This class will guide you through the fundamental processes of creating a knife, from shaping the initial steel to the final sharpening. You'll learn essential metalworking techniques such as shaping, filing, grinding, and finishing as you craft your own unique knife.

What to Wear in the Metals Studio?

We wish for all students to have a safe and enjoyable learning experience. Proper safety equipment and PPE will be provided for use within the studio.

Please dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class inall-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heelshoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair should betied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are notrecommended around machines, equipment, or processes that can producehot fragments, sparks, or flames. Please avoid synthetic blends, as100% cotton is recommended. Layers are encouraged, as the studio canbegin cool then become very hot.

Welding students are recommended to wear long sleeve shirts to preventarc-flash burns (much like a sunburn). 

All students participating in activities involving sparks or hot metal are encouraged to wear leather boots or older shoes.

Please bring a re-fillable water bottle!

Class Policies & Information:

Open Lab: This class includes access to the studio during Open Lab hours. Open Lab is exclusively for students who are currently enrolled in the program. You are allowed to attend one Open Lab session per week, totaling 3 hours during the duration of your class. You may only attend the Open Lab session for the class in which you are registered. This time is intended for independent work on your class project. While studio staff will be present, they are there to ensure you are using the tools safely, not to provide instruction.

Class Make-Up: Our studios are full with adult and youth classes 7 days a week, 48 weeks a year. Typically, every class is full, which means there is simply no space for students to make up classes. If we cancel an entire class due to weather or other emergencies, we can not guarantee we will be able to schedule a make-up class. Individuals who miss a class will not be able to make it up. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about missed classes.

Studio Clean Up: Clean-up is critical! Please help our hardworking staff and volunteers by beginning clean-up 30 minutes before the end of class, helping out with common areas, and leaving class on time.

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Wednesday, May 28 at 8:00am. 

This class will be a comprehensive overview of the Chop Saw, Jointer and Planer, Including:

The main purpose of this class is to help students feel comfortable on these machines, which are vital to the process of milling lumber for future projects in a way that emphasizes safety, why having fun, and introducing new and exciting processes. 

Each person will get hands-on experience, guided by an instructor, and will have ample opportunity to practice the procedure taught during the class.

Class Policies & Information:

Class Make-Up: Our studios are full with adult and youth classes 7 days a week, 48 weeks a year. Typically, every class is full, which means there is simply no space for students to make up classes. If we cancel an entire class due to weather or other emergencies, we can not guarantee we will be able to schedule a make-up class. Individuals who miss a class will not be able to make it up. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about missed classes.

What to wear to the wood studio?  

Safety First: Long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle.  Shirts and tops should be easy to tuck in, with sleeves that can be rolled up as needed.  Tie back long hair to ensure safety.  We offer safety goggles, dust masks and ear protection, and they must be worn in the wood studio.  Feel free to bring your own if you are more comfortable with them.  Jewelry, loose-fitting clothing, or any other items that could dangle will need to be secured while using machines.

Safety Information:

• Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes
• Long pants
• Shirts should be easily tucked and sleeves pulled up
• Hair tied back
• Eye and lung protection are provided and must be worn in the studio

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Friday, May 30 at 8:00am.

Welcome to Quick Print! These one-time classes offer students a crash course in one specific type of print without the commitment of a multi-week class. Perfect for beginners, experimenters, or anyone looking for a fun way to learn a new skill fast!

This class puts the fab in fabric! Students will get an introduction to relief block printing, mixing and applying ink and printing their fun, unique design on cloth. 

Starter fabric will be provided, but if you have plant-based fabric (linen, cotton, hemp, etc.), for example: cloth for sewing, T-shirt, tote bag, etc., at home that you would love to print on please bring it to class.

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Friday, May 30 at 8:00 am.

Are you lazing in your glazing? Sleeping on slip? Craving more carving? Let’s dig into it! In this one-time 2.5 hour class, we’ll do a deeper dive into surface decoration techniques such as sgraffito, mishima, carving through wax, and using slip as texture. 

Groundworks will provide flat tiles in a variety of different clay bodies for students to practice surface decoration on. Students can pick if they want their final pieces clear glazed or left raw, and after a few weeks, our staff will let you know when your pieces are out of the kiln and ready for pick-up.

This class takes place at Groundworks Hill 1010 Aurora Ave, Boulder, CO. 

PLEASE NOTE: This one-time class runs for 2.5 hours. You will not have access to the studio outside of the scheduled class time and all work will be completed during class time. You will also not have access to our other locations.

Your pieces will be fired in our gas kilns to Cone 6 Reduction. 

Ages: 16+

Available for registration Friday, May 30th at 8:00am

Let’s put the boogie woogie woogie back in your surface decoration! Is everything coming out of the kiln looking muted or dull? Come learn why and how to improve your colors in oxidation in this surface decorating class. 

Groundworks will provide flat tiles for students to practice underglazing, stenciling, and applying decals on in a variety of different clay bodies that thrive in electric oxidation firing. Students can pick if they want their final pieces clear glazed or left raw, and after a few weeks, our staff will let you know when your pieces are out of the kiln and ready for pick-up.

This class takes place at Groundworks EAST 3063 Sterling Circle, Boulder, CO. 

PLEASE NOTE: This one-time class runs for 2.5 hours. You will not have access to the studio outside of the scheduled class time and all work will be completed during class time. You will also not have access to our other locations.

Your pieces will be fired in our electric kilns to Cone 6 Oxidation. Hot tip: electric kiln oxidation firing is what most people use in their home studio set-ups, so if you’re aiming to set up a home pottery business in the future, this is a great place to start!

Ages: 16+

Available for registration Tuesday, May 27th at 8:00am

Letterpress printing with LegosTaught by Brenda Gallagher and Julia Seko

Combine the beauty of letterpress printing with the fun of setting legos! Students will be given a type high lego baseplate on which to design their lego printing with lego tiles. Plates will then be locked up in the Vandercook letterpress to print. Students will learn printing with two different colors in two passes on the press. Multiple prints are encouraged for a print swap on the last day of class. If time allows, students can make a soft case to hold the collection.

This is a one month drop in course, held 4x, on four consecutive Wednesdays. Students can attend all 4 classes or just which ones work with the summer family calendar. This class is open to students ages 9+.

July 23 

July 30 

August 6

Metal Studio Clay Stamp 1 Day Class

Tired of the same old clay textures? Want to add a unique, personal touch to your pottery? Then dive into the exciting world of metal stamp making! Join us for a fun, hands-on, 2-hour workshop where you'll transform ordinary metal into extraordinary tools for your clay creations.

What's the Scoop?

Metal Magic: Step into our metal studio and discover the surprisingly accessible art of metalworking. We'll start with a quick and easy demo covering basic filing and hammering techniques – no prior experience necessary!

Stamp It Your Way: Get inspired by our provided examples, or let your imagination run wild! Create custom stamps with patterns, textures, letters, or anything your heart desires.

Clay's Best Friend: These handmade stamps are perfect for adding intricate details and unique textures to your pottery projects.

Fun & Friendly: This class is designed to be approachable and enjoyable for all skill levels, especially clay enthusiasts! 

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided.

Will be available to register on Wednesday, May 28 at 8:00am.

This class will be a comprehensive overview of the table, Inclinding: 

The main focus of this class is to provide a safe and fun experience on a machine that when operated properly can elevate a woodworker's capabilities going forward. From cutting joinery to dimensioning boards to finished lengths and width, the table saw is paramount to becoming an all around woodworker. 

Class Policies & Information:

Class Make-Up: Our studios are full with adult and youth classes 7 days a week, 48 weeks a year. Typically, every class is full, which means there is simply no space for students to make up classes. If we cancel an entire class due to weather or other emergencies, we can not guarantee we will be able to schedule a make-up class. Individuals who miss a class will not be able to make it up. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about missed classes.

What to wear to the wood studio?  

Safety First: Long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle.  Shirts and tops should be easy to tuck in, with sleeves that can be rolled up as needed.  Tie back long hair to ensure safety.  We offer safety goggles, dust masks and ear protection, and they must be worn in the wood studio.  Feel free to bring your own if you are more comfortable with them.  Jewelry, loose-fitting clothing, or any other items that could dangle will need to be secured while using machines.

Safety Information:

• Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes
• Long pants Shirts should be easily tucked and sleeves pulled up
• Hair tied back
• Eye and lung protection are provided and must be worn in the studio

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Friday, May 30 at 8:00am.