Textiles are unique due to their tactile, hands-on nature and their connection to human history and culture throughout time.

Textile Center’s unique educational outreach programs allow for creative group activities, community engagement, team-building, and skills development for youth, adults, educators, and corporate events! Inquire now to host a 60-90 minute class at your site. Our offsite in-person programs are perfect for library and community center programs and small group events. Fill out our inquiry form below, and contact Chloe Russell at crussell@textilecentermn.org with any questions!

© Textile Center • 2024

Interested in holding your event or organizing a group class at Textile Center?
Click here to learn about our Make+Take Experiences!

Drop-In Needle Felted Flowers

Using wool fibers and a special felting needle, you’ll transform loose wool roving into a colorful garden!!

Drop-In Pounded Botanical Printing

(Seasonal, June 1st-October 1st)

Create beautiful floral prints on mordanted cotton fabric with a mallet or rock using everyday common flower varieties, as well as flowers from Textile Center’s Dye Garden! This surprisingly simple process results in permanent, washable floral prints!

Drop-In Fun with Fresh Indigo

(Seasonal, July 30th-October 1st)

Create dreamy blue natural dye using nothing but indigo leaves, cold water, and salt! Blend leaves in cold water to create an immersion dye for solid color, or try your hand at the salt-rub method. You’ll even have the opportunity to create patterns with leftover indigo grounds and cookie cutters!

Pounded Botanical Printing on Bandanas

(Seasonal, June 1st-October 1st)

Create beautiful floral prints on cotton fabric with a mallet or rock using everyday common flower varieties, as well as flowers from Textile Center’s Dye Garden! This surprisingly simple process results in permanent, washable floral prints on cotton bandanas!

Mindfully Stitched Magnets

Mindfulness and stitching go hand-in-hand! In this activity, you’ll use two embroidery stitching techniques to create a collection of fridge or locker magnets, each containing words of affirmation to set your intention for the day! Create a list of attributes that are special and unique to you, and stitch them with mindfulness!

Pom Pom Pals 

Create a colorful and curious little pom pom pal using colorful yarn and a Pom Pom Maker tool! Add personality with googly eyes and other glueable embellishments. You choose whether your crafty creature will become an ornament or keychain!

Textiles for Teens: Pattern Design Studio 

Get a jump start on your surface design career! Design your own repeating pattern using traditional illustration techniques and then print your pattern on a cotton tote bag. Take your pattern block home to use again and again!

Textiles for Teens: Sustainable Style

Rescue old, stained, ripped, or uninteresting clothing from the landfill with colorful embroidered mending! Personalize with iron-on patchwork, creative fabric collaging, or embroidered motifs and mends.

Textiles for Teens- Marbled Fabric Magic

Create swirling, colorful patterns on fabric with water marbling! Participants will practice their technique on fabric bookmarks, then create a marbled bucket hat to take home!

Indigo Block Printed Market Tote 

Add charm to a reusable canvas grocery tote with block printed patterns and natural indigo dye! Your handiwork is sure to receive compliments while perusing the farmer’s market or packing for a summertime picnic.

Eco Printing with Seasonal Plants 

Let’s combine seasonal botanicals and steam to create beautiful eco-printed fabrics! Learn to prepare your fabric for dye, select botanicals with high natural dye content, and create a variety of effects using plants from Textile Center’s dye garden. *Instructor will be using a transportable electric steamer and will need access to water***.

Wet Felted Painting 

Learn the basics of wet felting, human-kind’s oldest textile technique! Use colorful wool roving, soapy water, and the friction of your hands to create a coaster that doubles as a piece of art!

CLASS COST:

• $340 for each class session, includes all materials and teaching fees, for up to 15 students in a class; 12 students max for youth-oriented classes — for ages 7 – 12.
• Pricing includes up to 60 miles of round-trip travel for instructors, from Textile Center to your site. If your site is more than 30 miles from Textile Center, $15 will be added for each additional 30-mile increment, rounded up.
• Additional miles are added to the contract and invoiced at current IRS rate of 65.5 cents/mile.

CLASS LENGTH:

• 60 – 90 minutes per class, customized to length and program needs.

AGES AND CLASS CAPACITIES:

• Each session is a stand-alone project designed for beginners at the minimum age listed; students do not need any prerequisite skills.
• Our classes are open to all ages, over the minimum age listed. Please respect the age listed on the descriptions when registering students for class.
• Having a guardian present doesn’t override age requirements.

ACCESSIBILITY:

Please notify us in advance if there are additional accessibility requests for the class. We make every effort to accommodate all students with advance notice.

TIMING AND LOGISTICS:

• Classes can be scheduled on both weekdays and weekends. Zoom sessions will open 15 minutes prior to start time, to allow for a tech check and a supply check.
  Sessions with a * will note additional required supplies not provided by Textile Center.
• We ask that sturdy work tables be provided, in a pandemic-safe environment, to keep our instructors and your patrons and staff safe.
  Most class projects will be finished within the 60 – 90 minute class.
• Depending on how much of the supplies is used during the actual class time, you may have extra materials to make another project.

INSTRUCTORS:

• Teaching artists are contracted per their experience in the medium. Our artists are skilled in instructing students of all ages and abilities.

COVID:

• Please provide your organization’s COVID safety policies so we are aware of the liability that may occur at your site.

PROMOTING CLASSES:

• If you need to revise or clarify class descriptions, please check with us first. We want to ensure that the instructor is prepared to teach the same class your patrons are expecting.
• We love it when classes are full! If you need anything to help with promos, please contact us.
• Please note that materials used in class might differ slightly from ones pictured in the finished projects that accompany the class descriptions.