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July 25, 2026
9am-2pm
Do you love paper, paint, glitter, and getting a little messy? Have you ever wanted to try something new, like painting, pom-pom making, or creating your own one-of-a-kind masterpiece and didn’t know how to get started?
Creative Chaos is a playful, open-ended artistic experience for youth in grades 6 through senior. Experiment, explore, and follow your curiosity wherever it leads. There are no mistakes here, just layers, textures, and happy accidents.
We’ll begin with a “Neature Walk”—an unhurried, sensory wander through the woods surrounding the Folk School. This time outdoors is meant to spark ideas, shift perspective, and invite inspiration from the textures, patterns, and quiet moments found in nature before moving into the creative process.
Dig into a colorful collection of materials like patterned papers, paints, markers, ribbons, washi tape, beads, and more. Try out new techniques, mix and match supplies, and create projects that are completely your own. Need a spark of inspiration? Simple project ideas like mini books and paper creations will be available to get you started.
Tools such as scissors, paper cutters, and hot glue guns will be available with guidance.
What to bring:
Please pack a lunch and water bottle. There is a fridge available if needed.
All creative materials are provided. Feel free to bring special items to use if you’re happy to share.
Dress for a mess!
Tuition: $45
Materials: $10
This course is for students 12-18
Your Instructor
AMY EHLERT
(she/her)
With over 15 years of experience as an educator, including Montessori certification, Amy brings a passion for creativity, curiosity, and participant-led exploration to every learning experience she facilitates. She sees herself not as an instructor with a fixed outcome, but as a guide—creating space for individuals to follow their own ideas, take creative risks, and discover what inspires them.
Her artistic journey is ever-evolving—she often jokes that her favorite craft is simply the next one she signs up to learn. While paper crafts and painting are where she is most comfortable, she also enjoys experimenting with fabric and a wide range of materials and mediums (especially Sharpies and washi tape). For Amy, creativity isn’t limited to what can be made by hand—she also finds deep creative fulfillment in reading, writing, and discussing literature, with a special place in her heart for poetry. Almost every project she creates includes inspiration or elements from the natural world.
Amy’s connection to creativity is deeply rooted in the outdoors. Her earliest memories are of playing outside, camping, jumping in the lake, and exploring the natural world with curiosity and wonder. Her first job as a teen was working with the Minnesota DNR Summer Conservation Corps, an experience that strengthened her appreciation for nature and hands-on learning. Throughout her career in education, she has consistently found ways to bring learning outside—often holding classes outdoors to encourage observation, movement, and inspiration from the environment.
She believes deeply in the power of curiosity to drive authentic learning and strives to create environments where exploration is encouraged, creativity is unrestricted, and participants feel free to follow their own path without fear of imperfection.