Have questions about printing? Want to get checked off for the AMS or 3d Scanner? Just want to hang out? No problem! Come to the 3D lab during office hours and we will have managers there to help! No registration necessary.
Note: 3d FDM/Resin orientations are not offered during open studio hours
Questions or trouble signing up for this class? Email ceramics@tcmaker.org.
Wheel Throwing 101 is where it all begins. Over six weeks you'll learn to center, open, and pull clay into functional forms while building the foundational skills that every wheel thrower returns to no matter how advanced they get. We'll also cover trimming, basic surface decoration, and glazing so you leave with finished pieces and a real understanding of the full process from raw clay to fired pot. No experience necessary. Just show up ready to get muddy.
Come ready to get messy. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty; don't worry about clay on your clothes - it washes right off! Most importantly, come ready to have fun! Students with all level of experience are welcome.
This class is taught by Lynn Cardwell. Lynn has over 10 years of experience in pottery and education.
The six session will run from September 15 - October 27 (We will not meet October 13).
This class is taught by JJ Bunch.
Bring your ideas (and your questions) to life in this open practice with an instructor on hand.
Not quite a class, not quite open studio — Open Guided Practice is the best of both. Bring your own project or come without a plan. An instructor is on hand to answer questions, troubleshoot, or pull a quick demo on whatever you need — whether that's trimming, pulling handles, hand-building a lid, or finally figuring out that glaze situation.
Title: Cast it in Clay: Intro to Slip Casting & Mold Making
Special Theme: Pumpkins
Dates: Saturday, September 26; Sunday, September 27; Saturday, October 3
Time: 10 am - 4 pm (lunch break 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm)
Each participant will make their very own mold for casting clay slip. You will also leave with the skills and knowledge to continue making two piece and/or three piece slip molds independently! Pumpkins will be provided for each participant. If you would like to bring your own pumpkin or a different object to mold, please email jj.bunch@tcmaker.org in advance.
Material Fee: $45
Registration: $180 (standard member rate)*
Total amount charged to each student for the full 3-week series, including materials: $225 (standard member rate)*
*Enrollment rates vary based on accessibility needs, whether participants are members or non-members, and a 10% discount for our volunteers. See registration panel for details.
Session 1 (Saturday, September 26)
Welcome & Overview
Casting into an existing mold (instructor demonstration, followed by hands-on practice)
Lunch Break
Planning your mold
Clay up and cottle
Mix and pour plaster (Make the first half or third of your mold)
Session 2 (Sunday, September 27)
Remove and clean cottles and molds
Examine results (repair, if needed)
Make the second half (or third) of your mold
(lunch break)
Make the final third of your mold or an accessory mold
Session 3 (Saturday, October 3)
Casting with your mold
Instructor will check in with each student, review slip-pouring, and troubleshoot if there are issues with student-made molds.
Opportunities to customize your greenware (turn a pumpkin into a soup bowl or carve into a jack-o'-lantern...so many possibilities). Hand building guidance will be provided.
Your successful cast pieces will be bisque fired at our studio to cone 04. For glazing guidance, sign up for the optional Glazing Workshop: October 18 - Pottery Painting: Glaze a Ceramic Pumpkin. You can select the "BYOB: Bring Your Own Bisqueware" option to glaze the pumpkins you cast in this workshop and have them glaze fired in our studio to cone 6.
Lapidary 101 is an introductory course that will familiarize you to the lapidary equipment and techniques for working with stones.
This is a beginner-friendly course that will teach you how to effectively use the equipment in the lapidary studio. This will cover things to look for when selecting a rock for performing lapidary work on; using templates to fit a stone to a particular shape; and the steps to cut, grind, and polish a stone to final finish. You will leave the class with a foundational knowledge of the tools available in the studio and a finished piece of stonework.
No experience required.
You will learn skills with the slabbing saw, band saw, drill press, cabochon grinding wheel, and the grinding/polishing wheel system. You will also be skilled in using templates to create specifically shaped pieces that can later be used in jewelry settings.
Want to learn how to use the CNC routers? These office hours are for you.
The first hour will be spent offering support with the CNC software, while the 2nd hour will be spent in the CNC shop. Personal projects you are currently working on are welcome!
Open to all makers.
John Nordling is the CNC Assistant Manager at TCMaker, an Analytical Chemist and former Wood Shop Assistant Manager.
Learn the basics of stained glass and create a one of a kind sun catcher!
Learn the basics of stained glass using the Tiffany/copper foil method! In this beginner-friendly class, you’ll learn how to safely stencil, cut, and grind glass; apply copper foil; solder your pieces together; and finish your project. We’ll cover helpful tips, tricks, and common challenges, as well as alternative methods and creative variations to give you the skills and confidence to continue creating your own unique stained glass projects.
You’ll leave with a sun catcher made from your choice of provided patterns and a strong knowledge of the creative process.
Please email kai.walsh@tcmaker.org with any access needs or accommodation requests.
No prior experience is needed.
Kai is a local stained glass artist who loves sharing their passion for creating custom stained glass designs.
TAll members who want to use the new Ceramics studio will need to be oriented to the new space, policies, and processes that will make this a wonderful place to create.... and this includes members who were already oriented to the old studio.
The general orientation will orient you with the Twin Cities Maker (TCM) as a whole, while our TCM Ceramics (TCMC) orientation will focus specifically on the processes and procedures in our ceramics studio. We recommend completing the general orientation before the ceramics orientation. You do not need to attend orientation before taking a class or workshop. However, orientation is a requirement to keep using the studio after a class or workshop ends.
Our ceramics orientation will cover:
NOTE: *You must attend the general Twin Cities Maker Orientation ("New Member Orientation") in addition to our Ceramics Studio Orientation.*
Questions or trouble signing up for this orientation? Email ceramics@tcmaker.org
We will be meeting in our new studio in the annex. Come prepared to ask questions and have fun!
To save time during the orientation, please prepare by creating an account on Poll EV with your name and contact email address, and be logged in on your phone at the start of orientation. Create an account here: https://id.polleverywhere.com/signup/password?usrc=login_page
- Your TCM Ceramics Managers
Are you a maker, tradesperson, or artisan? Do you have skills other people could learn from? Curious about teaching at Twin Cities Maker (TCM) but don't know where to begin? You have come to the right place!
This orientation is your first step to teaching at TCM and it is required for all new teachers. During this process, you will learn all you need to know about:
Lars is the Education Manager at Twin Cities Maker. She has been an educator for over a decade, with experience teaching math in the classroom, woodworking classes at TCM, and lasercutter classes in makerspaces around Boston, MA. Some of the projects that she is most proud of include building an electric guitar and a book embosser. In her free time, she enjoys reading, biking, and playing the guitar.
Learn the art of the classic box or finger joint—a technique prized for its mechanical strength and beauty. Unlike miter joints, finger joints showcase corners making them the perfect choice for your next project. By mastering the setup and execution of these joints, you’ll be able to create gap-free corners that are as beautiful as they are durable. Whether you're building a delicate jewelry box or robust shop storage, this class provides the technical foundation you need to make heirloom quality work.
Confident use of a table saw is recommended.
(1) We will learn why finger joints offer superior mechanical strength compared to other corner joints.
(2) Deep dive into joint spacing.
(3) Practice safe vertical cuts to ensure perfectly flush corners every time.
After the class, you will be able to produce gap-free finger joinery that adds a professional, custom look to any project.
Up To 7 Days Before the Event Starts
Tim Bednar is an Assistant Wood Shop Manager at TC Maker and also teaches the Woodworking 101 class. After studying at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, he spent many years as a minister and then web developer before returning to furniture design and woodcraft.
This beginner-friendly, fast-paced intensive condenses our traditional 4-week course into one comprehensive 6-hour workshop. You will learn foundational skills in woodworking, including planning, materials, marking, safety expectations, and hands-on tool operation.
Makers of all experience levels and skills.
Join us to get more comfortable with using the tools and equipment in the metal shop. In this class you will learn cutting, shaping, bending, rolling and basic welder safety.
This 101 class will review how to use metal shop tools safely including the shear, bandsaw, welders, plasma cutter, drill press, slip roller, bender, finger brake, and angle grinder. This class is meant to get TCM members feeling comfortable and confident using the space. This is not meant to be a replacement for orientation.
After this class, members will be able to feel more confident about using the tools safely. This class does not cover welding, but does cover how to set-up the regulators. Oxy-Acetylene is not covered in this class.
Participants should bring their own work gloves and wear full length pants and close-toed shoes. Safety glasses will be provided.
Cory Due is a local 539 pipefitter who focuses on service work and HVAC after earning a welding degree at MCTC and working in a fabrication shop and on the construction side of the pipefitters union. They have both a welding degree and HVAC degree and largely work on commercial systems. They enjoy teaching and making mechanical concepts more accessible to all. When they aren't teaching they're scheming about house projects, tending to their garden, or spending time with their family and menagerie of animals.
Trick-or-treat yourself to something handmade — learn copper enameling and craft your own Halloween-inspired jewelry set.
This hands-on workshop introduces students to the ancient art of enameling on copper, with a spooky seasonal twist. Participants will learn fundamental techniques including surface preparation, enamel application, firing processes, and finishing methods — all while exploring a Halloween-inspired palette of blacks, oranges, purples, and eerie greens. By the end of the class, each student will have created a coordinated jewelry set featuring their own Halloween motifs, color choices, and design aesthetic.
This class is open to makers of all levels. No prior experience required.
By the end of this workshop, students will be able to: ● Understand basic enameling safety and studio procedures ● Prepare copper blanks for enamel application ● Apply enamel using sifting techniques ● Successfully fire enamel pieces using a kiln ● Finish and assemble enameled components into wearable jewelry ● Identify troubleshooting solutions for common enameling issues
Up To 1 Days Before the Event Starts
If you've been wondering what all the knobs on your sewing machine do, how to clean your sewing machine, and what those feet do, this is the class for you. Whether your starting your sewing journey or you've been at it for a few decades, this class will empower you with knowledge to maintain your machine and utilize all the functions on your machine.
Students will receive a machine maintenance kit and will have access to sewing machine cleaning tools and lubricants during the class.
Beginner-advanced sewists looking to skill build
- Sewing machine anatomy
- How to clean and oil your sewing machine
- Common machine problems and how to resolve them
- What the feet for your sewing machine do and how to utilize them.
In this class, students will learn how to Screen Print T-Shirts with multiple colors. All attendees must have taken Screen Printing 101 prior to taking this class.
We will print t-shirts with multi-colored designs. Students will be provided with a number of shirts to work on. We will work on print strategies for working with both dark and light colors, and learn additional screen printing tricks.
Up To 1 Day Before the Event Starts
Rick Strohmeyer is the Artifactory manager and a long time member of Twin Cities Maker. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking, he has enjoyed sharing the knowledge he has learned while being a a print-maker, painter and general designer. Rick Strohmeyer is also a former art teacher and is currently a stay at home painter.
If you have a metalworking project that you need support with, you're in the right place! Bring your work-in-progress and Cory will be available to answer your questions.
Learn the secrets to painting gems and jewels in mini painting!
If you’re into miniature and model painting this class will help boost your skill level. We’re going to focus on using glazes side-by-side with a wet palette make gem effects. All materials will be provided. If you are unfamiliar with the use of a wet palette I highly recommend taking my Wet Palette course first.
We’re going to focus in on paint consistency and glazing techniques to render stylized gem effects. There will be a lot of painting tips, tricks and good practice habits shared.
This class is accessible to beginner and intermediate painters.
Learn enough metalworking to double your project list!
Curious about how to begin your metalworking journey? Have a project idea that you'd like to use metal in? Join us as we explore how to MIG weld, use hand tools, angle grinders, and cover the shear, drill press, and box and pan brake tools in the shop. Feel more confident using the space safely, add more skills to your tool belt, and walk away with a small completed class project of a side table. Participants are encouraged to bring in their own project ideas but not required.
Class One: We'll start with the basics—safety, handy tools to use and how to use them, thinking about fabrication layout, and how to use the plasma cutter. We'll also go over the shear and horizontal bandsaw as we begin our class project.
Class Two: Our second class will go over how to MIG weld, use of the drill press, and continue to fabricate pieces for our class project.
Class Three: We'll keep welding our class project! Using an angle grinder and small hand tools in the metal shop, we'll finish our small shop project.
Class Four: Class four is an open work class. Participants can come and work on their individual project with support from the instructor.
Suited to beginners but all levels welcome.
MIG Welding, Oxy-Acetylene, plasma cutting, angle grinder, shear, drill press, bandsaw.
Up To 7 Days Before the Event Starts.
Cory Due is a local 539 pipefitter who focuses on service work and HVAC. They have both a welding degree and HVAC degree and largely work on commercial systems. They enjoy teaching and making welding less intimidating. When they aren't teaching they're scheming about house projects, tending to their garden, or spending time with their family and menagerie of animals.
Are you a maker who is curious about teaching at Twin Cities Maker but have never taught a class before? Or maybe you've been teaching for some time and want to improve your craft. Either way, you have come to the right place!
This is the first in a teaching workshop series. During this time, we will discuss:
Your questions about teaching.
A curious open mind.
You! We hope to see you there.
Lars is the Education Manager at Twin Cities Maker. She has been an educator for over a decade, with experience teaching math in the classroom, woodworking classes in Minneapolis, MN, and lasercutter classes in makerspaces around Boston, MA. She currently teaches Woodworking 101 and Picture Frames. In her free time, she enjoys watching anime, playing the guitar, and learning to meditate.
Whether you are a brand new member of Twin Cities Maker, or have been a member for a really long time but haven't been in the shop for awhile, attending a new member orientation will get you up to speed on the policies, guidelines, and culture of Twin Cities Maker.
Signup, download a copy of our handbook, and come to session. During orientation you get to meet some new people, have all your questions answered, and get acquainted with Twin Cities Maker policies, guidelines, and culture.
Orientation lasts for about 1 hour with time after for questions and support for any issues.
After you have completed orientation you will receive your fob to access the facility, which will be activated once have paid all membership fees.
If you are going to be working in the woodshop be sure to sign up for woodshop orientation immediately following this class. Check our orientations calendar to register.
All New Members are required to Pre-Register for this Orientation.
If you cannot attend an in person orientation, please reach out to membership@tcmaker.org so that we can work out special arrangements.
Wood Shop Orientation is a required orientation for all woodworkers.
During Orientation we will cover basic shop safety guidelines along with best practices that are necessary to use the wood shop at Twin Cities Maker!
https://wiki.tcmaker.org/en/shop_departments/wood_shop
Add welding to your DIY skillset with this introductory course.
Learn the basics of MIG welding! In this class you will learn a basic welding framework to use on your own projects at home or in the TC Maker shop. Safety, machine basics, gas choice and set-up, as well as basic tools will all be covered. For folks starting from zero knowledge to those who have welded in the past and would like to brush-up, this class emphasizes that everyone can be a welder and make their own project dreams come true. Class size is kept small to encourage participation and time with the instructor.
Bring a pair of welding gloves. Recommendations are ones that are thinner for dexterity. Examples are Black Stallion MIG gloves or Vulcan TIG gloves (both work for MIG welding).
Participants should be wearing close-toed shoes and clothing that is 100% cotton or wool. Jeans or similar material without holes are also recommended. No synthetic fibers. Improper attire may require participants to withdraw at time of class without refund. If you have questions regarding proper attire, please reach out to the instructor.
After this class you'll have a general understanding of how to operate the screen printing equipment along with the basic principles of screen printing.
Besides learning about the screen printing equipment, you'll learn about shop policies & safety, practical applications of screen printing, how to chose a good image for screen printing, and acceptable surfaces that will screen print well.
Rick Strohmeyer has been a long time member of Twin Cities Maker. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking, he has enjoyed sharing the knowledge he has learned while being a a print-maker, painter and general designer.
Slipcasting pumpkins: join this one‑day workshop to cast, carve, and customize ceramic pumpkins and jack-o'-lanterns.
Slipcasting gives you a repeatable, almost magical way to shape clay, and this one‑day workshop is designed to show you how accessible and empowering the process can be. You’ll learn to pour, release, and refine forms while also handbuilding details that make each piece uniquely yours. Whether you’re new to clay or expanding your studio skills, you’ll end up with a finished ceramic pumpkin, a working understanding of molds, and the confidence to keep exploring slipcasting at home or in the studio.
For glaze application and final firing of the work you produce in this class, you have three options:
1. JJ will complete a basic glaze and glaze firing for scheduled pick-up.
2. A discounted rate for the subsequent glazing workshop.
3. TCMC members may choose to glaze their work independently in our studio.
Please note: This is not a mold-making class, as we will be using existing molds provided by the instructor. If you are interested in mold-making, look for JJ's "Cast it in Clay: Intro to Slipcasting & Moldmaking" 3-full-day workshop.
A basic foundation in ceramics hand building is encouraged, but not required.
1.How to use slip molds to cast beautiful objects in clay.
2. How you can modify a cast object by:
A. Cutting away parts (carve a jack-o-lantern).
B. Adding texture via slip trailing (texture, bumps, and unique surface decoration designs)
C. Adding features (a handle for a mug, a lip for a lid)
D. What happens when you remove your object from the mold a little early
E. Strategically warp your cast pumpkin.
F. Using mason stains to add color.
Up to 7 days before the event starts.
JJ (they/them) is a teaching artist, designer, and handyperson living in South Minneapolis and serves on the TCMC volunteer leadership team. JJ teaches a variety of classes across the Twin Cities and Greater MSP region and completed their Masters of Fine Art in sculpture in intermedia at the University of Iowa in 2022. Their creative practice engages with phenomenologies in playful connection, eco-gratitude, and material experimentation. JJ is passionate about sharing knowledge and witnessing their students succeed in learning, achieve their goals, and enjoy creative play.
Desire for self-expression required.
Prepare for the class by having a small idea of what you would like to design and make.
Tim Bednar studied at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and was awarded a Merit Design Scholarship. After a career as a web developer, he recently returned to furniture design and wood working. He is an Assistant Wood Shop Manager at TC Maker and teaches the Woodworking 101 Class.
If you are just beginning, learn the basic fundamentals of artmaking and benefit from individual guidance through a number of skill-building steps. More advanced students can work on and expand their basic skills in a creative and supportive atmosphere. Dry and water-based materials will be explored. All are welcome.
Notes: No class November 15, or 29th
Small materials list discussed first day of class, or bring desired supplies.
This class is run by Articulture, and hosted at Twin Cities Maker.
Discover the beauty of watercolor through landscape painting in this 5-week series designed for beginners and developing artists alike.
Watercolor is beautifully suited to capturing the natural world. Its fluidity and versatility can give us soft skies, layered depth, and expressive textures that bring landscapes to life on paper.
In this course, you'll learn how to work with water and pigment from the ground up. We will begin with foundational techniques and build upon your culminating skills toward a finished landscape painting of your own. Along the way, you'll explore how to create natural shapes, color, atmosphere and depth—using a balance of control and spontaneity.
Each session combines guided instruction, hands-on practice, and time to develop your own work, giving you both the skills and confidence to continue painting beyond the course.
Whether you're brand new to watercolor or returning after time away, this class offers a supportive, focused environment where you can slow down, build technique, and enjoy the creative process.
Over five sessions, you will:
All members who want to use the new Ceramics studio will need to be oriented to the new space, policies, and processes that will make this a wonderful place to create.... and this includes members who were already oriented to the old studio.
Resin 3D Printing is an extremely powerful technology that allows the user to achieve fantastic levels of detail. It is ideal for game pieces for tabletop miniature games like Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder, as well as dioramas, sculptures, and extremely precise parts. The quality of resin parts cannot be matched by filament printers and is a fantastic skill to have.
You will be able to take any 3D model, prepare it for printing, complete a print, and post-process the parts All while doing it safely. You will also be automatically approved to print on any SLA (resin) printers within the 3D printing lab.
This class is beginner friendly.
Max Schreifels is a manager of the 3D printing lab in Twin Cities Maker and is an enthusiastic and attentive teacher.
Our Japanese tool box workshop teaches thoughtful creating for makers of all levels. This isn't just about following instructions; it's about understanding why things are made the way they are. Through clear, step-by-step guidance, you'll make a humble toolbox while gaining practical woodworking skills. We'll cover different construction methods and materials, explaining the trade-offs to help you make informed decisions in your future work. Learn by making a functional piece, developing an appreciation for craftsmanship, and building the confidence and understanding for your next project. Ready to learn and make? Sign up now! Space is limited.
The class is designed for makers of all experience levels with the focus to improve the creation of your next project. A maker taking the class should be able to read instructions and plans, measure, and ready to use the Sawsall, chop saw, planner, and joiner.
In this class, you will read a plan and the how to get your wood the right size by measuring carefully. Then, you'll learn to make straight and safe cuts using the table saw to cut wood to the right width and the chop saw to cut pieces to the correct length. You'll also learn how to use the jointer to make one side of the wood flat and square, and the planer to make the other side smooth and the wood the right thickness. These steps help make sure all the parts of your toolbox fit together.
Please ready for classroom instruction to start with a pencil and notebook. Then wear appropriate closed toe shoes and work like clothing for the shop. The shop has safety equipment, but you are encouraged to bring your own. Lumber will be provided as well as the needed fasteners.
Learn to build on a larger scale through coil building and slabs! Learn new techniques to improve shape and stability.
Hello! My name is Gabs Conway and I am a sculptural ceramic artist. I have been working professionally as a sculptor for the past 5 years and have a primary focus in coil building. I’m excited to share my knowledge to help people advance their hand building practice. This workshop is designed to build off of some prior knowledge of coil work, but to expand on structural design! Let me show you how to build larger works while maintaining structural integrity!
Ideally, students have had some experience with clay and have done some hand building in the past. Does not need to be highly experienced
Up to 1 day before the event starts.
Gabs Conway is a sculptural ceramic artist based in Missoula, Montana. She grew up in a creative family; sculpting and drawing alongside her father. In May of 2021, she earned her BFA with a concentration in ceramics at the University of Wisconsin - Stout. As of August 2021 she has been a permanent artist and educator for Wildfire Ceramic Studio. Additionally she is the Outreach Educator for The Clay Studio of Missoula since fall of 2022. Her educational experiences inform her personal work in many ways as she pushes the boundaries of clay; exploring relationships and community, and intrigued by familiarity in the unusual.
Celebrate the full moon with an indoor pumpkin‑painting workshop—seasonal color and whimsy.
Beginner to Advanced: All Experience Levels are Welcome
Pumpkin glazing techniques — how to apply underglaze and glazes, layer colors, and create playful surface effects on ceramic forms.
Seasonal color mixing — choosing and combining autumn palettes for depth, contrast, and mood.
Detailing methods — using brushes, sponges, and simple tools to add highlights, shadows, and texture.
Glaze behavior basics — understanding how glazes move, melt, and interact during firing.
Creative experimentation — trying out small tests, playful marks, and intuitive approaches to surface design.
Finishing and firing prep — prepping pieces for the kiln for successful firing.
Have a frame or piece of art in mind? Email Rick, your instructor, in advance so ya'll can discuss material availability! You'll learn about the matte cutters in the Artifactory to make matte and backing boards with bevel cut windows custom fit to a picture frame of your choosing. This class can be taken as a stand alone class or as the second part of the Picture Frames class taught in the woodshop. Materials will be provided.
How to use the matte cutters
How to make matte boards and backing boards
Richard received a BFA in Printmaking from the University of Texas at El Paso 25 years ago. Since then he has been a teacher, a corporate designer, a stay at home painter and the best member he can be at Twin Cities Maker.
This beginning bookbinding class will introduce students to basic binding tools and techniques, including signature-making (sections), cover creation, and creative design. Artistic expression will be encouraged during the process. These unique handmade books are very versatile and make great nature or personal journals, sketchbook, prose and poetry, gifts, and more.
Instructor: Eva Adderley
Create real silver jewelry using metal clay, a unique and flexible medium that becomes pure silver when kiln-fired. Use provided molds, surface patterns, and textures to design jewelry that is striking and original. Students will learn basic metal clay techniques to complete 3 to 4 silver pieces such as earrings, pendants, and charms that are truly unique!
Note: First day is mandatory.
Instructor: Laura Juul
This class is held by Articulture and hosted at Twin Cities Maker.
This fun spoon carving class will teach the basics such as safety, carving grips, tool maintenance, and finishing techniques. Students will develop their own personal carving aesthetic while learning about the history of wood carving and its appeal in contemporary fine craft. This wonderfully sociable artform is very portable, low cost, low mess, ecologically friendly, and is connected to nearly every culture worldwide! Leave with a beautiful fully functional and finished spoon that has your personal creative style literally carved into it.
Anders Nienstaedt
If there is interest in buying a carving kit, this will be discussed first day of class.
This class is run by Articulture and hosted by Twin Cities Maker.
I have been working in clay for 30 plus years. It was my first form of expression as a child and still helps me stay grounded as a professional. I teach folx of all ages and skill levels at the Powderhorn Park Recreation Center and The Workshop Mpls. I sell my work to local restaurant, Wise Acre Eatery, where folx can use my pots and purchase mugs or bowls. I love texture and templates and making things that are functional but special.
Tobie Miller is the instructor for this Open Guided Practice Class.
Demystify the jewelry bench! This class will open up a world of opportunities in fine metalworking.
You will walk away with a wishbone ring to show for your efforts!
No jewelry experience is necessary or assumed. This class begins with the very basics.
- melting down metals into usable stock - soldering (joining) pieces of metal to each other - forming soft metal into desired shapes without scuffing it - creating a variety of visual effects on the surface of metal - buffing and polishing - work-hardening and annealing (how to adapt to changes in the metal's structure as you work) - basic chemistry jewelry makers should know In this class, you'll have an opportunity to learn a variety of jeweler's hand tools (files, pliers, saws), torches, the bench buffer, as well as the rotary tool and its various bits.
Closed-toe shoes required. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided.
Abigail Schneider (Waning Moon Metalworks) is a silversmith and jewelry teacher based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is also the jewelry manager at Twin Cities Maker, hosting events, building a community of practice, and bringing the art of jewelry making within reach for everyone. When she's not teaching or honing her craft at the bench, Abigail enjoys tending to her plants, listening to dreampop music, and biking around the lakes.
Renew your style with colors that are drawn straight from nature. This workshop is an intro to the use of plant-based dyes, which can be a fun way to breathe new life into old fabrics. You’ll learn the process of extracting pigments and the essential steps of “fixing” dyes for permanency. By experimenting with how natural textiles soak up organic dyes. You’ll leave with knowledge of how to transform natural fibers into beautiful colors using eco-friendly botanicals.
Eva Adderley
Note:
This class is run by Articulture and hosted at Twin Cities Maker.
Current events got you feeling down or frustrated? There’s no better way to have fun while working through your justified emotions than stabbing some loose wool roving until it turns into a beautiful creation! In this class, students will learn the basics of needle-felting, and marvel at the fact that such a rewardingly active process can yield such soft and lovable creatures.
This class is led by Articulture and hosted at Twin Cities Maker.
Discover the ancient art of mosaics and create your own 8x8 or 6x12 custom piece in this hands-on, one-day workshop. The process will be in three parts: design/layout and tile cutting, gluing and transferring the image, and then grouting to finish it off. You will then leave with a completed, durable ceramic mosaic, to adorn your wall, to use as a unique trivet, or give as a wonderful gift.
Note: Close-toed shoes required.
Make your own mold for casting clay slip and gain the skills to continue making one and two piece plaster slip molds independently.
Slip‑casting is an efficient, repeatable forming method that allows you to produce consistent ceramic shapes with precision. This class introduces the core technical skills behind plaster mold‑making, giving you a solid foundation in model preparation, mold design, plaster mixing, and controlled casting workflows. You’ll work through each stage hands‑on, learning how to plan for undercuts, determine part lines, and troubleshoot common issues. By the end, you’ll have a functional mold you made yourself—and the practical knowledge to continue producing accurate one‑ and two‑piece slip‑casting molds independently in your own studio.
You will also leave with 2 unique molds and the skills and knowledge to continue making two piece slip molds independently! If you would like to bring your own object to mold, please email jj.bunch@tcmaker.org in advance.
Session 1
Practice making your first mold: an orange or other citrus fruit
Mix and pour plaster (Make the first half of your fruit mold)
(Make the second half of your fruit mold)
Cottle and clay up
Mix and pour plaster
Homework: find an object suitable for a 2-piece mold (your second mold)
Session 2
clay up and cottle your object
Pour the first half of your second mold
Make the final half of your second mold
Session 3
A basic foundation in ceramics hand building is encouraged.
Dates: Saturday, Dec 5; Sunday, Dec 6; Saturday, Dec 12
Time: 10 am - 4:30 pm (lunch break 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm)
Your successful cast pieces will be bisque fired at our studio to cone 04.
You may also like to sign up for a glazing workshop to glaze what you make in this class.
In this 101 class, we'll move through using the drill press, shear, plasma cutter, and our creativity as we make bookends and some hangers.
Cory Due is a local 539 pipefitter who focuses on service work and HVAC after earning a welding degree at MCTC and working in a fabrication shop and on the construction side of the pipefitters union. They have both a welding degree and HVAC degree and largely work on commercial systems now. They enjoy teaching and making mechanical concepts more accessible to all. When they aren't teaching they're scheming about house projects, tending to their garden, or spending time with their family and menagerie of animals.After this class, members will be able to feel more confident about using the tools safely. This class does not cover welding, but does cover how to set-up the regulators. Oxy-Acetylene is not covered in this class.
Craft thick, seamless, durable wool oven mitts (or mittens) in a sensory-rich, beginner‑friendly wet felting workshop.
This is a beginner-friendly course. It does require some labor using the hands and shoulders.
Wet‑felting fundamentals — how wool fibers lock together through water, soap, and controlled agitation. Building seamless forms — shaping mitts or mittens around a resist for smooth, continuous construction.
Layering wool for durability — arranging fibers for thickness, heat protection, and long‑lasting wear.
Shaping and refining — sculpting curves, thumbs, and edges for a comfortable, functional fit.
Fulling for strength — tightening and strengthening the felt through controlled agitation.
Surface finishing — smoothing, stretching, and final adjustments for a polished result.
Fall is the perfect time to cozy up with a textile arts project, and there is no better inspiration than nature! In this class, students will learn basic embroidery stitches and strategies by exploring traditional methods of embroidering flowers. Equipped with these skills, they can go on to create any embroidered design that they can dream up!
Notes:
Solstice in Clay: Celebrating the Longest Night
Date: Sunday, December 13th, 2026
Time: 10am - 1pm
More info coming soon...