Drum course in ancient Jänissaari 5-6 September 2026

Drum course in Jänissaari 5.-6.9.2026

Location: Möhkö, Ilomantsi and Nuorajärvi Jänissaari.

Group size: 6-8 people.

In collaboration with: Mantan Majatalo, Mantan Nature Services and Louhen polku

The ancient hongas tell their stories as the wind plays in their branches.

The sky is dotted with burning stars. The campfire creates light in the fading evening.

It's quiet, you only hear nature.

We offer you the opportunity to make your dream of a homemade drum come true. So come along on this unique drum-making trip to the ancient Jänissaari in Nuorajärvi. The trip begins with a riverboat trip, during which you can let go of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and feel how the breeze on your face clears your mind of everything unnecessary. During the course, we will enjoy the beauty of the beginning of autumn, from which you can also find inspiration for the color of your drum head if you wish. Drums are made at the Manta Nature Services nature camp in Jänissaari, which has been inhabited since the Stone Age.

We gather in a hut by the campfire to begin the drum making journey, during which everyone can descend into the magic of drum making and the peace of nature. We dip the drum skins in the waves of Lake Nuorajärvi, letting the water wash away everything unnecessary, creating space for the new and the colors of life. We make the drum in the shade of magnificent old pine trees and in the hut with a fire dancing in the middle of our circle. On Saturday evening, we get to wrap ourselves in the velvety black cloak of the September night to listen to the eternal sound of the drum, while we felt the drumsticks by the evening campfire.

Accommodation takes place in the Jänissaari camp in tent accommodation, which is equipped with a yurt tent, a spacious hut and a wood stove. Manta Nature Services will provide all the necessary equipment for accommodation. All you need to bring is your personal equipment. The people at Manta Nature Services will also take care of the food, offering delicious wild food prepared in the hut by the fire. Meals will take place flexibly during the rest of the program, as a natural part of the whole.

We will start Sunday morning with a common circle and meditation, after which we will continue making drums. At the end of the day, everyone will have a wonderful, unique handmade drum to take home and a rested mind.

On Sunday, early in the evening, we will return to Möhkö by river boat. Before the trip home, we will gather together for farewell coffee in the Lanssi hall of Manta Inn.

In this course, we will make drums using a new binding technique. We use a braiding technique to bind the drum, with a circle bent from rowan and/or willow in the center, where all the rays converge. The drum frame is made of birch, the head and bindings are made of reindeer hide. You can dye the leather with batik dyeing or leave it natural. You can find inspiration for the color scheme of your drum from autumn nature. If you wish, it is possible later, after the drum has dried, to paint the pattern you want on the drum head. You can bring a branch you find yourself for the drum handle and stick, or choose them from branches found in the Koli region. You can make a small travel drum or a larger drum, both have a wonderful, rubbery sound, each drum has its own story to tell.

On Saturday morning we start early at 9:00 and on Sunday the day easily stretches until early evening, so if course participants want to stay overnight before the course starts or stay overnight after the course ends, this is possible by separate agreement in the comfortable apartments of Mantan Majatalo. However, please remember to mention this when making a reservation, so that we can keep the apartments reserved for the course participants.

The drum part of the course is supervised by
LOUHEN POLKU/ JAANA LOUHELAINEN, who is a North Karelian drum maker and drum making teacher.

This is how Jaana describes her own journey with drums:

"In 2013, my first drum was born in Valtimo, in the heartbeat of the Mother Earth. It wasn't just a drum - it was a deep vibration that awakened memories of times gone by and opened a gateway to connection with nature and spiritual beings. Drums are paths for me that lead to the heart and transport me deeper into myself and the secrets of the world. For me, making with my hands is meditative and calming. It is a pause in the present moment, with colors, shapes and materials. I can sit hours of studying and grinding a tree branch or root that will become a handle or a stick for the drum. Batik dyeing brings its own stories and patterns to the drum head. When studying them, you can let your imagination run wild and always see something new dancing on the drum head.

Over the years, I have made about a couple of hundred drums and organized drum making courses for over ten years, mainly in North Karelia but also elsewhere in Finland. Drums have led me to many mystical places and brought friends, kindred spirits and soul sisters into my life, with whom we share this mysterious journey. Walking with drums has been a journey on the path of courage and self-discovery. It reminds us of how important it is to listen to and follow the messages of our hearts.

If you want to see pictures of the drums I have made/made by the course participants, you can find them on the Louhe polu Facebook page or Instagram @louhelainenjaana."

The hostess of Mantan Inn and Mantan Nature Services, Tuija Lauronen, welcomes the guests

"We want our guests to feel at home and can focus on enjoying the creation of drums and other course offerings without a worry, we take care of everything else. It's wonderful that we found Louhe polu Jaana as our partner and that we can still be involved in implementing these great courses. We warmly welcome the course participants!

Jänissaari Camp offers a great setting for this course and I hope that each participant will take home a touch of the magical peace of the island, which surrounds me every time I get to go to the island."

Course price €535.00 (incl. VAT 13.5-25.5%)

The quarry trail fee is €290.00, including a large or small drum hoop, reindeer hide, which we use to make the membrane and bindings for the drum, the colors we use in making the drum, instruction and guidance, and VAT 25.5%.

The Mantan Majatalo fee is €245.00, including river boat transportation, guide services, accommodation and equipment needed for field accommodation, towels, meals included in the program, space rentals, and VAT 13.5-25.5%.

Additional information and registration

Registrations by 15.8.2026 by email to Tuija majatalojaluontopalvelut@gamil.com or tel. 040 8616 373. If you would like more information about Jänissaari, accommodation, equipment, meals or other practical matters related to the course, please contact Tuija. You will receive a response within a few days, letting you know that your registration has been received.

After the registration period has ended, course participants will receive a course letter by email. The course will take place if there are at least 6 participants.

If you have any questions about the course content or how to make a drum, you can reach Jaana by email at jaana.louhelainen@gmail.com or by phone at 050 3573373.

Other things to note: Before registering, please read our reservation and cancellation terms. Our operators have valid liability insurance, but we have not insured course participants against accidents. So please make sure you have the insurance coverage you consider sufficient.

At other times, you can inquire about a similar course for your group.