by Cathy Niland
Have you already flipped through our latest catalog and got excited about all our upcoming fall classes? Yesterday, early member registration for the 136 classes running September–December officially opened! With a two week headstart, members have the upper hand getting into popular courses like Woodturning and rarities like Bell Casting. And this session, we are offering 34 classes for the first time ever, so members get the first crack at fun new offerings like Wooden Toy and Belt and Buckle.
We know. Thirty-four is a lot. Take our short quiz below to guide you through the 34 new offerings and find the perfect fit for you (and maybe your family). And to make things easy, you can find some of our speciality courses being offered this fall listed below, including our new, rare, and most popular classes.
If you aren’t a member already, be sure to sign up to enjoy 10% off class tuition and get your spot first. Class seats are sure to disappear faster come public registration on July 30.
New Classes
Be one of the very first Crucible students ever to make a belt and buckle or an ornament in a number of mediums.
Ceramic Ornaments
Glaze your own ornaments to give to your loved ones! You will select three pre-fired ornaments to paint and glaze, learning about glazing techniques and color application. After...
Metal Clay Skulls
Using copper and silver metal clay, create fine metal skulls using a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques. Kiln fire your designs, then polish your ornate...
Glass Fused Ornaments
Learn to cut glass and assemble it into beautiful hanging glass fused ornaments! Add sparkle with dichroic glass, frit, and stringers that will embellish your design. Ornaments...
Enamel Ornaments
Add a special touch to your holiday traditions with an enameled ornament of your own design. Using flat, precut copper shapes as a base, layer colored opaque glass in stenciled...
Metal Clay Pendants and Earrings
Create pendants, earrings, and wearable sculptures from copper and silver metal clay, practicing and perfecting a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques....
Fundamentals of Machine Shop
Learn the fundamentals of Machine Shop theory and practice! Over this 15-hour course, you will be provided with a detailed handout packet and make a small project using basic...
Glass Flameworked Pendant
After a basic introduction to melting and shaping borosilicate glass with an oxy-propane torch, create elegant, organic and beautiful pendants for holiday gifting or for your own...
Fused Glass Pendants
Learn to work with fusible glass, dichroic glass, and silver foil to create beautiful pendants in this three-hour workshop. Students will make several small glass fused pendants,...
Torch Fired Enameling
Learn how to use the torch to fuse glass to metal! Working on copper, you will learn the basics of how the enamel medium works and how to fuse using the torch. We will go over...
Goblets
Long considered the holy grail of glass blowing, it is said if you can make a goblet, you can make anything. In this class, you will learn a variety of assembly methods, including...
Silver Soldering
Learn the basics of soldering with silver! We will cover different types of joints, solders, and fluxes, as well as how to overcome challenges when working with rings, jump rings,...
Metal Clay Rings
Create and design multiple rings from copper and silver metal clay, practicing a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques. Kiln fire each piece, then finish...
Glass Flowers and Mushrooms
Learn the basics of hot glass sculpting, including techniques in gathering molten glass out of the furnace, marvering, color application, and glass shaping. In this three-hour...
Hollow Vessels
Learn to flamework hollow glass, making unique vessels like terrariums, vases, trinket dishes, and spice jars! You will learn proper techniques for shaping and creating a stable...
Fundamental Forms
Students will learn to make three different essential forms in glass—a cylinder, a hemisphere bowl, and a cone—and master the skill of gathering glass from the furnace. First,...
Cast Ornaments
Create festive ornaments from cast aluminum! Carve your designs into resin bonded sand to make a sand mold, then watch as molten aluminum is poured to fill your mold. When the...
Metal Clay Forms From Nature
Create beautiful jewelry such as pendants, earrings, or charms from real leaves using metal art clay. Your projects will involve using copper clay & silver clay with the...
Beginning Marbles
Create nature’s most perfect form—the sphere—in glass! After a basic introduction to melting and shaping borosilicate glass, you will complete several marble designs, including the...
Glass Flameworked Ornaments
After a refresher on melting and shaping borosilicate glass with an oxy-propane torch, create elegant, icicle-inspired ornaments or miniature candy canes ideal for holiday gifting...
Rare Finds
These classes don’t come around often. Don’t miss your chance to dive into these rarely offered classes.
20 Shades of Grey: Medieval Enameling Techniques
Often associated with medieval French enameling, grisaille (grey) is the application of white enamel to a black enamel background, creating halftones and shading. Light areas of...
Fire Hula Hoop I
Build coordination and confidence as you construct your own practice PVC hula hoop and learn basic tricks with and without fire. You will learn beginner on-body and off-body moves,...
Bell Casting
Bell Casting introduces participants to bell design and the lost wax foundry technique. Each student will design, cast, and finish a bell approximately six inches in diameter. This...
Fred Ball Experimental Enameling Techniques
Fred Uhl Ball (1945-1985) was an enamelist who lived and taught in Sacramento. His work was viewed as highly unorthodox at the time, but created a firm basis for current...
Popular Classes
Going, going, gone! These classes fill up fast. Sign up now before public registration opens July 30.
Neon I
Light up your life with neon! In this class you will learn the skills needed to complete a project in neon and an illuminated project. In addition to hands-on instruction in tools...
Glass Paper Weights
Demystify the secrets behind glass paperweights with an excellent entry level class for anyone wanting to dabble in hot glass. In this class, you will learn to gather molten glass...
Youth After School Classes
Get your kids into a creative state of mind in our weekend and after school classes (yes, back to school is sooner than you think!).
Youth Blacksmithing I
Learn to bend and shape steel in The Crucible’s smithy as you practice traditional blacksmithing techniques, such as drawing, bending, twisting, punching, slitting, and drifting...
Youth Clay Critters
Explore clay as a sculptural material to create critters from your own imagination! Learn hand-building techniques, such as slabs, coils, and pinching. We will cover several...
Keep reading…
April-June Classes Open For Members On February 6—Get Your Guide!
Get ready to make this spring! April-june classes open for Early Member Registration this Tuesday, February 6. If you haven’t secured your Crucible membership, now is the time....
Plan for a Creative 2024: January-March Classes Open 10/31
This Tuesday, October 31, over 150 January-March classes open for early member registration. 2024 marks The Crucible's 25th Anniversary and there's no better way to ring in a...
Check Out Your September-December Classes In Our Latest Member Guide
Are you ready to shape glass, forge metal, and mold clay this fall? September–December classes open this Tuesday, July 11 exclusively for Crucible members. And with more than 200...
It’s Officially 2023 Summer Camp Season–See All The Pics!
No corner of the imagination went unexplored during the first week of 2023 Crucible Youth Summer Camp. From friendly robots to glistening glass creatures, we were blown away by the...
Your Summer Plans Just Landed: July-August Class Guide
Summer is synonymous with good times, and what could be more fun than exploring a new creative hobby? This Tuesday, May 2, our July-August 2023 classes will open for early member...
Plan The Best Summer With Our 2023 Youth Summer Camp Guide
2023 Youth Summer Camp registration is nearly here. With so many offerings we thought you might like a little help finding the perfect fit for your kiddo. Behold, our 2023 Youth...