithing
- Introduction to Leatherwork
Metal Jewelry Sculpting
In this metalsmithing workshop, students will take bronze pieces and meticulously heat, hammer, and shape them into their very own wearable earrings. Experience the heat of the blowtorch, the throw of the hammer, and the satisfaction of having created your own wearable piece while learning the basics of anticlastic and synclastic metal shaping techniques.
Hand-Building Pottery: Sgraffito
In this workshop you’ll hand-design your own cheese and display board, coat it in color, and carve a pattern that’s entirely your own. Experience how this ancient technique, Italian for “scratching”, slowly and steadily transforms your clay piece into something unique and intricate. Bring your ideas and personal creative style and design anything from florals, geometrics, initials and leave with a board built to be used.
Intro to Woodworking: Create Your Own Candlebox Part 2
Trade the power tools for a hand saw, chisel, and plane, and build a candle box the way it was done for centuries. Students will feel the rhythm of cutting joinery by hand, the curl of shavings off the plane, and the smell of fresh-cut wood as their box takes shape. This a two-part class, and students must take both parts to finish their project.
Papermaking
Slow down and get your hands wet in this beginner-friendly papermaking workshop. You’ll learn the basics of turning pulp into beautiful sheets of handmade paper, forming couching, pressing, and drying, while exploring simple ways to add color texture, and natural inclusions. All materials are provided, and you’ll leave with your own handmade papers to use for notes, prints, collage, or future art projects.
Introduction to Wood Carving
Pick up a knife, feel the grain give way, and discover why carvers describe this craft as meditative. You’ll learn to hold and sharpen your tools, work with the wood rather than against it, and let the shape reveal itself one careful cut at a time. Expect the smell of fresh-cut wood, a pile of shavings at your feet, and a piece carved entirely by hand.
Beginner Embroidery
With just a needle, hoop, and thread, experience the meditative nature of embroidery, a trade that has shaped textile design for centuries. In this relaxed workshop, students will tread and stitch a wildflower pattern learning some of the most common embroidery stitch techniques. Students are encouraged to find their own flow to discover the intricate designs their imagination takes them.
Intermediate Blacksmithing
Take your blacksmithing skills to the next level in this Intermediate Blacksmithing class. Designed for those who have completed Blacksmithing 101 or have basic forging experience, this hands-on workshop dives deeper into technique, precision, and design. You’ll refine essential skills such as forging dimension, joinery, and decorative elements while tackling more complex projects at the anvil. Come ready to work hot, challenge yourself, and push your craftsmanship further.
Introduction to Leatherwork
Revel in that familiar new leather smell as you cut, stitch, and design your own wearable belt. You’ll measure to your own fit, then cut, punch, and hand-stitch full-grain leather, feeling it soften and take shape under your hands as you work. Add your own tooled details and finish and walk out wearing a belt that will only look better with age.
The Maker’s Retreat Weekend Getaway includes history tour and special hotel rates
In addition to more than a dozen artisan classes, the Maker’s Retreat also includes a welcome reception and a guided history tour from Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites. You’ll get to explore several original 18th and 19th century buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They include the 1761 Waterworks with its 18-foot waterwheel in motion. You’ll also visit part of the Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem World Heritage site and learn about this special site’s significance in our nation’s history.
Historic Hotel Bethlehem is offering special rates on overnight accommodations for full weekend retreat participants. Call 855-264-2598 to book your room and let them know you’re attending the Maker’s Retreat.
Bethlehem Maker’s Retreat Registration Fees
Registration is $400 for the entire weekend, including the Friday night welcome and tour. If you are only able to attend one day, the cost for a single-day pass is $200.
What visitors are saying
“Such a fun and amazing weekend! My heart is full and my soul is fed.” - Deb K. from Bangor, PA
“I enjoyed the pottery and stackable rings classes. Both instructors were welcoming, took us step by step through the crafts, didn’t rush and made both crafts fund to learn and make.” – Sue A. from Bethlehem, PA
Plan your Maker’s Retreat visit | Frequently Asked Questions
Are overnight accommodations available for these artisan workshops?
Yes, overnight accommodations are available at Historic Hotel Bethlehem, a three-minute walk from the Colonial Industrial Quarter. Maker’s Retreat participants can take advantage of the Hotel’s special weekend room rate by calling 855-264-2598 and letting them know you’re attending the retreat.
Bethlehem Maker’s Retreat Registration Fees
Registration is $400 for the entire weekend, including the Friday night welcome and tour. A single day pass is $200.
Where do Maker’s Retreat artisan craft classes take place?
The Colonial Industrial Quarter, 459 Old York Road, Bethlehem, is your home base for this weekend of creativity and exploration. All art and craft workshops take place in three of the Colonial Industrial Quarter buildings: the 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House, 1869 Luckenbach Mill, and the 1750 Smithy.
Do I need prior craft experience to participate in these artisan workshops?
You don’t need prior artisan craft experience to participate in the Maker’s Retreat. All workshops are beginner friendly, though the small class sizes allow participants who have prior experience to enjoy them as well. Experienced attendees can work on more advanced projects.
What is the minimum age to participate in these artisan workshops?
Attendees must be age 18 or older to participate.
Where do I park for the Maker’s Retreat?
Parking is available onsite at the Luckenbach Mill, 459 Old York Road, Bethlehem, PA 18018. Guests staying at Historic Hotel Bethlehem may also park in the hotel’s parking garage.
Are the Colonial Industrial Quarter sites accessible?
Due to the historic nature of the buildings and sites, many of the buildings are accessible only via stairs. The Luckenbach Mill has an elevator that takes guests to the building’s upper floors. For specific accessibility details, contact Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) Colonial Industrial Quarter Site Manager Jackie Armao.
What is the cancellation policy?
Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable. For questions on refunds and cancellations, please contact HBMS Colonial Industrial Quarter Site Manager Jackie Armao.
