Meet Krestia: Instructor and Green Woodworker

We sat down with Krestia DeGeorge, a passionate green woodworker* and one of the newest instructors to join the Hammerstone team. With an enthusiasm for sharing traditional craft and a dedication to making it accessible to everyone, Krestia is a natural fit for our community.

Here's what we learned about his motivations, dream projects, and what he's most excited about teaching!

*Green woodworking is the traditional craft of building with freshly cut, unseasoned wood.

What motivated you to work with Hammerstone?

I think the answer to this is twofold. First, and more broadly, I really love green woodworking, and any chance to share that enthusiasm with folks who might be interested. Second—and more specific to Hammerstone—I think it’s so important to make crafts such as woodworking accessible to everyone, especially folks who might not always feel welcomed and empowered in traditional craft spaces.

What type of woodworking projects have you completed?

The biggest project I’ve probably undertaken (certainly the longest!) is a cedar strip canoe. I’ve also made some cabinetry for the house, and of course green woodworking stuff—mostly spoons and bowls up to this point.

Tell us about a project you're excited about.

I recently finished a small Swedish-style tool chest for green woodworking tools. It was loosely based off some photos and dimensions from Lost Art Press, but scaling it down and adapting it for that set of tools forced me to spend more time making design choices than I usually do, so that was a great learning experience.

What's your dream project? No answer is too big!

This feels like an impossible question to answer! There are just too many things. I really want to dive deeper into chairmaking. I’d also really love to timber-frame a small house (or at least a cabin). And then there are more boats to be built…

(We had to ask!) Would you ever consider building your own house?

Yes! Especially if I could timber-frame it!

With so many important causes to support, why are you or why should someone else support Hammerstone?

I think that developing physical, hands-on skills in a craft or trade—and the confidence and sense of empowerment that developing those skills brings—can be truly life-changing. And I think Hammerstone’s ability to open fresh opportunities for people who have frequently been excluded from spaces where those skills develop is so important.

What has you most excited about teaching your first Hammerstone class?

I’ve found that the process of learning about green woodworking has been deeply rewarding, and I’m excited to share that sense of discovery with folks who are also excited about working with wood. And I’m really looking forward to seeing what different backgrounds and experiences students will bring to the class, and how we will all learn from that together.

Krestia DeGeorge teaches the upcoming class Woodcarving: Carve a Spoon and we hope to have him back for more green woodworking courses in the future!