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hiladelphia also b oasts numerous other maker-focused organizations located throughout the city that offer beginner-friendly classes and workshops perfect for getting your feet wet. Philadelphia Woodworks (4901 Umbria St.) offers a variety of woodworking classes for beginners that run the gamut from one-day crash workshops on topics like woodturning to multi-day classes on tablemaking. They even offer an introductory woodshop class just for women. Upcoming woodturning classes culminate in great gifts like wooden bowls and pen sets, and they also offer gift cards and memberships. Second State Press (1400 N. American St., Studio B103) holds a variety of beginner-friendly classes on an array of printmaking techniques and paper arts, including screenprinting, etching, printing on fabric and bookmaking. Located in South Kensington’s Crane Arts Building, it also offers memberships and studio rentals by the hour, month or year, in addition to regular monthly events where you can meet other artists and makers. For ceramics- and pottery-focused making, Philadelphians have two great options. The Clay Studio (137-139 N. 2nd St.) offers introductory multi-day classes and one-day workshops. Its Clay Studio Sampler introduces a variety of techniques, such as handbuilding and wheel-throwing and -glazing. Its Intro to the Wheel afternoon workshop allows participants to explore all the basics of throwing bowls on the wheel in a few hours. Members receive discounts on classes. Yay Clay! (3237 Amber St.) offers a sixweek class designed for beginners to learn how to throw pottery on the wheel, in addition to “Clay Dates” where two or more people receive one-on-one instruction to craft a handmade ceramic piece that participants return to glaze two weeks later. The finished piece is then ready for pickup (and gift-giving) two weeks later. Yay Clay! offers studio memberships that start at $75/month and provides access to all of their tools. East Falls Glassworks (3510 Scotts Ln.) provides a unique opportunity to start creating objects with glass. One-day beginner 34
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Philadelphia Woodworks member sands a live-edge table.
workshops on blowing glass ornaments are perfect for making one-of-a-kind holiday gifts, and their multi-week Intro to Glassblowing and Fun With Glass classes are perfect for those who want to dive a little deeper into the art of working with glass. Looking for a more eclectic set of options? The University City Arts League (4226 Spruce
St.) offers beginner-friendly eight-week classes in a variety of maker disciplines, including sewing, ceramics and printmaking. Classes in its fully equipped pottery studio focus on both handbuilding and wheel-throwing techniques, and its sewing classes give you the option of using one of the League’s machines or bringing your own. P HOTO G RAP H COURTESY CHRISTO P HE R LEA MA N