Make handmade gifts in November at Makers Mill

WOLFEBORO — With the recent opening of Makers Mill community makerspace and vocation hub, new classes are added every week to the calendar. 

During the month of November several classes are being held in the metalsmithing and jewelry studio.

Over the weekend of Nov. 19-20, renowned League of New Hampshire Craftsman artist Betsy Keeney will facilitate a Beginning Your Jewelry Making Journey class that teaches the basic skills for making metal jewelry. Basic techniques taught through demonstrations and hands-on activities include safety, jewelry design, texturing, sawing, filing, forming, soldering, and cleaning your metal pieces, as well as bezel setting a cabochon.

Students will leave with pieces of wearable art. The 2-day workshop runs both days 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and is limited to eight people.

For more information, visit makersmill.org/membership or stop by for a weekly tour held Fridays, 10-11:30 a.m., and the first Saturday of each month at 10 a.m.

Two additional jewelry making classes are being offered Nov. 5 and 12 by local artist Deborah Ryan. Learn the skills to make a handmade chain for a bracelet or a necklace with sterling or copper wire. Ryan has been a metalsmith hobbyist since 2005 and has her own studio where she is very fond of making celtic and nature-inspired jewelry.

For those who are keen on using the Makers Mill woodshop, the Tool Safety Class Level 2, which is a prerequisite for using certain powered equipment in the shop, takes place on Saturday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. A similar class takes place in the Fiber Arts Studio on Friday, Nov. 11, noon-2 p.m., along with a Sewing 101 class on Sunday, Nov. 13, 1-4 p.m. Students who have had a sewing or mending project hidden in the closet for ages are encouraged to bring it along to the free monthly Fiber Mingle on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7-9 p.m.

Create a handmade holiday card at the monthly Card Connection, Saturday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m.-noon.

For those exploring what the next step in their career might look like, Jan Hodges Coville is holding career coaching sessions at Makers Mill every Wednesday afternoon. Book a 50-minute session, noon-4 p.m.

“We live in a community rich in diversely creative people — we see that reflected all around us in our day to day lives,” said Carol Holyoake, director of programs and events. “We’d love to hear from people who are passionate about what they create, whether their skills come directly from life experiences or a formal teaching experience, or whether they’re a hobbyist or professional.”

For more information on instructing classes, contact info@makersmill.org or 603-569-1500. Makers Mill is located at 23 Bay St. For a full calendar of events, visit makersmill.org/events.