Hands-on Activities for Groups
Personalized Birdhouse at B&L Woodcraft - $12 pp incl
Vist B&L Woodcraft Amish furniture shop and custom make your own souvenir birdhouse. Members of your group will
get boxes to put their names on, then proceed through lines to select colors, decorations and make customized
sayings. The Amish family will physically put the birdhouse together, place it back in the box, ready for you to load onto the coach. After selecting their birdhouse design, guests can explore the numerous furniture and gift areas.
Make-Bake-n-Take Shoofly Pie at Amish Acres - $7 pp incl
Groups can now learn first-hand the secrets to baking “The Best” Shoofly pie, as picked by the Chicago Tribune,
when combined with the PastPort or other popular group packages at Amish Acres. All ages are welcome to participate and will be hosted by Old Order Amish Bakery Manager, Frieda Miller, in Amish Acres’ 8,000 square foot kitchen that produces, as an example, 1,000 pies during the four day Arts and Crafts Festival every August. Each participant gets their shoofly pie and a souvenir recipe card.
“Toothbrush” Rag Rug Making - $15 pp incl
Learn all about the frugal, Scandinavian art of “toothbrush” rug making that involves using scraps of fabric and a
special technique that gives it such an unusual name. Rug maker, Jill Cohen, shares the fascinating story about this time-honored skill as she leads participants through all the steps to create a “toothbrush” rug. Group members
complete a small trivet using a “starter kit” that includes the appropriate tool and 100% cotton quilting fabrics.
“Make-Your-Own” Pretzel at Jo Jo’s Pretzels located inside The Davis Mercantile - $5 pp incl
Visit the Davis Mercantile featuring over 24 shops located on 4 floors easily accessible by elevator. Do you know the story of the pretzel? Groups love to hear it - it has lots of twists! And they can add a few twists of their own! At JoJo’s Pretzels in Shipshewana, owners Joanne & Levi King tell the intriguing story of the pretzel and give groups a hands-on lesson. Just a few twists and a few minutes in the oven and soon everyone has a piping hot treat ready to roll in their favorite topping. Delicious!
Quilt Garden Basics at Das Dutchman Essenhaus - $10 pp incl
Learn about our areas most “fresh” itinerary option! Essenhaus Floral Designer, Gail Janssen, will walk you through
basic quilt patterns to incorporate into your own back yard garden, talk about color placement, make flower
suggestions, and provide you with handouts to take home. Use your new found knowledge to create your own
gardening masterpiece! (Groups of 8 or more people; 1 hour class)
Cooking with Kevin at Das Dutchman Essenhaus - $12 pp incl
Kevin Eyer, Das Dutchman Essenhaus employee, teaches quick and easy meal tips that can help you manage your
busy schedule and still maintain healthy home cooking. Class cost includes food samples and copies of all recipes
demonstrated. (Groups of 10 or more people; 1 hour class)
Bow Making the Professional Way at Das Dutchman Essenhaus - $12 pp incl
Gail Janssen will instruct you and your group on the finer points of creating a big beautiful bow to place on special
gifts or use as seasonal décor. (Groups of 8 or more people; 1 hour class)
Deck Your Halls & Walls at Das Dutchman Essenhaus - $35 pp incl
Not limited to only the holiday season, this hands-on interactive class allows you to decorate your own (artificial)
green wreath using mixed leaves, floral pieces, and ribbon. Feel free to select your own style and colors or Gail can
assist you. Decorative wreaths are not just for the Christmas season! (Groups of 12 to 20 people; 2 hour class)
What’s In Your Tool Shed? at the Lavender Patch Fabric & Quilt Shop - $15 pp incl
New quilters and veteran quilters increase your piecing skills and proficiency in quilting with this workshop that
covers the use of quilting rulers and several other tools all designed to get great results. Select your fabric and try cutting a block of your very own. (Groups of 10 to 30 people; 2 hour class; can be rotated for larger groups with other activities in Bristol)
Coloring Happiness at the Lavender Patch Fabric & Quilt Shop - $12 pp incl
Get a fresh view of looking at color & design that gives us joy. We’ll talk about it all during this trunk show featuring colorful fabrics, wall hangings, quilts & gifts. (Groups of 10 to 30 people; 1 hour class; can be rotated for larger groups with other activities in Bristol)
The Richness of Chocolate & Fabric at the Lavender Patch Fabric & Quilt Shop - $12 pp incl
This yummy class is all about brown. You’ll see and learn about some great applications for this rich color during a trunk show featuring fabrics and quilts, wall hangings, table runners & gifts all made with brown fabrics. To satisfy any cravings, everyone gets a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate to go! (Groups of 10 to 30 people; 1 hour class; can be rotated for larger groups with other activities in Bristol)
Origami Fabric Folding at the Lavender Patch Fabric & Quilt Shop - $15 pp incl
Learn an ancient Japanese art and open your eyes to the world of embellishment of quilts & wall hangings.
Watch fascinating demonstrations on various folded fabric techniques and embellishment options. Each class member is given the necessary fabric and instruction to make their very own origami embellishment. (Groups of 10 to 30 people; 1.5 hour class; can be rotated for larger groups with other activities in Bristol)
NOTE: Prices subject to change without advance notice.
