This class runs for 6 sessions with a break during the Thanksgiving week.
Forge into the world of metalsmithing with a hands‑on class built especially for teen makers with a curiosity for craft. Over six weeks you will heat, cut, bend, texture, join, and finish non‑ferrous metals—all without torch soldering. Perfect for first-time metalsmiths, the small class size allows for plenty of one-on-one guidance as you learn how to use a jeweler’s saw, hand-forming tools, and the flex-shaft. And, with the support and supervision of an experienced metalsmith, you will try your hand at annealing metal with a torch! Instruction will focus on safety, proper tool use, and accessible techniques that build your skills, knowledge, and confidence.
What You’ll Learn:
Designing – plan for function while expressing individual style.
Annealing – control heat to make copper and brass pliable.
Sawing – create precise cuts for intricate designs.
Forming – shape sheet and wire using hammers, pliers, and mandrels.
Texturing – add visual and tactile interest with hammers or stamps.
Connecting – secure elements with cold connections.
Finishing – refine surfaces with burnishing, polishing, and patinas.
By the final session, each participant leaves with a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry they created from start to finish and a set of foundational skills to keep exploring metal as a creative medium.
The class will be capped at 3 students. It is important to keep the instructor-to-student ratio low to provide ample attention and supervision to each individual while maintaining safe use of tools such as the torch for annealing and the flexshaft.
Makers Mill will provide protective masks and safety glasses, or students may bring their own.
Please read our Class Attendee Policy, which includes our cancellation policy, prior to registering.
Location: Ground floor metalsmithing studio.
Class Size: Minimum 2 and maximum 3 students
Age Group: 14 - 18 year olds
Waivers: students will need their responsible adult to sign our Youth Waiver at the first class if not already on file.
Registration Fee: $275
NOTE: Makers Mill is a registered vendor in the ClassWallet program for K-12 students. Please do not register online if you are using ClassWallet for your student, but call us directly at 603-569-1500 so we can make the necessary arrangements with you.
Materials Fee: $25
Instructor to provide a basic “starter” set of materials for each student. Reimburse instructor at the first class in cash or by check.
Makers Mill will also have other materials available for sale should the scope of the student’s project expand beyond the starter supplies.
Registration deadline: October 29, 2025
Instructor: Kristin Ohlmann
Kristin realized her aptitude for “making” in the basement machine shop of a science building. She began exploring work in a variety of art and craft media and found an affinity for handcrafting with metals. Kristin learned the foundations of metalsmithing in courses at RIT’s School for American Craft and the Memorial Art Gallery Creative Workshop, both in Rochester, New York. After a move to New Hampshire, she earned a Post‑Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio Art from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. While at SMFA, she was introduced to enameling, which immediately became an additional area of enthusiastic pursuit! She has further fortified her metals and enameling education and skills through participation in workshops and found her two weeks at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts to be an especially transformative experience.
Early in her career, Kristin served as a college physics teaching assistant, practicing instructional skills that now inform her studio teaching. She homeschools her own son, who has helped her continue to grow as he challenges her to view the world anew. Kristin particularly enjoys thinking about design, the process of handwork, and problem solving - including learning from her mistakes! Her favorite metalsmithing activity, which she finds to be extremely contemplative and relaxing, is using a jeweler’s saw to cut sheet metal. She believes that objects made by hand are special, a conviction she hopes to pass on to her students as they design, iterate, and embrace the challenges along the way.
