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How to CLE

Make crafty gifts this holiday season with these independent, local workshops.
To Peter Debelak and Jim McNaughton, woodworking is an expression of one's soul. At their Soulcraft Woodshop in the Hildebrandt Building, you can tap into that inner craftsperson by making this wooden pallet coffee table in the by-appointment intro to furniture making class. "In a Rust Belt town like Cleveland, there is such a wealth of quality and unique material," says Debelak. "They are cheap and have a unique design element that you can't find with store-bought materials."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rust Belt Coffee Table

1. Revamp: Replace one or two of the middle planks from the pallet with new milled boards to give your tabletop an eclectic look. Use 1-inch screws to secure the new boards to the pallet. Don't expect the boards to be perfectly level.

2. Adorn: Use a clamp to bend 1 1/2 inch-wide steel strips at 90-degree angles over the pallet's edges. Lay strips along the plank seams. Drill holes through each end of the strips and into the planks. Adhere strips to pallet using a multisurface adhesive, such as Elmer's ProBond Advanced. Once the glue dries, thread a washer and nut onto a bolt. Insert bolts through each hole and secure with a second nut from the opposite end.

3. Enhance: Considering the space available in the interior of pallet and how tight you want the drawer to fit, mark off measurements on plywood for the base of a drawer. Measure two drawer sides by length and two drawer sides by width. Cut with a table saw or hand saw. Nail sides to base with hammer and 1-inch wood nails. Use hand saw to cut a steel piece for the front of the drawer and attach with glue. Glue small piece of wood to the steel for handle.

4. Prop: Fasten hairpin legs at each corner using 1-inch wood screws. "Sand the surface of your pallet to create an even surface before securing the legs," advises Debelak. Apply a clear finish to the wood using a paintbrush.

Hand-sculpted Ornaments

If grade school paper ornaments comprise most of your holiday collection, let ceramics artist Gina DeSantis provide an upgrade during workshops Nov. 9, 16 and 28 in her Screw Factory studio. Knead a hunk of stoneware clay for two to three minutes to remove air bubbles. "Hand building allows you to get a feel for the clay medium," says DeSantis. Use a roller to flatten clay into a 1/4-inch slab. Choose from an assortment of cookie cutters, including snowflakes and hearts, to shape your clay. Pinch out a small hole at the top using a chopstick but not too close to the edges. After your ornament has dried, fire it at 1,800 degrees. Apply your choice of glaze using a paintbrush. "We have 15 glazes that make 250 combinations," DeSantis says. Fire it again at 2,300 degrees. Thread a ribbon through hole, and it's ready to hang.

Cuff Bracelet

Kim Baxter, owner of Flux Metal Arts in Mentor, believes hammering metal is a great way to alleviate stress. Knock away holiday worries in her cuff bracelet workshop Nov. 29.

1. Design: Use a Sharpie to mark off the length and width of your bracelet on a sheet of copper, brass, silver or nickel. "Some metals, including brass, can change color over time," Baxter warns. Use both hands to cut the sheet with a metal shear.

2. Texturize: Personalize your strip using Flux's textured hammers to imprint numbers, letters, shapes and lines. Hold the hammer at its base. "Be aware of the angle you're holding them at as you pound," Baxter advises.

3. File: Soften the strip's edges with sandpaper and a file. Sand the corners like you file your nails — rocking back and forth in short, brisk motions. Along the long sides, use broad, elongated strokes in one direction.

4. Shape: Bend the strip around a mandrel, a cylindrical tool used to create symmetry. Hold the strip firmly around the mandrel and pound it with a mallet until it's tightly wrapped. "Hitting metal to add texture makes metal stiffer," Baxter says. "Bending metal gives it spring."

Still feeling creative? Try your hand at one of these other crafty workshops.

Sewing Boot Camp
Dust the cobwebs off your old sewing machine and learn the basic by creating your own tote bag.
$160, Saturdays, 10.a.m.-noon, Stitch Cleveland, 18117 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-220-4808, stitchcleveland.com
 
Printing Class
Learn the trick to screen-printing by using Xerox lithography paper to your own custom prints.
$75, Nov. 8, 2-4 p.m., Zygote Press, 1410 E. 30th St., Cleveland, 216-621-2900, zygotepress.com
 
Photogram Workshop
No technology here. Use only paper and light to make a photographic image.
$40, Nov. 8, noon-2 p.m., Cleveland Print Room, 2550 Superior Ave E, Cleveland, 216-401-5981, clevelandprintroom.com
 
For Your Eyes Only Class
 
Incorporate scraps of paper, cardstock and old book covers into a refurbished, collaged book while learning no-sew binding.
$130, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Small Studio, 26113 Detroit Road, Westlake, smallstudioproductions.com
 
Art Journaling Class
Refine those doodles and chicken scratches by trying out some creative journaling tips from Hudson artist Karen Koch.
$25, Nov. 19 and 26, 10 a.m.-noon or 6:30-8:30p.m., Life Needs Art, 220 N. Main St., Hudson, 216-789-2751
 
Stained Glass Workshop
Artist Sheree Ferrato teaches you how to cut glass, use a light table, and choose your design to make a stained glass masterpiece.
$160, Tuesdays 5:30 p.m., Thursdays 4:30 p.m., 34340 Mills Road, Avon, 440- 731-8026, experiencedays.com
 
Leg Lamp Workshop
Learn the step-by-step instructions for creating your own replica of the classic leg lamp featured in 1983 comedy, A Christmas Story.
Free with purchase of food and beverag, Nov. 5, 6-9 p.m., Rockside Corners, The Blonde Martini & Wine Establishment, 6901 Rockside Road, Independence, artistsuncorkd.com
 
Glass Blowing Class
Begin the fundamentals of glass blowing by learning how work with a furnace and use primary tools, all while making a paperweight and vessels.
$125, Days vary, 10.a.m.-6 p.m., 2421 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, 216-696-7043, glassbubbleproject.com

 

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at home

12:00 AM EST

October 20, 2014

Story:

Rachel Kalayjian

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