Jewelry & Metals
stone setting, enameling, beginner or advanced
The Littleton Studio School offers a variety of classes in metal and jewelry techniques for all ages and abilities. Classes are taught by skilled artisans, some of whom are juried members of the League of NH Craftsman.
Sign up for a class today!
One Day Workshop
Wednesday, October 9th 3:30-5:30pm
Material Fee: Included
For any student in 7th to 12th grades
A beginner-friendly metalsmithing class creating simple stacking rings, this class will teach the basic ring-making techniques using copper, brass, nickel silver and/or sterling silver wire in various gauges. You will learn to solder these simple bands and get a feel for how each metal heats and the behaviors of each metal in different gauges. Texture can be added to the bands in a variety of ways that will be taught in this class as well. This class is designed for teens as a way to get involved with making your own jewelry and learning some basic skills of metal work.
One Day Workshop
Sunday, October 13th 10:00AM to 4:00PM
Material Fee: $50-$200. Bring in any old gold jewelry you want to remake into a new piece of jewelry. Please email the instructor a full week in advance if you want a specific size or shape of gold stock.
Intermediate Level Workshop
We will make a 14kt gold ring with a small bezel. We can take old gold jewelry, melt it down, roll it out and use the gold to make your ring (or a pair of earrings). Tips on soldering gold, finishing it, soldering white gold and yellow gold together all will be covered.
One Day Workshop
Wednesday, October 16th 3:30-5:30pm
Material Fee: Included
For any student in 7th to 12th grades
A beginner-friendly metalsmithing class creating simple stacking rings, this class will teach the basic ring-making techniques using copper, brass, nickel silver and/or sterling silver wire in various gauges. You will learn to solder these simple bands and get a feel for how each metal heats and the behaviors of each metal in different gauges. Texture can be added to the bands in a variety of ways that will be taught in this class as well. This class is designed for teens as a way to get involved with making your own jewelry and learning some basic skills of metal work.
One Day Workshop
Saturday, November 2nd 10:00 to 4:00PM
Material Fee: $30 paid directly to the instructor
This course is designed to introduce students to the art and technique of jewelry enameling. Enameling is a centuries-old craft that involves fusing glass to metal to create colorful and decorative surfaces. Throughout the course, students will learn the fundamental processes of enameling, including preparation of metal surfaces, application of enamels, firing techniques, both kiln and torch, and finishing. Demonstration and collaboration will foster your own ideas to actualize in the design stage. Participants will take away 2-3 pieces of their own, unique and beautiful work.
Key Topics Covered:
Materials and Tools: Familiarization with various metals, enamels, and tools used in the enameling process. We will be working with copper.
Surface Preparation: Techniques for preparing metal surfaces to receive enamel, including cleaning and applying counter enamel.
Enamel Application: Using sifting to create a base layer and continuing with guided exploration and creative use of materials and methods including decals, threads and lumps, etching and graphite, stencils and stamps, lusters and paints.
Firing Techniques: Understanding the firing process, temperature control, and kiln operation for achieving desired enamel effects.
Finishing and Polishing: Techniques for finishing and polishing enameled pieces to achieve a professional and refined look.
Troubleshooting: Identifying and addressing common issues that may arise during the enameling process.
This course is suitable for jewelry makers who would like to include vibrantly colored enamel in their designs as much as it is for anyone who would like to learn something new. Anyone can do this!
Agenda:
30-45 min introduction, preliminary design and demonstration of copper prep, including both torch and kiln firing.
1 hour- Copper prep completion
1 hour- Design/Material demonstrations while counter enameled copper forms are pickling.
30 min- Clean pieces in preparation for the design phase.
2 hours Experiment and play with prepared forms.
Finishing.
One Day Workshop
Sunday, November 3rd 10:00AM to 4:00PM
Materials Fee: $TBD
The classic box clasp is a versatile clasp that can be made into a variety of shapes, but all work the same way. Box clasps can be round, square, curved or even a leaf shape. We will make a basic box clasp using silver sheet metal, making a boxy form, and then make the tongue to fit into the box. Adding a tongue plunger will allow the tongue to be removed from the box clasp. Last but not least is making a safety catch for extra security.
We will learn all about hinges, hinged closures, clasps and other mechanisms that can be used on your boxes/jewelry. Basic hinges will be covered, and then multiple variations on hinged clasps and closures will be covered. Box clasps, toggles, safety catches and more will be covered. Surface emblements, texturing, and decoration will be shown to give your clasps a more custom look. Riveting will also be covered as a way to join nonmetal materials to metal clasps.
Some basic soldering experience is helpful in this class.
Instructor will have silver, brass and bronze on hand for students to purchase.
One Day Workshop
Sunday, November 17th 10:00AM to 4:00PM
Material Fee: $TBD - Instructor will have a limited supply of assorted sheet metal and wire on hand for students to purchase.
This workshop will cover ways to add pattern and color to your metal. We’ll do mock inlay which is soldering wire or sheet to heavy sheet metal and rolling it through a rolling mill. We will also do solder inlay where we fill in the dents in sheet metal with gold or silver solder to create a dots effect or to add another color. We will also solder twisted wire together and roll it out to get a lovely wood grain pattern and much more. We will use copper, brass, bronze, nickel and silver. 14g and 16g sheet will be used, plus 14g to 20g wire for inlay.
If you want to learn to make jewelry using silver and other metals, this online course shows you how. You get more than five hours of online, on-demand video instruction broken up into 35 lessons. Study and practice on your own when it’s convenient for you. Progress at your own pace. You will have unlimited access to the lessons and you can watch them as often as you wish. When you enroll in this course, you will receive unlimited access to all 35 online video lessons. All you need is internet access and a TV, mobile device or computer capable of playing them.
As you progress through the lessons, you will learn about jewelry making tools, tool safety and how to create your own jewelry artist's studio. You will learn how to set up and use an acetylene and air torch for soldering. You'll learn jewelry making techniques such as forming, cutting, texturing, buffing and polishing. Follow along through four fun jewelry making projects. Make your own beautiful ring, pendant, earrings, and bracelet. Instructor Tom Woods will guide you every step of the way. In the lessons you will watch him make each piece while explaining what he does and why. He'll give you tips and tell you what to watch out for as he's working.
The online Jewelry Making Essentials course is a perfect complement to a live beginning jewelry making course. If you are waiting to take a live course, the online Jewelry Making Essentials lets you get started early and gets you ready to sail in the live course. If you have already taken a live course, then Jewelry Making Essentials is the perfect review to reinforce what you've learned and you can watch it over and over.
There is no start date for this course - just enroll and get your unlimited access.
Settings
This online, on-demand course is for jewelry makers interested in learning how to make their own prong basket settings which can be used in earrings, pendants, rings and bracelets. The instructor is Tom Woods, who has taught the equivalent 'live' prong classes at Littleton Studio many times. This online version is broken into eight short lessons that you can watch any time, as often as you like. Go at your own pace. Progress as quickly or as slowly as you need.
The course covers all the information you need in short convenient lessons. You will move step-by-step from start to finish as you make a pendant that has a stone you set yourself in your own handmade basket setting.
This online course covers the same material as a weekend workshop. It totals a little over an hour of direct instruction that is broken up into eight individual lessons. You will practice by following along and making your own basket setting, a beautiful stone pendant.
The lessons are presented on YouTube. If you have questions about certain parts, you can write comments with your questions and Tom will provide answers. Watch on your phone, tablet, or laptop while you make the pendant yourself.
This course is almost like buying a book about making prong settings, except it's better because you can watch as the instructor completes each step. You will like the price too. The course is substantially less expensive than a live weekend workshop. Instead, the course is priced more like an authoritative book about making prong settings. If you are waiting to take a live course, or if you took one but need a refresher, this will be the perfect complement.
When you enroll in this Prong Basket Setting Course, you will receive an email with attachments that include links to all eight lessons. You will also receive a list of all the tools and materials you'll need, plus a list of resources to turn to should you need to purchase tools or supplies. The lessons are hosted on YouTube. To access the course just click on a link with your internet connected device and you will go immediately to the lesson. They are yours, on demand, any time you want, forever.
Bezel clasps
If you want to learn to make bracelets using silver and other metals, this online course shows you how to make a clasp type bracelet. You will also see how to put a bezel setting on it to mount a stone cabochon. You get almost 1 1⁄2 hours of video instruction broken up into 11 short lessons that you can download on demand. Watch at your own pace. Study and practice on your own when it’s convenient for you. Slow down and rewatch parts you need to, or you can speed up and skip sections you feel you have a handle on. You will have unlimited access to the lessons and you can watch them as often as you wish. When you enroll in this course, you will receive unlimited access to all 11 online video lessons. All you need is internet access and a TV, mobile device or computer capable of playing them. Unlike live video courses, where you have to be present at a prearranged time, you can watch on demand courses on your schedule. When you enroll in the course, the lessons are yours to watch whenever, wherever, forever.
As you follow along in the lessons, you will watch instructor, Tom Woods, as he makes a bracelet from start to finish. He guides you every step of the way. He explains every detail. Some of the things you’ll learn about include: bezel making tips and tricks, how to measure and size a bracelet, a simple and effective clasp technique, texturing and forming metal, fusing and soldering techniques, buffing and polishing, and how to set a cabochon in a bezel. It is suggested you watch every lesson to get an overview of the project. Then after you work through the lessons, go back and begin making a bracelet of your own. Review the lessons a second time or even more as you progress. There is no start date for this course. Just enroll and get your unlimited access. You will receive an email containing links to all the online lessons, a list of tools and supplies you will need, and a list of suppliers. If you don’t have your own tools, you can utilize Littleton Studio School’s open studio hours to make the bracelet there.
Cab settings
If you have wanted to make your own settings for polished cabochon stones, Making Prong Settings for Cabochons is an online course that will be just the ticket. Instructor, Tom Woods, will take you step by step through the whole process. If you follow along in the project, you will end up with a beautiful pendant that has a prong setting custom-sized for your cabochon. This kind of setting can also be incorporated into other jewelry projects like earrings, rings and bracelets.
This course is an online, on-demand course. You will get over an hour of direct instruction broken up into eleven short convenient video lessons. You will see a prong setting being made while the teacher carefully and thoroughly explains every detail of the fabrication. You are encouraged to follow along while making your own setting. A huge benefit of online, on-demand courses is that you can watch them anytime you want, whenever, wherever and forever. Do you need to go slower, or repeat sections? You can do that. Do you want to skip over parts you are already comfortable with? You can do that too.
The lessons are hosted for you on YouTube, so you can access your course anywhere, any time as long as you have internet access and a device capable of viewing YouTube videos. The eleven lessons, which we estimate to cover the equivalent material found in a weekend workshop, is priced right too. It is far less expensive to take this on demand course than it is to take a 'live' course.
When you enroll in the course, you will receive an email that has all the course links and information about what tools and supplies you should have to complete the course.
As you progress through the lessons, you will undoubtedly think of questions you'd like to ask the teacher. You are encouraged to ask anything in the Comments sections that are presented with each lesson. Let us show you how to get started making your own beautiful prong settings at home by taking Making Prong Settings for Cabochons.
If you have wanted to make your own settings for polished cabochon stones, Making Prong Settings for Cabochons is an online course that will be just the ticket. Instructor, Tom Woods, will take you step by step through the whole process. If you follow along in the project, you will end up with a beautiful pendant that has a prong setting custom sized for your cabochon. This kind of setting can also be incorporated into other jewelry projects like earrings, rings and bracelets.
This course is an online, on demand course. You will get over an hour of direct instruction broken up into eleven short convenient video lessons. You will see a prong setting being made while the teacher carefully and thoroughly explains every detail of the fabrication. You are encouraged to follow along while making your own setting. A huge benefit of online, on demand courses is that you can watch them anytime you want, whenever, wherever and forever. Do you need to go slower, or repeat sections? You can do that. Do you want to skip over parts you are already comfortable with? You can do that too.
The lessons are hosted for you on YouTube, so you can access your course anywhere, any time as long as you have internet access and a device capable of viewing YouTube videos. The eleven lessons, which we estimate to cover the equivalent material found in a weekend workshop, is priced right too. It is far less expensive to take this on demand course than it is to take a 'live' course.
When you enroll in the course, you will receive an email that has all the course links and information about what tools and supplies you should have to complete the course.
As you progress through the lessons, you will undoubtedly think of questions you'd like to ask the teacher. You are encouraged to ask anything in the Comments sections that are presented with each lesson. Let us show you how to get started making your own beautiful prong settings at home by taking Making Prong Settings for Cabochons.
Prerequisites: You should have some jewelry making experience and soldering skills.
This online, on-demand course is for jewelry makers interested in learning how to make their own prong basket settings which can be used in earrings, pendants, rings and bracelets. The
instructor is Tom Woods, who has taught the equivalent 'live' prong classes at Littleton Studio many times. This online version is broken into eight short lessons that you can watch any time, as often as you like. Go at your own pace. Progress as quickly or as slowly as you need.
The course covers all the information you need in short convenient lessons. You will move step-by-step from start to finish as you make a pendant that has a stone you set yourself in your own handmade basket setting.
This online course covers the same material as a weekend workshop. It totals a little over an hour of direct instruction that is broken up into eight individual lessons. You will practice by following along
and making your own basket setting, a beautiful stone pendant.
The lessons are presented on YouTube. If you have questions about certain parts, you can write comments with your questions and Tom will provide answers. Watch on your phone, tablet, or laptop while you make the pendant yourself.
This course is almost like buying a book about making prong settings, except it's better because you can watch as the instructor completes each step. You will like the price too. The course is substantially less expensive than a live weekend workshop. Instead, the course is priced more like an authoritative book about making prong settings.
If you are waiting to take a live course, or if you took one but need a refresher, this will be the perfect complement.
When you enroll in this Prong Basket Setting Course, you will receive an email with attachments that include links to all eight lessons. You will also receive a list of all the tools and materials you'll need, plus a list of resources to turn to should you need to purchase tools or supplies. The lessons are hosted on YouTube. To access the course just click on a link with your internet connected device and you will go immediately to the lesson. They are yours, on demand, any time you want, forever.
One Day Workshop
Saturday, October 5th 9:00-12:00pm
Material Fee: Materials are available for purchase on the morning of class for $20.
Everyone will have the opportunity to create two bold pairs of mixed metal earrings. Basic techniques of sawing and soldering will be the main focus. Students will have options to texture, dap, or patina and make their pieces uniquely their own. This is a fun basic/intermediate 3-hour metal smithing class.