Leather, Textiles, & Fine Art

It’s not all about metal, glass, and fire at The Crucible. Come check out our softer side with classes that show you how to make finished leather goods, dye with plants, or teach you to manipulate paper.

Adult Classes

The Crucible offers a wide variety of adult classes teaching leather, textiles, and fine art. Whether you want to learn the fundamentals of leather working, natural dyeing, or embossing paper, The Crucible has you covered. See the complete list of leather, textiles, and fine art classes offered below.

3-Hour Taster: Framed Milagros

Design and fabricate framed Milagros inspired by traditional Mexican artwork and iconography. Create metal imagery like hearts, hands, and nature honoring special moments in your life. Adorn your space with handcrafted Milagros for good luck and positive affirmations.

3-Hour Taster: Leather

3-Hour Tasters are a great way to explore a new art form without the deeper commitment of a full course. After a basic introduction to hand-tooling, and dyeing, create a leather bracelet, choker, cuff, or card carrier to take home. Take a Taster and meet new friends or give the gift of creativity to someone special.

Belt and Buckle

Craft a unique leather belt and bronze cast buckle! Learn and utilize techniques in leather working, including cutting, edging, dyeing, and rivet setting to craft a belt of your own design and pattern. Then sculpt an original buckle design in wax to be cast in bronze in the foundry.

Bookbinding

In this course, you will learn the art of bookbinding, to create beautiful personal books for capturing memories, ideas, drawings, and more. We will focus on the foundation of bookbinding technique, history, and materials. You will construct book blocks, practice stitching techniques, and design covers that express your creative voice. Traditional and contemporary tools will be used to construct several types of books.

Bundle Dyeing

Learn the beautiful art of bundle dyeing with plants! In this class, you will gain an understanding of how to work with natural dyes as you explore the process of bundle dyeing. We will cover an introduction to natural dye plants and different types of fabric. We will work with natural dyestuffs including food scraps, fresh and dried flowers, eucalyptus, and more. You will learn how to bundle dye on silk and cotton, including how to prepare the fabric, place the dyestuffs, wrap the fabric, and steam the fabric on a stovetop. No prior experience necessary – beginners welcome.

Contemporary Embossing

Embossing is the process of raising the two-dimensional surface of a design to give it varying degrees of depth, an effect that can’t be achieved in painting, drawing, or printing. In this three-hour class, students will learn to emboss using a traditional press, exploring a variety of materials and both traditional and experimental techniques. By the end of class, each student will have produced their own embossed artwork.

Festive Embossed Cards

Create a set of fifteen festive holiday cards through embossing and watercolor! Students will learn to emboss using a traditional press, exploring various materials, and utilizing both traditional and experimental techniques. Then apply their watercolor designs gently on top of the pressed imagery. A unique limited-edition set ready to mail to your loved ones.

Indigo Dyeing and Shibori

Learn to create unique patterns on fabric using shibori techniques and natural indigo dye. You will use folding, tying, and binding resist techniques to dye four cotton napkins and one tote bag. You will also learn the basics of mixing and maintaining a natural indigo dye bath.

Leather Working I

Learn techniques for working with leather, including cutting, edging, stitching, dyeing, and oiling. We will cover design, setting rivets, adding hardware like buckles, and safety issues. Each student will make a belt and at least one bag.

Leather Working II

Apply and build upon basic leatherworking techniques to create a unique leather project of your own design and pattern. From selecting materials to developing a pattern, you will be challenged to problem-solve all steps of the creative process. We will introduce tooling, wet molding, and other advanced techniques. Come with an idea for your final project.

PREREQUISITE: Leather Working I

Leather Working Lab

Lab sessions are a great benefit, exclusively for Crucible members! Practice the skills you learn in class and explore new possibilities with your craft. No instruction is provided during lab sessions, but a lab monitor will be present to answer questions, manage safety, and provide overall support. You are free to come and go at your convenience during open lab hours, however, you must provide your own materials.
PREREQUISITE: Leather Working I and Crucible membership

Mexican Tin Nichos

Nichos, a folk art tradition popular throughout Central and South America, are a popular way to honor and remember loved ones with a three-dimensional or recessed display box. Using the process of Hojalata (Tin Art) you will make a colorful and highly ornate wall shrine. Bring small items and a picture of the one you want to pay homage to class.

Mexican Tin Ornaments

Create unique tin ornaments inspired by repujado and hojalata from Mexico! Learn techniques for tooling aluminum, a malleable form of tin, while working with available designs and patterns or creating a unique design of your own.

This class is part of Family Day, where parents and guardians with children ages 8 and up are welcome to register with their kids and get hands-on making ornaments—just in time for the holidays.

Mordant and Indigo Dyeing

Learn to make a rainbow with natural dye! Cover the fundamentals of natural fibers, mordanting (fabric pre-treatment), and immersion dye baths with red madder root and yellow weld. Create patterns on cloth with shibori techniques and bundle dyeing with whole plants, including dyeing with natural indigo and creating patterns using clay paste resist. Walk away with over 10 personal projects, from silk scarves to cotton bandanas. Students are encouraged to bring your own natural fiber items from home to dye as well.

Pet Collar and Tag

Calling all pet lovers! Learn to cut, edge, and dye leather, then set rivets and add a buckle to your pet’s new dashing collar! Once the collar is complete, take it over to the Jewelry Department and anneal, stamp, and design a tag for your favorite furry friend.

Youth Classes

In the Leather, Textiles, & Fine Art Department, we offer youth classes specifically for ages 8-18. In these classes, The Crucible provides a unique setting for youth to get hands-on with leather, paper, fabric, and more, exploring their creative voices and absorbing real-life lessons in science, technology, engineering, and math. You can see all The Crucible’s offerings for youth here.

Youth Bookbinding

In this class, students will focus on the foundation of bookbinding technique, history, and materials. You will practice stitching techniques and design covers that express your creative voice. Traditional and contemporary tools will be used to construct several types of books.

Youth Leather Working (ages 12-18)

Learn techniques for working with leather, including cutting, edging, stitching, dyeing, and oiling. We will cover design, setting rivets, adding hardware like buckles, and safety issues. Each student will make a belt and at least one bag.

Youth Leather Working II (ages 12-18)

Apply and build upon basic leatherworking techniques to create a unique leather project of your own design and pattern. From selecting materials to developing a pattern, students will be challenged to problem-solve all steps of the creative process. We will introduce tooling, wet molding, and other advanced techniques. Come with an idea for your final project.

PREREQUISITE: Youth Leather Working

Youth Mexican Tin Art (ages 8-11)

Learn how to create tin art inspired by repujado and hojalata done in Mexico. After a brief history of the traditional cultural practice and demonstration of techniques, emboss your own designs or pre-drawn patterns onto tooling aluminum.

Youth Natural Dyeing (ages 12-18)

Students will gain an understanding of the history of Natural Dyeing and Shibori, while also completing multiple projects using a number of fascinating techniques. We will be going over traditional practices that have been used for over 1200 years in Shibori like: Kanoko, Miura, and Itajime. Our knowledgable instructors will be working closely with students to allow them to achieve lovely designs and take home projects they will treasure for years to come. Our goal within the Leather, Textiles, and Fine Art department is to light a fire within our students that inspires them to hone in on techniques you may not find anywhere else in the Bay Area.

Youth Paper Quilling (ages 12-18)

Come learn the craft of paper quilling, the practice of cutting and bending paper into shapely, decorative forms. Paper quilling projects can be used as wearable and/or decorative pieces.

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Youth Print Making (ages 8-11)

Get an introduction to the wonderful practice of printmaking through cartography, relief, and monotype print! Youth will learn how to prep, design, pull and curate their prints while learning basic care of tools and solvents.

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Youth Relief Printing (ages 12-18)

In this beginner printmaking course, students will learn basic forms of relief prints methods and techniques! Through linocut and woodcut processes, youth will walk away with a variety of different prints to call their own, including an edition of their own artwork.

Meet The Leather, Textiles, & Fine Art Department Head: Alea Olivas

As a multi-medium artist with their strongest background in dance, performance, and film, Alea has spent the last several years working on more tangible arts and using the hands to create designs for pleasure and play. She is most content when weaving together theory + practice across fine and industrial arts, sciences and myth, and movement and performance.

Being Prepared For Your Leather, Textiles, & Fine Art Class

Leather, Textiles, & Fine Art classes are held on the second floor of our building. Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility and we will be happy to accommodate.

Students must arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames.

The Crucible requests students always arrive in studio safe clothing when working. Layers are encouraged as the studio can be very cold or very hot.

Ready to get hands-on in Leather, Textiles, & Fine Art?

The Crucible has Leather, Textiles, & Fine Art classes starting each month