Upcoming classes

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• Ring Setting Basics: Bezel Set 1

  • Start
    Thu, October 02, 2025
  •  
  • End
    Thu, November 06, 2025
  •  
  • Schedule
    6 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
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    0

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  Love stones? Want to know how to make jewelry with them? This is your chance! In this 6-week course we'll start with basic silversmithing skills and learn to use a jeweler's saw, files, dual fuel torch and more. Each week you'll add to and combine your skills as we work towards making two completely hand fabricated rings, one with a round cabochon and another with a shape that offers more complexity. To maximize learning and success for everyone, your projects will allow some creative expression while also following some specifications.

  Beginners are welcome in this class, but it will be best if you've taken Jewelry Metalsmithing Fundamentals or have some experience with making jewelry or similar crafts. It's also a great review for smiths with some experience who want to learn how to fabricate bezels.

  $280 ($235 tuition + $45 materials)  |  6 weeks
  Open to ages 16 and up.

  Instructor: Tai Salisbury 

  
  

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• Jewelry Metalsmithing Fundamentals: Working with Wire

  • Start
    Mon, October 06, 2025
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  • End
    Mon, December 01, 2025
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  • Schedule
    8 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    1

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  One of the most common components of jewelry is wire, whether you are making chain, closures, or settings. This foundational course will introduce you to some of the many ways wire is used in jewelry-making and you'll start building an essential skill set.

  We'll begin by learning about bench setup, safety in the jewelry studio, and commonly used tools and equipment. We'll discuss different types of soldering and then focus on pick soldering throughout the class. We'll also cover sawing, hammering textures, annealing metal, and polishing, with time to practice these skills. You'll work with different gauges of wire and can expect to complete a jewelry piece of your choice (necklace, bracelet, earring, ring) or possibly more depending on size and your proficiency. You'll work primarily with copper and a small amount of sterling silver.

  No prior experience is required for this fundamental course. 

  $360 ($310 tuition + $50 materials)  |  8 weeks 
  Open to ages 18 and up, or 16-17 with a parent/guardian in attendance.

  Instructor: Laura D. Juul

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• Silver Clay Exploration

  • Start
    Thu, October 09, 2025
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  • End
    Thu, November 20, 2025
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  • Schedule
    6 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
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    0

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  In this class you'll learn the sculpting and forming techniques used to create simple pendants, beads and rings out of 100% pure silver metal clay. Once the basic skills are covered we'll discuss setting synthetic stones into your pieces before learning about firing and finishing the objects you make.

  This class is designed for anyone who has an interest in creating pure silver jewelry or works of art while sitting at your kitchen table. No experience needed.

  $285 ($235 tuition + $50 materials)  |  6 weeks
  Open to ages 18 and up, or 16-17 with a parent/guardian in attendance.

  Instructor: Laura Juul 

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• Jewelry Fundamentals: Red Sand Casting

  • Start
    Fri, October 10, 2025
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  • End
    Fri, October 31, 2025
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  • Schedule
    4 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    0

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  In this class, you’ll learn the fundamentals of small scale sand casting using a special blend of delft clay and red sand. You will be guided to prepare and pack a two-part mold, working to capture fine detail, and safely pour molten metal to create your own unique design.

  Feel free to bring your own small charm or object to cast or you can pick from our curated selection of found objects. you’ll practice embedding, carving, and venting techniques to produce clean, detailed castings. You'll work with both bronze and sterling silver to create two or three finished pieces, depending on the size and complexity of your designs. Once cooled and removed from the mold, you’ll learn basic finishing and polishing techniques to complete your cast project.

  No experience is necessary—all tools, materials and safety equipment are provided. Whether you're exploring metalworking for the first time or beginning your journey into jewelry or sculpture, this class offers a fun and approachable introduction to sand casting.

   $200 ($155 tuition + $45 materials)  |  4 weeks
  Open to ages 18 and up, or 16-17 with a parent/guardian in attendance.

  Instructor: Laura Juul

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• Forged Wearables: Jewelry-Scale Blacksmithing

  • Start
    Wed, October 15, 2025
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  • End
    Wed, November 19, 2025
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  • Schedule
    6 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    2

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  Blacksmithing is not all swords and armor! It can also include making small forged objects that you can wear. In this class, we'll explore designing unique jewelry pieces, from bracelets and earrings to whatever you can imagine. You can expect to create at least three steel and/or copper jewelry projects. These projects will vary in size (from small to extremely small), allowing you to practice and gain skills in forging fine and detailed objects with a hammer and anvil. We'll practice delicate tapering, twisting, punching holes, chisel work, and finishes. Along with these traditional blacksmithing techniques, this class has a strong focus on learning problem solving, creative thinking, challenging perfectionism, and developing healthy posture and form while swinging your hammer.

  *Some* blacksmithing experience is recommended, but we can accommodate beginners.

  $270 ($235 tuition + $35 materials)  |  5 sessions
  Open to ages 16 and up.

  Instructor: Pete Gierzynski 

  
  

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• Sand Casting with Gemstones with Brienna Hall

  • Start
    Mon, October 27, 2025
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  • End
    Wed, October 29, 2025
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  • Schedule
    3 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    0

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  We're welcoming Brienna Hall of Shrine Jewelry back to the CAFAC jewelry studio for this specialty workshop!

  Designed for students with experience doing sand casting for jewelry, this class focuses on casting gemstones into place on your jewelry objects. Elevate your work with some sparkly bling embedded in the precious metals you use. We'll cover multiple ways to incorporate gemstones with different setting options from flush set, prong set, tube set and more! You'll also be able to explore casting with other items besides gems (e.g., cremains, beach sand, rocks, etc.). We'll focus on the core casting system which incorporates sand casting with vacuum assist and allows for casting a greater variety of shapes.

  Prerequisite: casting experience required. To be best prepared for this class, you'll have taken Brienna's Sand Casting for Jewelers workshop, or another sand casting workshop at CAFAC. If you haven't, but have experience with small scale casting techniques, you're welcome to join this class.

  $300 ($240 tuition + $60 materials)  |  3 sessions
  Open to ages 16 and up.

   Nestled along the rugged coastline of Mendocino, California, Brienna Hall is the creative force behind Shrine Jewelry. Operating her full-time jewelry business, Brienna also shares her expertise through workshops across northern California. With a keen eye for detail, she empowers her students to explore diverse techniques. Brienna's own creations often blend textile methods with metalwork and embrace the unique character of small-scale sand casting. Her designs fuse organic elements with modern aesthetics, imbued with hints of historical narrative. At the core of Shrine Jewelry lies the belief that each individual is a shrine deserving of meaningful adornment. Brienna encourages wearers to reflect on the intention behind their adornments, cherishing the quality and energy infused into each handmade piece.

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• Memento Mori with Sand Casting

  • Start
    Sat, November 01, 2025
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  • End
    Sun, November 02, 2025
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  • Schedule
    2 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    1

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  Siblings scottie and Brienna Hall have combined their individual passions and art forms into this unique ritual Sand Casting experience. 

  It is said that in Autumn the veil between life and death is thinnest. In this weekend workshop we will explore the ancient art of sand casting to create a unique piece of jewelry or small talisman memorializing a loved one, pet, memory, or place. Through metalworking, fire, and guided ritual, you will cast a personal keepsake imbued with presence, memory, and intention.

  You're invited to bring a cherished object, cremains of a loved one, symbolic material, or a personal offering to incorporate into your piece. Together we will mark this sacred time of year through co-creating an altar honoring the cycle of life and death and learning to sand cast sterling silver in red clay.

  This workshop is open to all levels of experience. The only prerequisite is a willingness to reflect on the impermanence of life through ritual, storytelling, memories, and art making.

  $460 ($400 tuition + $60 materials)  |  Weekend workshop
  Open to ages 18 and up. 

  scottie hall (ze|zir) is a Minneapolis-based artist, hospice chaplain, and childless cat queer. Ze invites hospice patients and their loved ones to meet death with curiosity through ritual, self-discovery, and radical acceptance of the natural dying process. A longtime practicing Buddhist, scottie holds a MDiv from United Theological Seminary of Twin Cities where their studies included Interreligious Chaplaincy and Theopoetics.

  Brienna Hall is a jewelry artist and educator based in Mendocino, California, with a BFA in Sculpture and a minor in Fiber Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute. Through her practice, Shrine Jewelry, she explores themes of memory, impermanence, and transformation using sand casting, fabrication and recycled precious metals. Brienna teaches regularly in California and loves the joy and spontaneity that sand casting brings—she’s passionate about sharing that excitement through teaching and helping others create meaningful, personal work.

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• Wire-Wrapped Adornments Workshop: Sacred Craft for Soul & Body

  • Start
    Sat, November 08, 2025
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  • End
    Sat, November 15, 2025
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  • Schedule
    2 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    7

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  Unleash the sacred artist within you. This two-session immersive workshop invites you to explore the ancient and intuitive art of wire-wrapped adornments using semi-precious gemstones and base metals. You'll craft unique, soul-aligned pieces for everyday wear, ceremonial use, home décor, energy clearing, and personal empowerment. Whether you're drawn to create a belly chain, beaded crown, or body-wear piece, this workshop is a space to infuse intention, design, and ritual into each creation.

  You’ll learn:

  • Basics of wire-wrapping techniques using copper, brass, and silver-colored wires
  • How to select and work with **semi-precious gemstones** for their metaphysical properties
  • Design skills for body adornments: belly chains, crowns, bracelets, rings, and more
  • Incorporating ritual, intention, and healing energy into your creative process
  • Ways to use wire-wrapped pieces as **sacred art, altar décor, and energetic tools**

  Who this is for:

  • Creatives, healers, and art lovers seeking to craft meaningful adornments
  • Anyone curious about **gemstone energy, wearable magic, and ritual creativity**
  • No experience needed—just bring your open heart, hands, and imagination

  Materials provided:

  Wire, gemstones, beads, and basic tools included. You're welcome and encouraged to bring personal stones or charms to incorporate.

  Let your adornments tell your story. Align with beauty, healing, and artistic purpose.

  $245 ($215 tuition + $30 materials)  |  2 sessions
  Open to ages 16 and up.

  Instructor: Tamiko French 

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• Soft Soldering: Low-Heat Techniques for Jewelry

  • Start
    Wed, November 12, 2025
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  • End
    Wed, December 10, 2025
  •  
  • Schedule
    4 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    0

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  Delve into the captivating art of soft soldering in this beginner level jewelry class. You'll choose from an array of projects, creating personalized pieces such as rings, pendants, or earrings. You'll practice a variety of low heat techniques with a soldering iron and be encouraged to explore your creativity with soldering.

  The workshop will provide guidance through the entire process, from working with base metals to provide structure to polishing your work and adding any finishing touches. Along the way, we'll explore ways to create visual interest with beads and other findings, use soldering techniques to sculpt pieces, and apply patina to add color and depth to the metals. You'll leave with one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that reflect your individual style and artistic expression.

  No experience required! Whether you have a passion for jewelry, a curiosity about soldering, or simply a desire to acquire a new skill, join us on an artistic journey and discover the joy of crafting your own unique soldered jewelry pieces.

  $185 ($155 tuition + $30 materials)   |  4 sessions
  Open to ages 18 and up, or 16-17 with a parent/guardian in attendance.

  Instructor: Annemarie Hines

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• Copper Enamel Jewelry Sampler

  • When
    Sun, November 16, 2025
  •  
    2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    0

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  Manifest your creative vision by creating one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces colored with a rich palette of enamels. In this sampler style class, we'll explore basic copper enamel techniques using pre-fabricated copper shapes. You will walk away from this course with a new excitement for working with glass, color and metal.

  In this workshop you will learn:

  • kiln-fired and torch-fired enameling
  • at least three dry enameling techniques including sifting, fade, lump & thread, and more
  • basic jewelry finding connection techniques to bring your copper enamel pieces together

  $85 ($70 tuition + $15 materials) 
  Open to ages 16 and up.
  

  Instructor: Crystal Celeste 

  
  

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• Open Jewelry Studio: Bench Time

  • When
    Sun, November 23, 2025
  •  
    2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    7

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  Open Jewelry Studio is available to people who have taken (or are currently taking) a bench jewelry class at CAFAC.

  Open Studio is your opportunity to get more time on the torch, get advice, and share studio time with your fellow artisans! You supply the materials and consumables and CAFAC will supply the tools and equipment. We have space for up to eight, so sign up today to reserve your bench spot.

  Note: this Open Studio is available for working with red sand casting but doesn't include working with precious metal clay.  

  $45 ($40 tuition + $5 materials)

  Instructor: Laura Juul

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• Jewelry Project Shop: Rock & Wrap

  • Start
    Wed, December 03, 2025
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  • End
    Wed, December 17, 2025
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  • Schedule
    3 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    6

  Register

  In this workshop, two jewelers are joining forces to teach you the basics of drilling into stones and wire wrapping! The first two sessions will focus on building your skill with the drill. All you need is the correct drill bits and some patience. Then in the final session, you'll learn the techniques to trap your stone using copper wire for your personal wearing. You'll also be able to explore various findings to finish your one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. Bring your own river rock, stone, sea glass, or crystal. If you don’t have any we will have a variety to choose from. No prior experience is required.

  $140 ($115 tuition + $25 materials)  |  3 sessions

  Open to ages 18 and up, or 16-17 with a parent/guardian in attendance.

  Instructor: Laura Juul & Tamiko French 

  
  

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• Jewelry Project Shop: Stacker Rings

  • When
    Sat, December 06, 2025
  •  
    11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    5

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  Want to make some simple, cute stacker rings? Pick a finger or toe you'd like to adorn with some little sterling and copper rings and learn how to make them in an afternoon. Stacker rings are an easy, fun project and a great way to get a taste of silversmithing. In this workshop, we'll start by learning about the basic tools you’ll need. Then, you'll dive into some basic silversmithing techniques like hammering, filing, sawing, and soldering as you work on your project.
  

  No prior experience is required for this fundamental course. 

  $100 ($80 tuition + $20 materials)  
  Open to ages 18 and up, or 16-17 with a parent/guardian in attendance.

  Instructor: Laura D. Juul 

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• Silver Clay Adventure: Make It in Metal

  • When
    Sun, December 07, 2025
  •  
    1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    0

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  Ever wanted to turn clay into silver? (Yes, really.) In this magical, hands-on workshop, you’ll shape soft, silky silver clay into a pendant, keychain, or earrings that are completely your style. We’ve got molds, textures, and tools galore -- all you need is an idea.

  Then comes the “wow” moment: as your piece fires in the kiln and it transforms from humble clay into 100% real silver. Once it cools, you’ll polish it to a brilliant shine and assemble it for wearing or gifting.

  It’s part science experiment, part jewelry-making party, and totally unforgettable.

  We provide all the materials — just bring your imagination (and maybe your bestie to have fun with).

  $95 ($70 tuition + $25 materials) 
  Open to ages 18 and up, or 16-17 with a parent/guardian in attendance.

  Instructor: Laura Juul 

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