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Allerton Park & Retreat Center

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Fix It! Basic Lamp Re-Wiring

$65

with Lou Ann Koebel

Calendar Nov 4, 2026 at 4:30 pm

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn how to bring new life to an old lamp at Fix It! Basic Lamp Re-Wiring on Wednesday, November 4 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in The Studio.

Instructor Lou Ann Koebel will lead students through changing out the plug, adding a switch and/or replacing wiring in lamps. This hands-on course will cover basic electrical wiring.

$65/person*. Registration will close Nov. 1 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.

* Students should bring:
— A lamp to work on
— Wire cutter & stripper
— Black electrical tape and small retractable measuring tape (optional)

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia at owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Lou Ann Koebel has worn many hats over the past several years: a woodworker, an AV technician and lover of restoring or repurposing antiques. Living in an older home has also helped Lou Ann to learn how to repair various items around the house, search YouTube for “fix it” videos and collect tools to cover a wide variety of tasks.

Her Fix-It courses are meant as an entry to help students explore how to proceed safely with basic tools and build a home DYI toolbox, creatively repurpose a picture frame or fix/alter a lamp.

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

Everlasting Wreath Workshop (Allerton Park)

$65

with Delight Flower Farm

Calendar Nov 10, 2026 at 6 pm

Experience Level: Beginner (Ages 16+)  

Assemble your very own wreath adorned with everlasting flowers harvested and dried at Delight Flower Farm at Everlasting Wreath Workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Dining Room.  

These dried wreaths are great to hang or even use as a table centerpiece at all your upcoming holiday gatherings. Wreath bases are made of grapevine or willow. Materials needed for assembly will be provided 

$65/person*. Registration closes Nov. 3 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

*Students should bring gardening gloves. 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu. 

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

Wet Felt Bowls & Vessels

$130

with Billie Theide

Calendar Nov 11, 2026 at 12 pm

Experience level: Beginner 

Are you a beginner, or interested in refining your wet felting skills? Join us for Wet Felt Bowls on Wednesday, Nov. 11 from 12-4 p.m. in the Dining Room.  

In this workshop you will transform wool into art as you use a resist to wet felt into a decorative bowl or vessel. The class will use luxurious silk, dyed wool roving, wool felt sheet, and dimensional inclusions to explore and transform ephemeral materials into a richly textured, sturdy, and functional work of art. Materials will be provided. You will receive a list of suppliers so that you can source materials and continue to welt felt at home. No previous experience is required.  

$130/person*. Registration closes Nov. 4 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final. 

*Students should bring the following
--two bath-sized towels 
--one 12” ruler two blue or black ink pens 
--one pair of scissors 
--one roll of paper towels 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu. 

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken. 

About the instructor 

Billie Theide is Professor Emerita and a former Chair of the Crafts Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Theide is a metalsmith, jeweler, textile artist, and ceramicist. Her work is in public art collections around the world including the Smithsonian, Museum of Arts & Design in New York City, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, and the Racine Art Museum, among others. She is the recipient of a Visual Arts Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and five Artists Fellowship Grants from the Illinois Arts Council. Theide has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and is a Distinguished Member and Past-President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths. 

Payment plan available: $65 deposit plus 2 payments of $32.50, paid every four weeks.
Advanced Knitting Workshop: Entrelac & Color-Stranding
Registration Unavailable

Advanced Knitting Workshop: Entrelac & Color-Stranding

Price not
available

with Charlie Rainbow Wolf

Calendar Nov 11, 2026 at 6 pm
Traditional Christmas Fruitcakes
Registration Unavailable

Traditional Christmas Fruitcakes

Price not
available

with Charlie Rainbow Wolf

Calendar Nov 12, 2026 at 6 pm

Everlasting Wreath Workshop (Illinois Arboretum)

$65

with Delight Flower Farm

Calendar Nov 14, 2026 at 1 pm

Experience Level: Beginner (Ages 16+) 

Assemble your very own wreath adorned with everlasting flowers harvested and dried at Delight Flower Farm at Everlasting Wreath Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Arboretum Shed.  

These dried wreaths are great to hang or even use as a table centerpiece at all your upcoming holiday gatherings. Wreath bases are made of grapevine or willow. Materials needed for assembly will be provided 

$65/person*. Registration closes Nov. 7 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.  

*Students should bring gardening gloves. 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu. 

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

Soap Making Workshop

$110

with Sally Walsh

Calendar Nov 15, 2026 at 9 am

Experience Level: Beginner  

Join Sally Walsh for a hands-on Soap Making Workshop on Sunday, Nov. 15 from 9:00am-4:00pm in the Allerton Mansion Dining Room.  

Sally will walk students through the process of making soap including the science of making soap, safety, ingredients used, and the herbal benefits. Participants will then learn how to make your own bar of soap with your preferred scents. Students will be able to trade soap and take home each other's recipes. All students will receive a booklet of instructions and soap recipes and take home a bar of soap.  

All supplies will be provided.  

$110/person*. Registration closes Nov. 8 or when capacity is reached. All sales are final.  

*Please wear old clothes. 

Learn more about the space where your course will take place here. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu. 

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

Payment plan available: $55 deposit plus 2 payments of $27.50, paid every four weeks.

Mystic Mondays: Intro to Numerology

$55

with Charlie Rainbow Wolf

Calendar Nov 16, 2026 at 6 pm

Entry Level: Beginner (ages 18+)

Have you ever wondered why some numbers repeat throughout your life? Now is your chance to find out at Mystic Mondays: Intro to Numerology on Monday, Nov. 16 from 6-8 p.m. in the Mansion Library.  





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