Nettles and Pins Folk School was created to use the art of sustainability to create , connect and empower. Inspired learning and building community, to create a learning environment where we can all share and experience new practical skills together.
We live in a beautiful rural area In the south western Negev desert near the Gaza border. Although the area is open and quiet, we lack the convenience of stores, banks or community classes catering to crafting and inspired learning.
I love to teach what I learn. I believe that independence is vital and necessary to our future. Many people grow up lacking basic skills such as crafting, healthy cooking , building or herbalism. My purpose in life is to bring that back to the forefront.
I have been homeschooling my six children for the past 20 years and I have had to learn everything by myself along the way. I wrote a book many years ago called "Mother's Pearls: The Revival of Parenthood" to bring back basic parenting skills to parents hoping to help those who felt lost in the art of parenting, like I felt in the beginning. Since then I have been perfecting these skills and gaining more experience in other areas in order to be self sufficient.
What I've noticed through years of crafting, is that people feel very connected to what they have created. What we feel when making something with our own hands is very special and unique. We have infused a little of ourselves into our craft. Whether it's making dolls, quilts, clothes, furniture , building, gardening or cooking we have put soul, energy and attention into something. In doing that, we live on in that creation. A homemade gift , meal or table becomes more than just a thing, it brings the object to another level, rather than just buying from a store. I feel with our throw-away culture, we've all but lost this ability to make something that lasts and has meaning. My mission is to help bring back these skills and appreciation which empower us to be both independent and have the ability to express our innate creativity.
Resilience has been ingrained in us from having to survive through terrorism and I have learned how to stretch a dollar by making most of what we need at home. From our own herbal medicines, to building furniture, to beekeeping we have provided for our family through hard work and challenging ourselves to constantly learn new things.
I have raised my children with these same ideals so that they can be responsible, resourceful and creative members of society. This is what I hope to offer to my community through hands on creative classes. By coordinating with other experts in their fields, by providing the support, location and energy needed to inspire learning, sharing and empowerment.
Our hands-on-learning will include foraging (herbal identification, harvesting and use) , sewing, crafting with natural materials, pottery, building cob structures, outdoor cooking and baking, farm work, animal husbandry, soap and candle making, basket weaving and more! This is fun, get-down-and-dirty work, so be prepared to engage with nature, and open your world to new and exciting experiences.
Our classes will be held in English or in Hebrew to accommodate crafters from all over the world who come here to engage, explore and share our common love of Israel. In this way we can reach more people, open our world through international dialog and available information.
We can accommodate families, small groups or individuals but reservations need to be made in advance. Regularly scheduled classes will be held weekly . (Please check our schedule of classes on our services page.)
We are located in Moshav Dekel, near HaNagaria ( The Woodshop) Restaurant and not far from The Salad Trail (Shvil HaSalat) in Moshav Talmey Yosef.
If you are interested in visiting the Folk School, please contact us to make reservations at info@nettlesandpins.com
If you are interested in getting involved, donating clothes or materials, becoming a guest speaker,
contact us at info@nettlesandpins.com
If you are interested in supporting us by donating to the Folk School, please click on the link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nettles-and-pins?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-7a
Thank you so much for your support!! We hope to hear from you soon!!
