Tag: jewelry making classes

New Class: Silversmithing 101

A two-day class that teaches silversmithing techniques in a professional jewelry studio.

I’m really pleased to announce a new class I’m offering at my Malaga studio that covers many of the silversmithing skills I use to make my jewelry. Open to just two students at a time, I’ll be offering it several times over the summer of 2025. You can check availability and sign up in my online shop. So far, I’m offering it in May, but if my calendar clears up a little, I may offer it in April first.

Here’s a full description:

Silversmithing 101

This two-day class covers all of the basic silversmithing skills you need to make custom jewelry from copper, silver, or gold. I’ll start by telling you what you need to know to work with metal, and then go right into exercises that teach and build skills. By the end of class, you should have a few handmade jewelry items to show off to friends and family members and enough know-how to make more on your own.

Over the course of two days, students will learn:

  • Cutting techniques with shears, wire cutters, and jeweler’s saw
  • Filing and sanding to smooth edges
  • Annealing metal to soften it
  • Texturing with texture hammers and rolling mill texture plates
  • Stamping with metal stamps
  • Shaping metal using mandrels and dapping blocks
  • Riveting and soldering to join metal pieces
  • Creating bezel settings for cabochons
  • Making findings such as jump rings, ear wires, and head pins
  • Polishing and applying patinas

Students will have access to the following tools:

  • Bench pin, bench block, pliers and other hand tools, mandrels
  • Hand shears, sheet metal shear, wire cutters, jeweler’s saws
  • Files, sandpaper and sanding sticks
  • Flex shaft with numerous tools for sanding and polishing
  • Rolling mill with texture plates
  • Stamps and hammers
  • Complete soldering station including torches, blocks, annealing pan, quenching bowl, and pickle pot
  • Tumblers with related supplies and equipment
  • Grinder with polishing wheels
  • And more!

Students can complete a number of jewelry making projects or create something on their own. Sample projects include:

  • Textured earrings
  • Stamped bracelet
  • Stack rings
  • Bezel-set pendant

Details

Class fee: $320 per person

Includes: Two days of hands-on training in my jewelry studio, copper sheet metal and wire for practice and finished pieces, incidental supplies and materials, use of tools and equipment. Bottled water, pop, and a light lunch (sandwiches and salad) will be provided at break time. (There is no place to get lunch nearby, but you are welcome to bring your own.) Sterling silver and cabochons to set into a pendant or ring are available at an additional cost.

Class timing: Saturday and Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM with 1 hour for lunch and two shorter breaks in the morning and afternoon.

Maximum Class Size: 2 people

Minimum age: 16 and older; attendees under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Cancellation Policy: Once booked, you may cancel the class up to 7 days before the class start date. There is a $10 cancellation fee to cover the cost of refunding your payment; my credit card processor, Square, will not refund the credit card fees I pay. I cannot refund class fees if you cancel within 7 days of the class start date, so if you need to back out last minute, I highly recommend that you find someone to take your place. If I have to cancel the class for any reason, the full amount of your class fees will be refunded.

February Jewelry Making Classes Scheduled

New classes in February at my Malaga, WA jewelry studio.

Now that I’m mostly done traveling and I’m spending a lot more time in my jewelry studio, I’ve decided to open up the studio for small groups of up to 4 students to teach various jewelry making projects. Each two-hour class will either complete one specific project, such as a copper cuff bracelet or sterling silver earrings, or teach general silversmithing skills. Most classes are suitable for ages 15 and older. Everything will be provided, including materials, use of tools, and a suitable workspace.

Split Bar Dangle with Bead
These are the Split bar dangle earrings I can teach you to make in class.

So far, I have five classes scheduled for February 2024:

Saturday, February 8, 2025:
12 pm to 2 pm – Patterned copper cuff bracelets
2 pm to 4 pm – Air chased copper cuff bracelets

Sunday, February 9, 2025:
12 pm to 2 pm – Spiral hoop earrings
2 pm to 4 pm – Split bar dangle earrings

Saturday, February 22, 2025:
12 pm to 2 pm – Findings: Jump rings, head pins, and ear wires

To learn more about each class and reserve your spot, visit the Classes page in my online shop.

And keep in mind that all of these items are also available to buy — made by me! — in my online shop.

November & December 2024 Jewelry Making Classes

Four classes at Gallery One in Ellensburg will help you make holiday gifts recipients will treasure.

I’ll be teaching four jewelry making classes at Gallery One in Ellensburg in November and December 2024. Here’s a quick summary of what’s coming up. If you’re interested in any of these classes, sign up now.

Split Bar Silver Dangle Earrings

Split Bar Dangle Earrings
An incredibly popular earring style at art shows, I have a large selection of beads and stamps so you can personalize your pair.

Wenatchee based artist, Maria Langer, introduces you to her most popular earring style! In this class you’ll learn everything from making jump rings, punching holes and stamping patterns, to assembly. No experience required.

Skills you’ll learn:
– Measuring and cutting silver strip and wire
– Filing silver strip to round and smooth corners
– Stamping designs onto silver strip
– Punching holes into silver strip
– Creating jump rings (instructor demo) and using pre-made jump rings
– Connecting earring pieces
– Attaching beads to earring pieces
– Making ball-end head pins (demo) and using headpins to make ear wires
– Connecting earrings to handmade or pre-made ear wires

$53/person. Offered November 16, 2024.

Beaded Chain Bracelet

Beaded Chain Bracelet
You can make a beaded chain bracelet like this with your choice of at least a dozen different beads. (There is an additional $10 charge payable in class for turquoise beads.)

Join Wenatchee based artist, Maria Langer in making beaded chain bracelets. These virtually unbreakable bracelets don’t use open jump rings to connect links. Instead, they use a double loop wrap technique that ensures all links are connected permanently to each other and a lobster clasp. These can be made in silver or copper. A wide range of gemstone beads will be available to choose from. No experience necessary.

Skills you’ll learn:
– Measuring and cutting silver or copper wire
– Creating beaded bracelet links with the double loop wrap technique
– Connecting each link you make to the one before it as you make it
– Connecting a manufactured lobster clasp

$53/person. Offered November 16, 2024.

Spiral Hoop Earrings

Spiral Hoop Earrings
This is the first style of earrings I ever made. It looks great in silver or copper.

Handmade jewelry makes a great gift and these spiral formed, texture-hammered silver or copper wire hoops are sure to be a hit! In this class, Wenatchee based artist, Maria Langer will teach you shaping, hammering, making ear wires and assembly. No experience required.

Skills you’ll learn:
– Measuring and cutting silver or copper wire
– Filing silver to smooth ends
– Shaping wire into a spiral shape with two loops using mandrels and tools
– Hammering a texture onto the shaped wires
– Securing the hoop shape with another wire
– Making ball-end head pins (demo) and using headpins to make ear wires
– Connecting earrings to handmade or pre-made ear wires

$53/person. Offered December 14, 2024.

Wire Framed Pendant

Wire Framed Pendant
What better way to show off the beauty of a cabochon than to frame it in shiny silver or copper wire? I’ll have many stones on hand to choose from.

Are you looking for a challenge? This workshop takes wire wrapping to a new level, framing a gemstone cabochon in sterling silver or copper wire as wearable art. Wenatchee based artist, Maria Langer, will guide you in designing and building the frame, bail, and flourishes for your chosen cabachon. No experience necessary.

Skills you’ll learn:
– Developing a strategy for securing the stone
– Measuring and cutting silver or copper wire
– Joining wires to make the stone frame
– Setting the stone
– Securing the stone in place
– Creating the bail
– Creatively securing the wire ends.

$63/person. Offered December 14, 2024.

More Info

Ages 16 and up are welcome. Please register at least 72 hours in advance. Classes may be canceled if enrollment minimums are not met. Cost is per student.

Gallery One is located in downtown Ellensburg, in the middle of the state of Washington, just off I-90.

408 North Pearl Street
Ellensburg WA 98926
509-925-2670

Jewelry Making Classes on June 17, 2023

Two new classes teach aspiring silversmiths how to make two different jewelry items: earrings and cuff bracelets.

I’ve opened my Malaga WA jewelry studio to classes and hope to conduct two on most weekends throughout the summer. Classes include materials and use of tools, as well as instruction for groups of up to four people. Students leave with the skills they need to make jewelry items on their own, as well as jewelry they made in class.

Here’s what’s coming up next weekend:


Spiral Hoop Earrings

Learn basic silversmithing techniques by making a pair of spiral hoop earrings in sterling silver or copper. We’ll work with three different gauges of jewelry wire and a wide range of tools to cut, shape, and texture a pair of earrings and ear wires. Students will leave with new jewelry making skills and their own pair of handmade earrings. Click here to sign up.


Air-chased Copper Cuff Bracelets

Learn basic silversmithing techniques by making a copper cuff bracelet using air-chasing techniques. We’ll start with a regular copper pipe, anneal it, and use ball peen hammers on bench blocks to introduce ridges and valleys. More annealing before fine-tuning the texture and then filing rough edges and shaping to a cuff. Final steps include polishing or applying a patina. Students will leave with new jewelry making skills and their own copper cuff bracelet. Click here to sign up.