Workshops
Building one’s own shelter is an incredibly empowering experience
Our workshops offer individual training on how to build your own yurt.
We offer a series of workshops designed to accompany you on your yurt building project. Hands on and experiential, Alex Cole of Little Foot Yurts will provide mentorship along the way ensuring you have all the skills you need to continue making your yurt at home.
1-on-1 Workshops
Getting Started
collect & carve poles
$750
Dates available between November - December 15
Wheel Making & Frame Completion
craft your own wheel & finish roof poles
$2295
Dates available between
November - May
The Getting Started Workshop is scheduled during this timeframe because it is optimal for harvesting poles and for ease of collection and when sap levels are at their lowest. The Wheel Making & Frame Completion Workshop can occur between November and May at Little Foot Yurts.
You are welcome to bring one additional person to attend the workshop as a support partner to assist you with your yurt-building process.
A 15% deposit is required to confirm the workshops, and it must be paid 6-8 weeks prior to the workshop date.
Our workshops are held at the home of Little Foot Yurts, however The Getting Started Workshop can be delivered on your property leaving you with the formers, jigs and shaving breaks for you to continue making your yurt. (Travel fees will apply.)
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In this workshop we will erect a 12ft yurt and learn to build a yurt wall section. We will take a woodland walk to learn about the best wood for yurt construction and collect some examples.
We will build a green wood working break, shave wall and roof poles and learn about tools required and how to keep them sharp.
You will leave with the skills and knowledge to collect, carve and store your poles to begin the construction of your yurt wall sections. A worksheet with the number and approximate lengths for your custom yurt will be provided.
Please note, the workshop does not include the wooden components, meals or accommodation. In some cases however, depending on the season, we may be able to provide yurt accommodation.
This workshop occurs during one day.
You are welcome to bring one additional person to attend the workshop as a support partner to assist you with your yurt-building process.
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In this two-day workshop, you will custom-finish a steam-bent yurt wheel to your specifications. We will drill and burn mortices around the wheel aligned with your yurt’s design, collect and carve the sticks for your wheel dome, and complete the dome with lashings and dowels to ensure it is sturdy. The process concludes with a treatment of hard wax oil.
During the second day, we will begin finishing your yurt frame. With your wheel selected we will determine the final lengths for your roof poles. Using a roof pole former created during the wheel hole burning, we will taper each pole end so it fits perfectly in any wheel hole.
A bundle of 5–6 carved roof poles is required if you’d like to take home some completed roof poles.
In addition, we will cover:
Completing your doorway and finishing wall sections
Best wood treatments for yurt longevity
Introduction to our canvas kits and other canvas covering solutions
Important Notes:
The workshop includes a custom take-home steam-bent ash wheel.
Meals and accommodation are not included, though seasonal yurt accommodation may sometimes be available.
You are welcome to bring one additional person to attend the workshop as a support partner to assist you with your yurt-building process.
If you’re interested in any of our workshops, please contact us using the form below!
Evolution of Yurt Workshops: From Group Learning to Personalized Guidance
Since 2005, we've held residential yurt building workshops every January, accommodating 20 participants in three winterized yurts. Our aim was to share our extensive knowledge and foster a community of yurt builders. Striving to connect with like-minded individuals pursuing unique endeavors, we provided a supportive space for those delving into yurt construction.
As our business and family expanded, our approach evolved and in 2016 we shifted our focus to personalized one-on-one workshops tailored for dedicated yurt builders. Here are some cherished memories from over a decade of conducting our residential workshops.
The Learning Never Stops!
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The yurt is a collapsible circular framework of wooden poles used as far back as 3000 years by a horse riding nomadic nation of people through out Central Asia.Today it can still be found in use across the globe, from a cozy cabin, studio and gathering space. Its surprising strength, durability and the natural and sustainable way they are created is a testament to its ingenuity.
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A stretch tent is a large piece of waterproof material stretched taut over freestanding poles of various heights.
Based on the traditional Bedouin-style tents of North Africa, stretch tents have long been recognized as versatile and durable structures, utilized for centuries, particularly since the early medieval period (around the 7th century) to the present day.
