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Discover the art of taping a Shaker chair seat with expert guidance at Canterbury Shaker Village. Perfect for craft enthusiasts wanting a hands-on experience, bring your chair or help retape one onsite.
Discover the art of taping a Shaker chair seat with expert guidance at Canterbury Shaker Village. Perfect for craft enthusiasts wanting a hands-on experience, bring your chair or help retape one onsite.
Book with Canterbury Shaker Village
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Operated by Canterbury Shaker Village · Canterbury, New Hampshire
Experience a unique hands-on workshop at Canterbury Shaker Village, where you’ll learn the traditional craft of taping a Shaker chair seat. Guided by expert weaver Dick Bennett, you'll engage in an interactive process that begins with preparing the chair frame and calculating the exact tape length needed to create a smooth, supportive seat. Whether you bring your own chair to repair or help retape a reproduction, this class offers personalized instruction in a relaxed setting. Beyond the craft, you’ll gain insight into Shaker culture and craftsmanship deeply rooted in New Hampshire history. At the end of the workshop, take home a toolkit so you can continue weaving at home. This practical experience is perfect for craft lovers, history enthusiasts, and those inspired by hands-on woodworking projects. Canterbury’s peaceful village setting enhances the connection to this centuries-old tradition, making this workshop both educational and memorable.
easy.
3–4 hours.
Suitable for individuals with basic hand-eye coordination and the ability to sit and focus for several hours.
No experience is required; the workshop is designed for beginners and walks you through every step.
Yes, you're encouraged to bring your own frame if you'd like to retape a personal chair.
The workshop is suitable for ages 12 and up, but younger children should be accompanied by an adult.
Yes, each participant receives a toolkit to continue chair taping after the workshop.
You can book your spot online via the Canterbury Shaker Village website or via the provided referral link.
Wear comfortable clothes you don’t mind potentially getting dusty, and consider layers for indoor and outdoor comfort.
Canterbury Shaker Village preserves one of the best examples of Shaker craftsmanship and community life, dating back to the early 1800s.
The village implements sustainable practices to protect its historic buildings and natural surroundings, promoting responsible tourism and preservation.
Canterbury Shaker Village is a historic Shaker community and living history museum located in Canterbury, New Hampshire. The Village offers guided tours, special exhibitions, community readings, concerts, hands-on workshops, and seasonal events that interpret Shaker life, craft, and communal practices. Educational programs highlight primary sources and personal narratives, including special tours inspired by Nicolas Briggs’s memoir Forty Years a Shaker and guided walks led by the Village’s education staff such as Director of Education Kyle Sandler. Visitors can attend readings in the 1792 Meeting House, music on the green, antique and vintage car shows set among fall foliage, and exhibition openings that honor the Shakers’ legacy. Workshops and demonstrations teach traditional Shaker skills; examples include a cherry oval box workshop led by instructor Dick Bennett and farm-to-table dinners paired with historic tours at community gatherings like Simply Shaker. Members and preview events bring curators and historians together to contextualize artifacts, as seen in the Keeping Faith exhibition talks with curators Renée Fox, Kyle Sandler, and Shirley Wajda. Canterbury Shaker Village maintains credibility through documented artifacts, named curators and educators, and a range of public programs that connect visitors directly to Shaker material culture. The Village’s calendar of events and combination of tours, exhibitions, and hands-on learning provide reliable opportunities for visitors to explore early American religious life and Shaker craftsmanship. Public programs often include live music, community readings, vintage car exhibitions, curator talks, and light refreshments during exhibition openings to deepen visitor engagement with Shaker history and authentic material culture.
Book with Canterbury Shaker Village